Does Rule 1 Amino Spike?
Rule 1 Protein, a brand known for its diverse product line, has been the subject of a common question among fitness enthusiasts: ‘Does Rule 1 amino spike?’
That’s a legitimate question. Read about Rule1’s story and their R1 Quality.
From product development in our on-site labs to ingredient sourcing from the highest quality suppliers around the globe to the artfully precise blending of our formulas in the hi-tech mixers that we helped pioneer, every step is done to maximize control.
R1 Quality, direct from Rule 1
Rest assured, the research indicates that Rule 1 does amino spike their protein powders. This research and math is based on my Pro6 protein review. I’ll discuss how I’ve identified R1 amino spiking.
In this comprehensive article, we will delve into the following key aspects:
- What is amino spiking?
- Is amino spiking bad?
- How to identify a potentially amino spiked protein powder
Finally, if you still have multiple containers of R1 Protein powder lying around (like me), I’ll share how many scoops you should take post-workout to stimulate muscle growth.
Let us get to the bottom of this: does Rule 1 amino spike?
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What is Amino Spiking in Protein?
Buyers who research before purchasing a protein powder will most likely see the term “amino spiking.” What is amino spiking in protein? Forbes has a great article examining a lawsuit against MusclePharm titled, “Lawsuits Say Protein Powders Lack Protein, Ripping Off Athletes.”
Protein content on food product labels is often measured by how much nitrogen shows up in the food. Free form amino acids, as well as substances like creatine monohydrate, show up containing nitrogen just like regular, complete protein… The FDA says actual protein is what counts, and loading up on nitrogen-rich ingredients to inflate protein claims doesn’t meet their standards.
Forbes, “Lawsuits Say Protein Powders Lack Protein, Ripping Off Athletes”
What does that information mean?
As a whole, amino spiking in protein is a way for supplement companies to avoid transparency with their ingredient list. In turn, these supplement companies artificially inflate the true amount of protein using low-quality ingredients.
The Forbes article shares, “These filler substances can cost less than $1 per pound, allowing companies to undercut competition with lower prices and dupe price-sensitive customers in the process.”
This brings us to the next point.
Is Amino Spiking Bad?
As you learned, amino spiking is a practice used in the supplement industry that artificially inflates the amount of protein listed on the container. Is amino spiking bad?
Research indicates that amino spiking is terrible from the consumer’s standpoint. Purchasing an amino spiked protein means paying more for free form, nitrogen-based components that will not help with post-workout recovery, leave you hungry, and may not stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
Two commonly used nitrogen ingredients in amino-spiked protein powders are taurine and glycine. Let’s examine whether there is any research on these nitrogen components for exercise performance and muscle protein synthesis.
Taurine, Muscle Protein Synthesis, and Cardiovascular Performance
An academic article published in the British Journal of Nutrition examined the effects of taurine and MPS. Researchers found that trace amounts of taurine are enough to stimulate MPS. However, researchers also found that taurine’s role in MPS is supplementary and minimal compared to whey protein.
Another article examined the effectiveness of taurine and exercise performance. Researchers deemed that between 1 and 6 grams daily may help cardiovascular and exercise performance.
However, an updated article from April 2022 examined taurine and exercise performance. Researchers in this study shared that the timing of taurine may have a more profound effect on training sessions.
Researchers concluded that more in-depth research is needed. Results were mixed for taurine and exercise performance.
What do all of these research studies conclude?
Research suggests that trace amounts of taurine are enough to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. However, when used as a whole with whey protein, taurine is more effective in a supplementary role. Fractured or free-form taurine has offered mixed results for exercise performance in the academic community. A main reason why taurine is used in spiked protein powders.
Let’s examine glycine.
Glycine and Muscle Protein Synthesis
A 2017 research thesis by an undergraduate student titled “Effects of Glycine on Protein Synthesis and Degradation in C2C!2 Muscle Cells.”
The undergrad student found that Glycine is important and may help stimulate muscle protein synthesis and help preserve muscles, once again, when you factor in whey protein, as with taurine. Glycine is more effective in a supplementary role.
