The Sunday Sleuth - Investigating BioTrust Protein Powder

In this edition of Sunday Sleuth, we're going to investigate BioTrust Protein Powder to see if really is a premier health and fitness product. We'll take a closer look at all the clues to discover weather it has legitimate health benefits, is guilty of false claims, and we'll see how it stacks up to the competition.

What are we waiting for? The game is afoot...

The first thing that I noticed when examining BioTrust is that they offer a full 1 year money-back guarantee on all of their supplements. Our first clue. You really don't see a 1 year money back guarantee too often.

But right away, I see my biggest concern with BioTrust. Their products are not cheap. Admittedly, I felt a bit of sticker shock when I can easily find less expensive products at GNC and Walmart, but sometimes it is worth paying a little extra. After all, what's the point of drinking protein powder if isn’t going to help you with your health and fitness goals? There are only 14 servings per tub and each tub costs almost $50! That ads up pretty quick, especially when you compare that to other products on the market. Looks like we need further study. Let's have a look at what's inside, shall we.

Let's take a closer look...

When it comes to buying protein powders you need to look closely at the ingredients. Like any good detective, you have to do a little digging to find out if the evidence matches up with the claims. BioTrust’s low carb protein really shines when you compare the ingredients to other proteins out there. The first thing to check out is BioTrust’s low-carb protein formula. If you look at the ingredients list, you’ll notice the first ingredient is micellar casein. This is THE best casein protein powder on the market. So right away this is going to give your muscles the protein they need without extra carbs. Second best type of protein powder is whey protein isolate, one of the more pure forms of whey. Third choice is milk protein isolate followed by whey concentrate, which is the cheapest version. BioTrust Low-Carb has an excellent ingredient profile with all the essential. It has 4 different types of protein – micellar caisen, whey isolate, milk protein concentrate, and whey protein. It tastes absolutely delicious and does so with only 1 gram of all natural sweeteners. It has none of the usual artificial sweeteners and colors like your typical powdered supplement.

Whey is an extremely high quality protein with one of the highest biological values of any protein, but it possesses two undeniable downsides...its very limited absorption rate and it has a very high insulin response. A review on the rate of protein absorption published in 2006 in theInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported that whey protein isolate absorbs at a rate of about 8g/hour. This is in large part due to the fact that whey is not broken down into small enough peptides by our body’s natural enzymes in time to be absorbed. Couple that with the fact that the window of opportunity for whey protein to be absorbed is approximately 1.5 hours and you can easily see that the amount of protein that is able to be absorbed from a single serving of whey protein, regardless of how large that serving is, is approximately 12 – 20g. That means that when consuming a whey protein shake that contains 40g of whey, upwards of half of that protein is likely to be excreted. Simply put, whey protein passes through the system far too rapidly to be adequately absorbed at high doses, leaving the majority of your protein shake wasted… literally. The truth is, whey protein simply isn’t an ideal protein to use at any other time other than around resistance training, and even then the amount you’re able to absorb on a per serving basis is extremely limited.A 2012 study published in Nutrition & Metabolism identified that the specific amino acids in whey protein stimulate beta cells to secrete more insulin than a similar amount of carbohydrate from white bread.

A true time-released protein blend

BioTrust put together a true 25-25-25-25 blend of micellar casein, milk protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and whey protein concentrate. As they state on their website, this blend is "....much more expensive to produce than a simple, low-absorbing, insulin-spiking whey protein powder, or a fraudulent “proprietary blend” of proteins that in reality is still 90% whey."

BioTrust combined whey with other medium-speed and slow-digesting proteins such as milk protein and micellar casein, to slow the effects of raising blood sugar. This combination of proteins will significantly reduce the overall insulin response from the whey while ensuring optimal absorption of each protein due to its slower digestion and time-released nature. Another thing that I like about this protein supplement is the added fiber, exactly 4 grams per servings or 2 grams per scoop. This is going to help you stay full for a longer period of time plus blunt the release of insulin so you don’t store as much fat. This also happens with all casein proteins too. Sadly the same cannot be said for whey based protein supplements.

Side by side comparison 

• They did side-by-side comparisons with the following brands: 

• BioTrust Low Carb 

• Muscle Milk Light 

• EAS Myoplex 

• Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey 

• Labrada Carb Watchers Lean Body 

• Met-RX Protein Plus 

• Nature’s Best Zero Carb Isopure 

• Dymatize Elite Gourmet Protein 

• Gaspari Myofusion

Here’s the comparison chart from the website:

(Click to enlarge)

• Farmer-Certified Growth Hormone Free (norBGT or RBST)
• 100% All Natural
• Artificial Sweetener Free
• 4g of Fiber Per 25g of Protein
• Soy Protein Free
• Prohydrolase® Enzyme Blend
• Time-released Protein Blend
• Cold-Processed Micellar Casein & Whey Isolate

What surprised me about this was how some of the other leading proteins stacked up. BioTrust Low Carb protein powder gets a “yes” check mark next to all of the following categories, where as the others get a “no” next to all of them with the exception of being Soy protein free. In all honesty, I’m sure that Muscle Milk, Nature's Best, or some of the other brands could put together their own chart and skew things in their favor. But overall, I was impressed that BioTrust touched on some of the key aspects that matter most to me. For me, the first three aspects are definitely a necessary “yes” when choosing a protein supplement.

Comparing price, quality and value, Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein initially looks like a better deal because it provides about 47 servings for the same price. But Gold Standard is 100% whey and not a time released blend. So in BioTrust's defense, a serving of their protein vs. a serving of most of their competitors is not necessarily an apples-to-apples comparison. Also, they say that because of the Prohydrolase® Enzyme Blend your body will absorb twice as much protein … so you’ll actually need less. Worth noting when you look at the other products and compare serving size. It looks to be a high-end, longer lasting product.

Right, so far BioTrust Low Carb is looking like a pretty solid product but not exactly easy on the pocket book. 

But how does it taste?

In a word, supremely delicious. Okay, that was two. Sometimes I get carried away, but so often, protein powder tastes like sugar-coated sawdust. Both the Chocolate and Vanilla Cream flavors are deliscious. The Vanilla Cream flavor tastes a bit like cake frosting and is my favorite. 

Conclusion: Smoking Gun!

My investigation revealed  a smoking gun that proves BioTrust Low Carb Protein is an amazing product. 
Unfortunately for those of us who don’t have unlimited money, this product is expensive. Worth it? Yes, but still not cheap. If this product interests you, my suggestion is to buy in bulk so you get a discount. And obviously this is what they want you to do as well. That’s why they will give you one bottle for free if you buy two bottles, and two bottles for free if you buy four of them.

But it is not really worth it unless you take advantage of their special offer and buy 2 and get the third free.

Thank you for taking your valuable time to read this article.

The views expressed on this site are my opinions and should not be taken as a substitute for qualified medical expertise. I am not a Doctor. I do not give medical advice or make claims to cure any sickness, disease or affliction. I simply share my understanding of health and fitness. Please consult your Doctor or Health Care Practitioner before starting any diet or fitness routine.

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