Buyer Beware

Your tub of protein might say 25 grams per serving, but how much is actual protein? The answer could be close to zero.

- Amy Schlinger

IF YOU’RE COMPARING protein powders and are considering the cheapest tub, you may want to think again. The crazy low price tag could be a sign of “protein spiking,” a sad, but common practice when companies add non-protein-related additives to inflate the protein content. It may keep costs low, but the quality is sacrificed. If the label says 25 grams of protein per scoop, there really may be as little as five or even zero grams of real protein in the tub.

Protein spiking sounds unethical— and it is—but it happens, and it’s something supp buyers need to be informed about.

In short, protein is made of amino acids; amino acids contain nitrogen; and a nitrogen test is what companies should use to determine the genuine protein content in their product. So when whey protein prices, ahem, spiked over the past two to three years, companies realized that instead of using real protein in supplements, they could mix up a “cocktail” using individual ingredients, like amino acids, that mimic the nitrogen ratio of protein.