December 29, 2000
Issue #27

PROTEIN WARS
by Alex Rogers

Alex Rogers is the owner of the Protein Factory, and one of the most knowledgeable guys in the supplement biz. What follows is a collection of his work on various proteins, probably some of the only UNBIASED information you're ever going to read on the topic.


                                  Soy Protein Bad? I Don't Think So!

Recently, an article was written by a certain Net Magazine, claiming that soy protein was a "Bad" Protein to use if you were a bodybuilder looking to add lean muscle mass. The article concluded with the use of research studies, that soy proteins' phytoestrogens actually lowered testosterone production in animal studies. Hence lower testosterone levels, higher estrogen levels, no muscle gains.

But of course there are always two sides to the story, and I think I have a better case, jury listen up!!! 

I would have to disagree with the net magazine article, and nutritional experts agree, that soy protein is an excellent protein to use if you're a bodybuilder using the protein to gain muscle mass. Here are a bunch of reasons.

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                                               Hormonal Studies

1) A study found that soy protein isolate (daidzein) may have a gender specific normalizing effect on sex-hormone production. Male lab animals experienced greater testosterone and growth-hormone excretion as well as muscle growth. This contradicts the study that found that genestein decreased testosterone serum.

2) Another study found that soy may actually be anti-estrogenic. . They may also act as anti-estrogens by competing for the binding sites of estrogen receptors or the active site of the estrogen biosynthesizing and metabolizing enzymes, such as aromatase and estrogen-specific 17 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase (type 1). 

3) Probably the best research study contradicting the one used by the author of "The bad protein" is this. 

The phytoestrogens are only found in raw soy products. Not soy protein isolates, which are used as protein supplements for bodybuilders.
"There are very little data on effects of phytoestrogens in males. Estrogenic effects in wildlife have been described but the evidence for the role of phytoestrogens is indirect and seen under conditions of excessive exposure."

And what is most interesting about this study is that it was conducted by one of the same researchers at the same univeristy as the study that found genistein lowered testoserone serum levels. This researcher concluded that even though he found genestein has estrogenic effects, it really can't be concluded because of the above statement in his other reasearch findings. 

Hence, he found soy to be estrogenic, but it really can't be "hard" evidence because there is not enough proof and it involves ridiculous conditions.
See what I mean by two sides to every story..

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                                        Positive Benefits of Soy 

1. The amino acid profile of soy is excellent. If you don't know by now the Glutamic Acid level is higher than whey. Why? Mainly because it is a plant protein and not dairy. 
2. Soy has been proven to lower heart disease risks and cancer. Now there are about a million studies on this statement. I not going to quote any. 
3. Soy protein actually improves kidney function. 
4. When soy was combined with a carbohydrate in comparison with casein. Lower bodyfat gains were observed. 


                                         Character Witnessess

1) Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale , probably one of the greatest sports nutritionist authors to ever live (and trust me on this one), is quoted in Muscle Media Magazine. "I use a combination of soy, casein, and whey protein that I make up myself from three different products, each one containing on of the protein isolates in quality form"

Supplementation: If your taking any form of pro-hormones beware. Don't think that your immune to the estrogen build up in your body. With any increase in testosterone levels your body tries to balance itself out by increasing estrogen. Even though pro-hormones are much weaker than anabolic steroids they still cause a rise in estrogen levels. By taking soy protein, about 60 grams a day might combat some of the feminization effects. 


                                                War of Whey

With the knowledge from this website, it should be clear to everyone that not one company has the "BEST" whey protein. No company can claim that their protein will produce better results than others. They try to with marketing hype, but in the real world the products are basically all the same. Whey concentrate, whey isolate, hydrolyzed whey, and that is it. You can mix these proteins at different percentages and add ingredients like glutamine and whatever to formulate a higher quality protein, which in theory will produce better results i.e. positive nitrogen retention, faster digestion, better absorption (Pro-sorb, sorry had to do it).

Recently a battle of who has the best protein has sparked up in the supplement industry. I took notice of this in the most recent issue of Flex magazine. A particular supplement company spent $30,000 trying to get their point across about who has the best whey protein and totally bashed another supplement company….almost accusing them of trying to kill their customers. Thus I wanted to try to figure out the reasons this company ran these ads.

