On the one hand, FitSeven has already written in detail that most statements about the dangers of sports protein for an athlete’s health are just myths - scientific research confirms the safety and harmlessness of whey protein. However, this only applies to “pure” protein, and not to mixtures sold in stores.
Unfortunately, the key problem with sports protein is that manufacturers almost always add numerous secondary ingredients to its composition - not so much to reduce the cost of the product, but to create a more “pleasant” taste and color, as well as provide a thick texture and easy mixing with water. Not to mention the content.
How much protein is in sports protein?
The first place to start when choosing a sports protein is to study the direct protein content in 100 g of the product. Very often, manufacturers deliberately mislead the buyer by indicating on the packaging the numbers “30 g of protein per serving,” meaning by serving not the standard 30 grams, but 40 or even 50 grams.
Remember that a good protein protein should contain approximately 22-25 g of protein per 30 gram serving - or 73-83 g of protein per 100 g of product. The amount of carbohydrates and fats in this case should not exceed 1-5 g per serving (or 4-15 g per 100 g). If there is less protein in the product, and more carbohydrates and fats, then it is not worth buying.
Learning to read protein composition
The second step when choosing a quality protein is to carefully study its composition, which is necessarily present on the packaging. Please remember that all ingredients must be listed in descending order, from most to least. If there is no product composition on the packaging at all, this definitely does not mean anything good.
The main rule should be that the more ingredients in the protein, the worse its quality. This condition is especially evident in the example of food made from soy or peas - such technologies require complex processes and the use of many additives to add taste and texture.
Protein Composition: Typical Ingredients
Key Ingredient whey protein is always either concentrated whey ( Whey Protein Concentrate) or (Whey Protein Isolate). However, how the raw materials were purified from fat and impurities - by mechanical filtration or chemical reactions - is of fundamental importance.
Expensive brands of sports protein usually clearly indicate that the isolate has been purified mechanically, without the use of hydrolysis or other chemical processes. Speaking in simple words, it’s like in the case of olive oil - the characteristics and taste of cold-pressed oil are fundamentally different from deeply refined oil.
Hydrolyzed protein
From a theoretical point of view, during the process of protein hydrolysis (that is, thermal, mechanical and chemical treatments), the complex milk protein is broken down into individual amino acids, which should provide better purity of the raw material and more high level mastering its composition. This protein is designated as Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate.
However, from a practical point of view, this production process is a very complex technological chain that fundamentally changes the composition of milk protein. Essentially, there are no long-term scientific research, showing the harmlessness and safety for health of regular intake of such protein.
Dangerous ingredients in protein
Unfortunately, pure whey itself has a specific unpleasant taste and mixes quite poorly with water - to eliminate this “defect”, manufacturers have to add sweeteners and sweeteners to the composition of the sports protein, as well as flavorings and all kinds of thickeners.
It should be noted that some scientists firmly believe that consuming a sweetener when blood glucose levels are low (that is, after physical training) harms the brain and can provoke the development of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. That's why try to buy protein without aspartame.
Thickeners and leavening agents
The fundamental difference between low-quality protein and premium brands is the use of cheap thickeners and leavening agents, which make the texture of the final product thicker. The problem is that such thickeners literally fill the stomach and significantly impair the absorption of protein.
Carrageenan and xanthan gum, widely used in the food industry both for and to create a thick structure for McDonald's milkshakes, can be considered relatively safe thickeners. But, again, this raises the question of how “healthy” the composition of such a product is.
***
It is necessary to clearly understand that sports protein- this is a rather complex product from the point of view of production, and not just a concentrate of powdered milk. To reduce the cost, manufacturers can use extremely strange ingredients - and no one can prohibit them from doing so, since there are no regulations for such products.
MRM is an American brand that produces dietary supplements and sports nutrition, including protein shakes. The natural composition of the product is declared.
We bought protein for two of us - my boyfriend drinks it because he is slowly pumping, and I drink it to adjust my diet; it sometimes “sags” in terms of the amount of protein consumed. However, I also do sports.
Those who want to know more about what it is protein shake and why/why/when they drink it, I advise you to read sports and “jock” resources, for example, the well-known Sports Wiki. I won’t touch on this topic here and will get straight to the point)
We ordered this huge jar, 2270 g, Dutch chocolate flavor. This jar contains 75-76 servings of cocktail.
Represents whey protein concentrate(+ less amount of isolate).