When examining muscle protein synthesis, it is not a contest between glycine and whey protein. Whey protein wins for having the complete essential and non-essential amino acid profile.
An article titled “Supplementation of a suboptimal protein dose with leucine or essential amino acids: effects on myofibrillar protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in men” examined whey protein and other essential amino acids to see how vital whey protein is to muscle protein synthesis.
Researchers found that glycine is more effective in a supplementary role for building muscle. Whey protein has higher amounts of essential and non-essential amino acids. When those amino acids work together, muscle protein synthesis is higher with whey protein.
Research suggests that glycine and taurine offer muscle building properties in trace amounts. However, those muscle-building properties are minimal compared to whey protein.
Reason Why Taurine and Glycine Are Commonly Used in Protein Spiked Powders
Referring back to the Forbes article, “[t]hese [free form nitrogen] substances can cost less than $1 per pound, allowing companies to undercut competition with lower prices and dupe price-sensitive customers in the process.”
The muscle-stimulating properties alone are enough to persuade people to actively use spiked protein powders without actively researching. Finally, artificially inflating the amount of protein per serving may incur more sales based on the amount of protein per serving.
You’re still wondering about that same question: Does Rule 1 amino spike? Let’s examine how to identify a spiked protein.
How To Tell If A Protein Powder Is Amino Spiked
Everyone wants to know how to spot an amino spiked protein powder. I’ve also been reviewing protein powders for the last four years. My goal is to educate and identify quality protein powders.
Hey, I wonder if a protein powder can be amino-spangled. Who wants to spend money on a protein powder that short-changes protein? No one.
I’ve compiled a list of guidelines you should follow before committing to a purchase. If you’re not interested in this list, I’ve already done your homework. Check out all of my unbiased protein powder reviews.
If you see a protein powder that isn’t on the list, email me at my ‘Contact’ page, and I’ll send your protein request to my future protein reviews.
Amino Acid Profile
Most protein powders will have an amino acid profile printed on their container. However, that isn’t the case.
For example, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey does not have an amino acid profile printed on the container; however, one is listed on its website. The same goes for Dymatize ISO 100; however, one is listed at ISO100.
A complete amino acid profile lists all essential and non-essential amino acids, with the specific weight of each amino acid.
If one is not listed on the container or on the website, contact the supplement company. In my experience, one should be provided within 3 to 5 business days. If one is not provided, find a more transparent brand.
For the record, I did contact Rule 1 for an official amino acid profile. The lack of transparency leads to an answer: does Rule 1 amino spike?
What Amino Acids Should I Look for in Protein Powder?
You should examine the BCAAs in an amino acid profile. The three BCAAs are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. When examining an amino acid profile, leucine is the most important.
| Typical BCAA Percentage in Protein Powder | |
| Leucine | 8% to 12% |
| Isoleucine | 4% to 6% |
| Valine | 4% to 6% |
On average, leucine occurs between 10% to 11% per serving of protein.
Each protein powder has different amounts of naturally occurring BCAAs. Here’s a table for reference.
| Protein Powder | Average % Leucine |
| Whey isolate | 10% |
| Hydrolysate Isolate | 10% |
| Whey Concentrate | 10% |
| Micellar Casein | 9% |
| Egg White | 8.5% |
| Native Whey Isolate | 11% |
If you have 25 grams of protein per serving, leucine should be between 2.5 and 2.75 grams per serving. This is all based on standard whey protein, not grass-fed protein.
If you want a great resource on identifying amino acid profiles for grass-fed protein, read AGN Root’s “Grass-Fed Whey Contains More BCAAs.” If the protein isn’t grass-fed and the leucine falls outside 12%, it’s a spiked protein.
Leucine content below the average likely means the dairy cow experienced extreme environmental stress, behavioral stress, and/or stretches of starvation.
Proprietary Blends (and Why You Should Avoid Them)
What happens if you contact the protein company, and they take the time to create a response? In that response, they may share something like…
Proprietary blended protein powder is another red flag for amino spikes. I’ve contacted numerous protein companies to verify their protein content on the label. Most companies will not provide an amino acid profile.
Proprietary blends are a poor choice—underdosed ingredients or inferior quality protein. A company will not share an amino acid profile if you’re willing to wait for a response. That protein powder is spiked.
Ingredient List
The ingredient list is more than telling what is in the protein powder. I’ve been reviewing protein powders for the last four years. Some protein powders will update an ingredients list. In turn, they are dropping previously listed nitrogen components.
Supplement companies are getting smarter by not being transparent. This is the reason why it’s essential to get an amino acid profile. So, what nitrogen components are commonly used to spike protein powders?
Commonly Used Nitrogen Components Used in Spiked Protein Powders
Here is a list of commonly used nitrogen-based ingredients to artificially spike protein powders: Glycine, Taurine, Leucine, Creatine, Beta-Alanine, Arginine, L-Alanine, Ornithine, Glutamic acid, glutamate, Lysine, Methionine, Citrulline, and Hydroxyproline.
According to the Forbes article, supplement companies use nitrogen-based ingredients because “these filler substances can cost less than $1 per pound, allowing companies to undercut competition with lower prices and dupe price-sensitive customers in the process.”
Where is the Protein Powder Made and Manufactured?
It is common practice for protein manufacturers to import their protein powder internationally. I had a WhatsApp chat with a representative from Optimum Nutrition. Most US-based protein companies import their powders from China, Europe, or India. I’ve seen some cases in South America.
As a side note, ON 100% Gold Standard Whey is imported from India. Here’s my ON Gold Standard 100% Protein review and the conversation.
If you want to support American dairy farmers, avoid protein powders that say “Made in America with internationally sourced ingredients.” Even though these internationally sourced protein powders undergo rigorous testing to be sold in America, supplement manufacturers have one last ace up their sleeve.
I had a direct message conversation with Tony Meives, the owner of Pure Choice Farms. He shared, “Wisconsin requires third-party testing of all dairy products, not amino-added products. No one does that besides certain brands after buying raw whey.”
If your protein powder is made from Wisconsin dairy cows and sold by Wisconsin dairy farmers, Wisconsin views protein powder as food, not as a supplement. That amino acid profile found on Pure Choice Farms Isolate is 100% authentic from farm to table.
Testing with nationally recognized brands could be done at the raw whey stage. Protein companies add nitrogen-based components to artificially inflate the amount of protein per serving to provide a low amino acid profile.
I found this information with my Nutricost Whey Protein Isolate review and Nutricost Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate review.
Well, does Rule 1 amino spike?
Rule 1 and Amino Spiking
Okay, you’ve made it this far. Let’s answer that question: does Rule 1 amino spike? Yes.
Based on my research and repeated attempts to request an amino acid profile to no avail, I could calculate the amount of leucine from Rule 1’s discontinued Pro6 Protein powders and transparent label protein weights. If Pro6 is a spiked protein powder, what other protein powders is Rule 1 selling that are amino spiked?
Check out my Rule1 Pro6 Protein review. I provide a step-by-step analysis of how I calculated the BCAAs.
Rule 1 was advertising 6 grams of BCAAs per serving. After doing the math, the valid amount of BCAAs is 4 grams per serving.
Suppose Rule 1’s discontinued Pro6 protein is adding a minimum of 2 grams of added nitrogen ingredients. What are the chances that added nitrogen ingredients are being added into following their currently sold powders?
Check out the current protein powders being sold by Rule 1 and my reviews of each protein powder.
We’ve answered the question, does Rule 1 amino spike? What happens if you’ve already committed to a Rule 1 dairy-based protein? How many scoops should you be taking post-workout? I discuss all of that in each Rule1 protein review.
Is Rule 1 Protein Good for Muscle Growth?
Here’s the reason why Rule1 amino spikes their protein. It’s cheaper for Rule 1 to inflate the amount of protein per serving artificially. Rule 1 has created a protein powder that mixes and tastes great.
Buyers will review Rule 1 with a 5-star rating if you can get the basics right.
However, if you’re a Rule 1 protein user, you just realized that Rule 1 is amino spiking and using low-quality whey. So, how many scoops of protein do you need for Rule 1 protein?
Research shows that to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, you need at least 25 grams of protein with 3 grams of leucine. Suppose you want to stretch your Rule 1 whey protein container, a minimum of 1.5 scoops. However, if you want to be confident, MPS does occur, regardless of the Rule 1 protein you use, two scoops.
With Rule 1’s low-quality whey distributor, you may be getting as little as 15 to 20 grams of protein per serving. We already know that Pro6 has an 8% leucine content.
You spend all that time breaking down muscle in the gym, but your post-workout nutrition is vital for rebuilding muscle. 1 Scoop of Rule 1 protein will never be enough.
Conclusion
Does Rule 1 amino spike? Resounding yes.
Furthermore, we discovered that Rule 1 uses a low-quality, internationally sourced whey distributor. Based on my Pro6 Protein review, leucine may occur at 8% per scoop in all Rule 1 protein powders.
Regardless of which protein you select from Rule 1, 1 scoop of protein will not be enough to stimulate MPS. You could get away with 1.5 scoops; for peace of mind, you will need two.
Does Rule 1 amino spike? Yup. No amino acid profile. Lack of transparency. Each container of Rule 1 protein may only have a genuine 15 grams of protein per serving. If you’re lucky, 20 grams.
But in this day and age, supplement companies are looking to cut corners. Don’t cut corners on your post-workout nutrition.
Remember, being consistent is taking one step forward.
Sources
Chen, Q., Li, Z., Pinho, R. A., Gupta, R. C., Ugbolue, U. C., Thirupathi, A., & Gu, Y. (2021). The dose response of taurine on aerobic and strength exercises: a systematic review. Frontiers in Physiology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.700352
Churchward‐Venne, T. A., Burd, N. A., Mitchell, C. J., West, D. W. D., Philp, A., Marcotte, G. R., Baker, S. K., Baar, K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Supplementation of a suboptimal protein dose with leucine or essential amino acids: effects on myofibrillar protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in men. Journal of Physiology, 590(11), 2751–2765. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2012.228833
Gorissen, S. H., Crombag, J. J. R., Senden, J. M., Waterval, W. a. H., Bierau, J., Verdijk, L. B., & Van Loon, L. J. C. (2018). Protein content and amino acid composition of commercially available plant-based protein isolates. Amino Acids, 50(12), 1685–1695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-018-2640-5
Kremmer, J. (2024, April 21). 🚫 Understanding the best whey protein for lactose intolerance. JKremmer Fitness. https://jkremmerfitness.com/post/is-whey-isolate-low-lactose/
Kurtz, J. A., VanDusseldorp, T. A., Doyle, J. A., & Otis, J. S. (2021). Taurine in sports and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-021-00438-0
Long, D. W., JR. (2017). EFFECTS OF GLYCINE ON PROTEIN SYNTHESIS AND DEGRADATION IN C2C12 MUSCLE CELLS [Thesis]. In G. Wu (Ed.), Texas A&M University. https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/handle/1969.1/164517/LONG-DOCUMENT-2018.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1
Morrell, A. (2020, July 15). Lawsuits say protein powders lack protein, ripping off athletes. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2015/03/12/lawsuits-say-protein-powders-lack-protein-ripping-off-athletes/?sh=be726c977293
Our story. (n.d.). Rule One Proteins. https://www.ruleoneproteins.com/pages/our-story
Qi, H., Wang, L., Zhang, M., Wang, Z., Li, M., & Gao, X. (2021). Taurine stimulates protein synthesis and proliferation of C2C12 myoblast cells through the PI3K-ARID4B-mTOR pathway. British Journal of Nutrition, 128(10), 1875–1886. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114521004918
Roots, A. (2019, October 26). Grass-Fed whey contains more BCAAs. Sourced the Right WheyTM. https://agnroots.com/blogs/articles-info/highest-bcaa-concentrations
Stark, M., Lukaszuk, J. M., Prawitz, A. D., & Salacinski, A. J. (2012). Protein timing and its effects on muscular hypertrophy and strength in individuals engaged in weight-training. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-9-54
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