Composition of Protein Supplements - A Web Based Survey

Background Protein is one of the most popular dietary supplements marketed to athletes. Protein supplements are promoted to increase muscle mass, prevent protein catabolism and enhance glycogen resynthesis. Methodology The objective of the study was to explore the composition of protein supplements in terms of protein content, source and cost. All the supplement stores in Vadodara were identified and all protein supplements from their websites were listed. The details of these products were collected from official websites of the respective brands. Products that did not provide Nutrition Facts Panel were excluded. Results In all, 59 products from 15 brands were surveyed which were in the form of powder (83.05 %), bar (13.56 %) and beverage (3.39 %). The serving sizes varied from 24g to 72g for powders which have to be reconstituted into beverage by adding to milk or water. Serving sizes for bars ranged from 50-80g and for beverages from 414-429ml. Protein content per 100g of product was 80-90g in 11.7 %, 70-80g in 30 % and 60-70g in 25 % of the products. The top protein sources were whey protein concentrate (58.33 %), whey protein isolate (50 %), milk protein concentrate (23.33 %), milk protein isolate (21.66 %) and micellar casein (20 %). The cost per gram of protein ranged from INR 1.71 to 11.78 for powders and INR 4.95-13.9 for bars. Of the total products, 71.67 % contained only sugar, 28.3 % only sweetener and 61.6 % sugar plus sweetener. Directions for use were not indicated on 20 % of the products. Conclusion The most common source of protein was whey protein concentrate and the protein content of majority of the products ranged from 70-80 %.