The Beef Protein Powder Scam

[Bouncer]

It's literally made from collagenic protein and slaughterhouse waste. An incomplete protein that lacks essential amino acids and has little to no biological value.

You want beef protein you eat real beef. Get smart guys. Stop wasting money on waste products not even good enough to go into hotdogs.

[Mr I]

Evidence?

[rado]

It's literally made from collagenic protein and slaughterhouse waste. An incomplete protein that lacks essential amino acids and has little to no biological value.

You want beef protein you eat real beef. Get smart guys. Stop wasting money on waste products not even good enough to go into hotdogs.

This:thumb:

[dna9488]

That's gross. I never bought in that hype of beef protein. Always looked and sounded like a scam.

You might as well just eat beef and add some creatine in your post work shake.

[Bouncer]

The Real Scoop on Beef Protein Powders



Beef is arguably the most virile of all meats. It is a symbol of strength; a nutrient dense protein source that screams power, gains, manliness and testosterone.

But this potent bovine animal is much more than a food source to hardcore muscleheads. The male of the species – a bull – has a long and illustrious connection to the very source of power that drives gains:

Progressive overload.

Legend has it that Milo of Croton, a Grecian wrestler from the 6th century, developed his amazing strength by carrying a bull. Each day Milo would hoist this newborn calf onto his back and shoulders, and walk through the city of Croton. As the young bull grew in both girth and weight, and transitioned into an adult bull, Milo became a powerhouse.

Enter beef protein powder.

Over the last several years this high protein supplementation option has garnered quite a bit of attention. Quality beef protein powders from reputable companies continue to enter the market on a regular basis.

Though sales of these powders are still quite small in a relative sense, they are growing…and why wouldn’t they be? The idea of a beef protein powder sounds appealing. Why go for whey when you can supplement with the flesh of a bull? Sounds awesome, right?

That is the question. Is beef protein powder a better choice than whey? What exactly is in a beef protein powder and how does it stack up from a nutritional standpoint? Let’s take a look.

Beef Protein is Cow Flesh, Right? WRONG

Beef protein powder, typically labeled as Hydrolyzed Beef Protein Isolate, is NOT made from cow flesh. Sorry to be the bearer of awkward and somewhat gross news, but beef protein powder is actually derived from the throwaway parts of a cow.

Yes, indeed. Beef protein does not come from beef flesh. It comes from parts and pieces such as hooves, bones, skin, connective tissue, joints, hide, ligaments, ears and more. Cow ear gains, anyone?

Personally, the thought of drinking “fruit punch” or “blue raspberry” powdered cow ears and hooves is rather off-putting. There is inherent nutritional value in all consumable parts of an animal; no one can argue this point. That being said, most consumers are under the impression that this beef powder is actually beef.

Sorry folks, you are not chugging a form of processed, powdered cow meat. You are drinking powdered unmentionables.

Is there a purposeful deception being made by companies that produce these beef protein powders? You decide. I’m simply trying to present facts.

What About the Inclusion of Glutamine and Creatine?

Of the eight major beef protein powder brands I analyzed, four contained added creatine monohydrate and three contained glutamine or glutamine-alpha-ketoglutarate, a form of glutamine known for better absorption. Both creatine and glutamine elevate the number of grams of protein found in each container, but the downside is that they provide consumers with fewer actual grams of beef protein per scoop.

The inclusion of creatine and glutamine into protein powders is rather controversial. It drives the production cost of a powder down while providing consumers with a lower-grade product.

It should be noted that the actual included amounts of these two supplements remains unknown. I could not find stated amounts of glutamine or creatine listed in the “amount per serving” section of each product label.

I can see no important reason for a beef protein powder to include creatine and glutamine, but they are not without value. Creatine is the most studied and respected supplement on the market, and glutamine is a popular bodybuilding supplement as well.

Is this amino spiking? Are beef protein manufacturers trying to drive costs down, or simply adding glutamine and creatine because they feel these supplements add value to their products? Again, this is up for debate. You decide.

Why is Beef Protein Gaining Popularity?

Beef protein powder is being heavily marketed for two major reasons: It’s more profitable than whey protein. There are fewer players in the beef protein market.