Since I don't want to risk getting my ass sued, I will dance around the name of the supplement companies that did this bashing. The company sells the "#1 selling protein in the country"…..I will call A vs. the company that is "going to make regular whey protein obsolete", B. 

I believe company A was extremely pissed off at their marketing technique of company B (I was sort of insulted that a supplement company would actually have the balls to claim their product is going to make all other whey proteins obsolete). And with the e-mails we get about, "do you have anything as good as supplement company B", it's apparent that this marketing hype works. Supplement company B's whey protein is nothing special, it's a whey concentrate base, some whey isolate, who really knows how much, and a secret ingredient that they never mention ONCE, let me say it again ONCE in their 15 page advertorial (a made up word which means and advertisement made to look like and intellectual article). That ingredient is CREATINE. Wow... who they hell would have thought, what a let down. I rate this product as an average whey protein, but overpriced and giving the consumer ingredients that they might not want. Not to get extreme as supplement company A claiming that it might kill you, but what if someone is allergic to creatine, it really is a hidden ingredient which I think they should make it a little clearer that it is contained in the product.

As for supplement company A trying to bash supplement company B, they do an adequate job. But I think that people that have the ability to understand this article already know about supplement hype and will laugh it off. The other people who are beginner supplement users will not understand that it is trying to bash supplement company B's product. Thus the ad was a total waste of money. If supplement company A wanted to get their point across, they just should have mentioned supplement company B's product and went into an all out war!
In conclusion, I would really like to see if these ludicrous ads by supplement company B made an impact on the sales of supplement company A. I would bet yes, because they would not have spent the money on advertisement against them if it did not.

If the proteinfactory.com did not exist and I had to buy my protein from a supplement company, I would not buy either of these companies. Why? Because of the past hype and false jargons they have been throwing at us throughout the years. 

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ARTICLE #1
THE BIG FAKE

The other day I received a free issue of "PUMP" magazine. Having sifted through all the girlie pics, I came across an ad of whey protein. This ad claimed the company had made an advancement in whey protein technology and now was manufacturing something called "CROSS-FLOW QUADRAFILTRATION" or whatever. I just had to laugh. Seems like a spin off of Cross-Flow Microfiltration. They claimed this process can isolate more protein subfractions, but seemed to have left out exactly what those measurements were. So this ad is BS, and let me explain how.

Whey protein is manufactured at huge plants. I'm not talking about some 2 million dollar company, these plants that make whey protein are well valued at over 100 million dollars. The one company where I purchase our ion-exchange whey isolate spent over 20 years perfecting the technology. Now you're going to tell me that some company that can't even afford a full page ad in PUMP, manufactures the whey with this new process, THINK AGAIN!!!.

There are basically 3 ways to manufacture whey protein: ion-exchange, micofiltration, and ultrafiltration, anything else is bullshit. Remember though, you have your different stages of each of these processes, first diafiltration, which separates the whey from the garbage. Concentration, which makes the protein 35% to 85% protein. Isolation, which must be ABOVE 90%, (unlike the misinformed PUMP article). And lastly hydrolyzing. What the supplement companies try to do is this. Imagine if you were a farmer selling apples on the side of a road with about 10 other farmers selling apples. You have to find a way to make your apples sound better than the next guy right next to you. So you claim your apples are crispier, redder etc. Do this well enough and you'll sell your apples better than the next guy. The same goes for whey protein, make your whey sound better, even though you're selling the same thing.

To clear things up, I went out and looked at some of the top selling whey proteins and tried to figure out (through all the science mumbo-jumbo) what kind of whey protein they use.

Designer 
Very difficult label to read. It says whey peptides, which really is not even and ingredient, then whey concentrate ion exchange whey. So I guess it is a whey concentrate, but who really knows.

VP2
Claims to be a 100% hydrolyzed protein. But no matter what, you can't drink a 100% hydrolyzed whey protein without dry heaving.

Precision
A combo of ion exchange whey isolate and ultrafiltration whey isolate. Good protein with added aminogen.

Methoxy
Whey protein concentrate (ultrafiltration) mixed with ultrafiltration whey isolate. Of course with added isoflavones. Too early to try yet because nobody really knows the effects of isoflavones.

Isopure
Ion-exchange whey isolate. I like this one at least you know what you're getting.

Nitrotech
Whey concentrate with whey isolate mixed in. I would not use this product based on the fact that they don't tell you creatine is added.