Product Information:
One serving contains 22 g of protein. It is not recommended for mere mortals to take more than 30 g of protein at a time - it will not be absorbed. (As for those who seriously train and those who have heavy physical activity, I read that their need for protein increases and the dose can be increased, but I can’t say that.) Of course, there are mixtures with a higher protein content per serving, but personally I’m satisfied with this too.
A measuring spoon is included in the jar:
Compound :
Nat-Pro Optimizer, cocoa, natural chocolate flavor, TreLEAFia (trehalose, stevia leaf extract and monk fruit extract), carrageenan and salt.
Nat-Pro Optimizer [whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, L-glutamine (an amino acid), soy lecithin, plant enzymes], cocoa, natural chocolate flavor, TreLEAFia (trehalose (a naturally occurring saccharide), stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract extract), carrageenan, salt.
A few words about carrageenan (by the way, it is also of natural origin - from algae or moss). Many people think that carrageenan is evil, a carcinogen and all that. Almost all articles about the dangers of carrageenan refer to a study by NCI (American National Cancer Institute). But on the NCI website you can find, for example, the following information:
Carrageenans of low molecular weight are known to induce inflammation and have been shown to induce gastrointestinal cancer in animal models when administered orally, but commercial use is limited to highweight carrageenans.
Low molecular weight carrageenans are known to cause inflammation and have been associated with duodenal cancer when administered orally in animal studies. but in commercial purposes Only high molecular weight carrageenans are used.
In short, the carrageenan that can be found in food is completely harmless. And according to research results as well.
In general, the composition is really natural, good, white and fluffy.
What are its advantages:
- It dissolves well in both water and milk. Many proteins form lumps no matter how much you shake them in the shaker, but here there are not a single lump. For the same reason, the shaker can be easily washed after use.
- It has a pleasant taste and consistency. Most of all he reminds melted chocolate ice cream. It foams a little when shaken, I mix one scoop with 200ml milk and get a full cup of shake. The taste is soft and natural, sweet but not cloying. It tastes good with water too.
- Natural composition and absence of harmful components that are often found in such products. For example, aspartame. And no strong flavors.
- This cocktail does not cause indigestion or other unpleasant side effects from the gastrointestinal tract, as sometimes happens with proteins.
About the price. Where is it profitable to buy protein?
In Russian online stores, such a can of protein costs 5200-5300 rub. This is normal for high-quality protein, but still not cheap at all. But on IHerb this discounted jar costs $58.48, which is about 3000 rub. I don't know if this is a permanent discount or a temporary one, but keep in mind - this opportunity to save big money)) For example, we did just that. Besides, you definitely won’t buy a fake on Herb (MRM is not a super popular brand here, but still anything can happen).
In addition to chocolate, there are other flavors, from the standard vanilla and strawberry to chocolate malt, for example. There are vegan proteins. There are also different volumes.
(And if this is your first order on IHerb, you can get an additional $10 discount. Ask for a referral code.)
__________________
Greetings everyone! I continue the topic of the variety of refined sugar substitutes. The time has come for aspartame (e951): what harm does the sweetener cause, what products it contains and what methods for determining whether it is suitable for pregnant women and children.
Today, the chemical industry offers us many opportunities to avoid consuming sugar without depriving ourselves of our favorite sweets. One of the most popular sweetener manufacturers is aspartame, used both on its own and in combination with other components. Since its synthesis, this sweetener has been subject to frequent attacks - let's try to figure out how harmful it is and how it affects the body.
Aspartame: instructions for use
The sweetener aspartame is a synthetic sugar substitute that is 150 to 200 times sweeter. It is a white powder, odorless and highly soluble in water. Marked on product labels E 951.
After entering the body, it is very quickly absorbed, metabolized in the liver, participating in transamination reactions, and then excreted by the kidneys.
Calorie content
The calorie content of aspartame is quite high - as much as 400 kcal per 100g, however, to give the sweet taste of this sweetener, such a small amount is required that when calculating the energy value, these figures are not taken into account as significant.
The undeniable advantage of aspartame is its rich sweet taste, devoid of impurities and additional shades, which allows it to be used on its own, unlike other artificial sweeteners.
However, it is thermally unstable and breaks down when heated. There is no point in using it for baking and other desserts - they will lose their sweetness.
Today, aspartame is allowed in the USA, a number of European countries, and Russia. Maximum daily dose 40 mg/kg per day
The history of the creation of the sweetener aspartame
The sweetener was discovered by accident in 1965, while working on a pharmacological drug designed to fight stomach ulcers - chemist James Schlatter simply licked his finger.
The intermediately synthesized aspartame was the methyl ester of the dipeptide of two amino acids: aspartic and phenylalanine. Below you see a photo of the formula.
Thus began the promotion of a new sweetener to the market, the value of which after 20 years amounted to more than $1 billion per year. Since 1981, aspartame has been legal in the UK and USA.
At the same time, a series of investigations and additional research into the safety of this sweetener begins. We will also figure out how and why exactly aspartame is actually harmful.
If you know enough about aspartame, then I recommend that you familiarize yourself with other similar artificial sweeteners:
Why is aspartame harmful?
There have always been discussions in the scientific world regarding the harmlessness of aspartame, which continue to this day. All official sources unanimously declare that it is not toxic, but independent studies say the opposite, citing many references to scientific works of various institutes around the world.
To be fair, consumers are also not happy with the quality and effect of this sweetener. In the United States alone, the Federal Food Administration has received hundreds of thousands of complaints about aspartame. And this is almost 80% of all consumer complaints against food additives.
What exactly raises numerous questions?
Contraindications
The only officially recognized contraindication for use is the disease phenylketonuria - aspartame is prohibited for people suffering from it. It is really dangerous for them, even fatal.
Side effects
Meanwhile, many independent studies have confirmed that long-term use of tablets of this sweetener causes headache, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, insomnia and allergies.
In animals on which the sweetener was tested, cases of brain cancer were observed. So you see that aspartame does more harm than good, as is the case with saccharin and cyclamate.
Sweetener E 951 and weight loss
Like other artificial sweeteners, aspartame does not cause a feeling of satiety, that is, products containing it provoke a person to absorb more and more portions.
- Sweet drinks do not quench thirst, but, on the contrary, spur it on, as a thick, sugary taste remains in the mouth.
- Yogurt with aspartame or diet sweets also do not contribute to weight loss, because serotonin, which is responsible for the feeling of fullness and pleasure from eating sweet foods, does not appear.
Thus, the appetite is only stimulated, and the amount of food, therefore, increases. What leads to overeating and not losing money? extra pounds, as intended, but to weight gain.
Methanol is the result of the breakdown of aspartame
But this is not the worst thing about consuming aspartame. The fact is that in our body the sweetener breaks down into amino acids (aspartic and phenylalanine) and methanol.
And if the existence of the first two components is at least somehow justified, especially since they can also be found in fruits and juices, then the presence of methanol causes heated debate to this day. This monohydric alcohol is considered a poison, and there is no way to justify its existence in food.
The reaction of aspartame to decompose into harmful substances occurs even with slight heating. It is enough for the thermometer to rise to 30°C for the sweetener to turn into formaldehyde, methanol and phenylalanine. All of these are toxic substances that are extremely dangerous to human health.
Is aspartame safe for pregnant and lactating women?
Despite the unpleasant facts described above, today aspartame is approved for use in more than 100 countries around the world by children, pregnant and lactating women.
Official sources claim that it is the most studied and safest synthetic sweetener used by humans. However, I would not recommend consumption to expectant mothers, nursing women, or children.
It is believed that the main benefit of aspartame is that people suffering from diabetes without fear for their lives due to a sharp jump in insulin can afford dessert or a sweet drink, because the GI (glycemic index) of this sweetener is zero.
Where is the sweetener aspartame found?
In what products is this sugar substitute found? Today, in the retail chain you can find more than 6,000 types of products that contain aspartame.
Here is a list of these products with maximum content levels:
- sweet soda (including Coca Cola light and zero),
- fruit yoghurts,
- chewing gum,
- sweets for diabetics,
- sports nutrition,
- a number of medications,
- vitamins for children and adults.
And also in such sugar substitutes as: and.
The maximum permissible level of aspartame E 951, approved by the FDA (American Food and Drug Administration) consumed per day is 50 mg/kg of weight.
Products, including household sweetener, contain several times less. Accordingly, the acceptable daily intake of aspartame can be calculated based on the maximum value determined by the FDA and WHO of 50 mg/kg body weight or 40 mg/kg.
Methods for determining aspartame in food products
In industry, there are a number of arbitration methods of analysis to determine the concentration of a particular substance in a product (for control in case of disagreement), and on the basis of this, issuing a certificate of conformity to it.
Spectrophotometric method
In this way, the presence of aspartame in carbonated soft drinks is determined after they are produced.
The analysis uses a spectrophotometer, colorimeter and balance.
Chromatographic method
Needed to clarify the sweetener concentration value.
Liquid chromatograph is used as the main analysis equipment.
What else you need to know about aspartame
Combinations of sweeteners
This sugar substitute can be used in combination with others, for example, you can often find a combination of aspartame acesulfame potassium (salt).
Manufacturers often put them together, since the “duet” has a high sweetness coefficient of 300 units, while separately for both substances it does not exceed 200.
Release form
A sweetener with aspartame can be:
- in the form of tablets, for example, Milford (300 tablets),
- in liquid - Milford Suss, as it is highly soluble.
Aspartame in sports nutrition (protein)
If you still have doubts about this sweetener, you can purchase products that do not contain it.
Chewing gum without aspartame or protein for athletes is available for sale not only on the Internet on specialized websites, but also in supermarkets. Aspartame in sports nutrition does not affect muscle growth, since it is not absorbed by the body and is added solely to improve the taste of tasteless protein.
Whether or not to use aspartame as a sweetener is up to you. In any case, it is worth reading scientific articles on this topic to get a more complete picture and consulting with a qualified nutritionist.
With warmth and care, endocrinologist Dilyara Lebedeva
With warmth and care, endocrinologist Lebedeva Dilyara Ilgizovna
VPX, a leader in sports nutrition, was the first to bring you 100% isolated whey. Patented cross-sectional four-level filtration technology allows us to selectively select and target microparticles such as IGF-1, IGF-2, which have specific functional properties such as stimulating muscle growth. One of the many benefits of our VPX technology Zero Carb SRO is the ability to introduce isolated quadrapeptides. It is these peptides that stimulate the release of opiate-like substances into the body. chemicals, increasing the pain threshold during training.
Featuring four-stage cross-sectional filtration technology with di-, tri- and quad-peptide isolates, VPX has earned the title of industry leader sports nutrition in the field of creatine biochemistry. Demand VPX Zero Carb SRO 100% Cross-Quarter Filtered Whey Protein Isolate, fortified with whey peptide isolates.
The Power and Energy of VPX's Zero Carb SRO:
- 100% Whey Protein Isolate!
- Technology for selecting microfractions!
- Excellent taste!
- Free of carbohydrates, sugar and fat
- No aspartame or acesulfame potassium
- No hydrogenated oils
- Lactose free - safe for people with milk allergies
Questions and answers about Zero Carb SRO:
Why add protein to your nutrition program?
Protein causes the release of many muscle-building (GF, IGF-1) and fat-burning hormones (pancreatic hyperglycemic hormone, GF, etc.). It also helps build and restore muscle tissue. Frequent protein intake high quality helps maintain muscle mass.
What is VPX's Zero Carb SRO?
VPX Zero Carb SRO is 100% whey protein isolate. Let me explain. Proteins such as Designer, VyoPro and Pro Max all contain whey protein concentrate or WPC. Whey protein isolate, or WPI, is not only much purer than WPC, but it also has a staggeringly higher biological value (BV). BV is a numerical measure of exactly how much protein your body can retain (nitrogen retention) and use in processes such as hormone production, muscle building, fat breakdown, (via pancreatic hyperglycemic hormone), use and convert into energy, etc. d. The greater the biological value of the protein, the greater the ability to carry out these processes. Whey protein isolate has 34% more biological value than whey protein concentrate. Leaders in the whey protein industry claim that their product is 68%, and now even 77%, better than chicken egg white. This is blatantly untrue. A protein that claims to be 68%, and now even 77%, “better than egg white” is WPC and in fact, it is only 15% better than chicken egg and 34% less effective than Zero Carb SRO of VPX.
What are the benefits of adding di-, tri-, and quad-peptide isolates and glutamine peptides to Zero Carb SRO?
Research has shown that short chains of amino acids called peptides are more readily absorbed by the body than free amino acids or high molecular weight whey proteins. The body prefers to consume protein in the form of peptides. Currently, VPX Zero Carb SRO is the only whey protein isolate containing whey peptide isolates. Whey peptide hydrolysates are found in other proteins that are extracted from low-grade whey protein concentrate. Whey peptide isolates have replaced hydrolysates. Glutamine peptides are 16 times more bioavailable than L-glutamine. Once again, we find that because peptides are not free amino acids (amino acids starting with L), they are the preferred way to consume protein. Although simple laboratory experiments cannot test for the presence of glutamine peptides in WPI, we now know that VPX's Zero Carb SRO is naturally rich in glutamine peptides, even before being enhanced with additional glutamine peptides. Scientists agree that glutamine plays a role important role in muscle size and height.
What is Microfraction Selection Technology?
Microparticle Screening Technology (MST) is the result of using four different processing methods to produce whey protein isolate to increase the number of specific microparticles (the smallest particles that make up the protein) that have beneficial functional properties. For example, IGF-1 or Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 is a microparticle of whey protein isolate. IGF-1 is a powerful hormone (naturally found in WPI) that, among many other benefits, is very effective at stimulating muscle building and fat burning. MST is VPX's scientific breakthrough in developing Zero Carb Protein to increase the amount of specific microparticles such as IGF-1, IGF-2, Glucomacropeptides, Bovine Whey Albumin, etc. Zero Carb Whey Protein Isolate, developed with and used in MST is one step ahead in the science of protein technology. There are still many mysteries that we have not solved in the separation of more effective components - microparticles using MST. Zero Carb SRO and VPX will continue to evolve, with MST bringing more new information to science.
VPX Zero Carb SRO became the first commercially available whey protein isolate in 1995. In 1998, after VPX created Microfraction Selection Technology, other companies were just starting to learn about WPI (Whey Protein Isolate).
Composition of VPX Zero Carb SRO:
Servings per package:
908 grams - 39 servings.
2000 grams - 87 servings.
Please stop talking nonsense, the harm of aspartame has not been medically proven! There is not a single official study that has proven this DIRECT harm, only studies affiliated with competitors in the production of sweeteners conducted in violation of medical standards. requirements.
How often do you read the ingredients on the regular foods you eat? For example, almost all chewing gum contains aspartame...people chew them in packs...alive and healthy. Nothing bad will happen with 1 can
In chewing gum, it seems to me that the dose is still not as large as in this btsaa, but thanks for the information))
There are people who don’t chew gum or drink soda and don’t consume sugar substitutes at all. Asparam reduces intelligence and causes a bunch of allergic reactions, plus phenylalanine reduces the production of serotonin in the brain - is this necessary for a normal athlete?? a bodybuilder can, yes - a decrease in mental abilities is a proven fact in rats. I bought this jar of BCAA when I was actively engaged in general physical training before the volleyball season, in general, for a whole year I periodically tried light sports supplements from creatine to glutamine, of course, everything was studied at first, but as a rule, all experimenters are jocks who eat a lot of other things, so definitely nothing It's impossible to tell until you try. Does this BCAA work - it works, without a doubt, I am in combination with this BCAA, NAG and - the taste, this is not chewing gum or soda, there is such a concentration of asparama - mom, don’t worry, if one spoon is two liters sweeter than soda, and they suggest diluting it to 300 ml. The problem with all these additives is that they contain synthetics like aspaparm. I regularly take tests - a habit from sports, plus I have asthma, so it is important to be careful with medications, I advise everyone who eats chemicals to take tests for blood, at least a general blood test. Personally, when I used this particular BCAA and NAG (from the same company) for three months, a high increase in immunoglobulin E was detected (these are antibodies, the growth of which indicates an allergic reaction), then taking it to find out the reasons for other indicators was pointless, I knew what I ate, everything was written down in a notebook, removing BCAA from this - the allergy indicators were restored. This is my personal example and experience, it is not necessary that it will be the same for everyone, but I, as an athlete, I still have CMS in my sport - I advise you to do tests - this is a blood test, urine test, and all such banal ones as blood pressure, pulse in the morning, at rest, an electrocardiogram and an ultrasound of the heart once a year, and of course whoever eats the chemistry - liver, kidneys and spleen - you need to do all the tests regularly.
By using chemicals, a person consciously takes a certain risk regarding his health. Accordingly, the test results will not be reassuring because the body adapts to the regime imposed on it. You will see changes in indicators in 2 weeks. And what do you want to see in your analyses? Will you get scared and give up everything at once? And be sure to consult with a doctor from the clinic who knows nothing about sports medicine. Good luck in sports.