Beef powder does not have to become a hot seller for it to help a company’s bottom line. The profit margins for these products are more meaty than whey protein (pun intended), allowing a company to increase profits while providing a niche service to consumers who want protein powder options.

There is nothing wrong with trying to make a profit. That is what businesses do. Profits sustain companies, create jobs and put food on our tables…yada, yada, yada. Economics 101. We get it.

Not everyone wants whey protein. Not everyone cares that beef protein isn’t actually flesh. Supply and demand will drive the future of each of these powders. Just know what you are getting for your dollar.

Final Thoughts on Beef Protein Powder Quality

Is it possible to know if the Hydrolyzed Beef Protein Isolate you are drinking is quality? I guess that depends on what the definition of quality is. What are the standards here? Is having 23.9% cow ear and only 15.7% hooves better than any other ratio? No one knows, at least that I am aware of.

At the end of the day cow parts are cow parts. Beef protein manufacturers are likely just piling the unwanted parts of a cow onto some conveyor belt of gore. I imagine this process looks more like a scene from the movie Hostel than it does a production line of gains.

Random ears. Random eyeballs. Bones. Hooves. Hide. Maybe even testicles and anus. Until companies become transparent about the manufacturing process of beef protein powder, the quality contained in each scoop is up for debate.

[speedracer59]

You want beef protein you eat real beef. Get smart guys. Stop wasting money on waste products not even good enough to go into hotdogs.

I totally agree. The more whole food I incorporate in my diet, the better I feel, look etc. Plus it fights hunger. Not to mention, every beef protein powder I have used mixes like crap and tastes worse.

[jack tors]

Isnt whey protein basically the same thing but with milk and cheese (byproduct or waste during the process of making it)? They target gym ppl who get excited over anything high in protein.

[Mr I]

Thanks for providing the source

Some people will believe anything ...

[frankenstein]

I like it oddly. No bloat like you get from whey and its not as expensive as whey isolates.

[Keiser]

So, I have a friend who owns a supplement company, a small one. He told me basically that 99% of protein powders out there all get their whey protein from the same suppliers and it's all garbage. Exactly like bouncer said it's made from waste and they typically add milk sugars to it and god knows what else. There is zero regulation here so they can do what they want.

Then all these supplement companies take that raw material and add their own shit to it. Coloring, flavoring, more sugars, etc... put it in a fancy bottle with a fancy label and the suckers fall for it.

My friend got disgusted with the whole thing and stopped selling and stopped taking whey protein. He said there are a handful of grass fed whey protein companies out there who are legit and good, but real high quality whey protein powder is so hard to source and is so expense that it wasn't worth it to him from a business perspective. I'll reach out and ask him which ones were good. The mass market ones are shit.

[AvidFisherman]

What about casein?

[jack tors]

What about casein?

what do you think

[jack tors]

So, I have a friend who owns a supplement company, a small one. He told me basically that 99% of protein powders out there all get their whey protein from the same suppliers and it's all garbage. Exactly like bouncer said it's made from waste and they typically add milk sugars to it and god knows what else. There is zero regulation here so they can do what they want.

Then all these supplement companies take that raw material and add their own shit to it. Coloring, flavoring, more sugars, etc... put it in a fancy bottle with a fancy label and the suckers fall for it.

My friend got disgusted with the whole thing and stopped selling and stopped taking whey protein. He said there are a handful of grass fed whey protein companies out there who are legit and good, but real high quality whey protein powder is so hard to source and is so expense that it wasn't worth it to him from a business perspective. I'll reach out and ask him which ones were good. The mass market ones are shit.

Hilarious.
Bodybuilding community is one of the most naïve. Easy target for this shit.

[Scrumhalf]

Moochie, pls post the good sites. Unfortunately I depend on whey protein every day.

[Keiser]

Moochie, pls post the good sites. Unfortunately I depend on whey protein every day.

Sorry just got a chance to follow up with him. He said the only one he would recommend is Vital Whey. Here is there website and I think you can get it on iHerb. He says once you taste and smell real why protein you'll be able to detect the garbage out there on the market right away.

Well Wisdom | Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder