Glaxon PROTOS Whey: HUMAN-Inspired Protein Powder

Regular readers on PricePlow know that the name Glaxon has become our watchword for innovation. Glaxon’s rigorous and creative approach to nutritional science has them developing new and exciting supplements at a breakneck clip.

This time, they’ve really outdone themselves, as they’ve succeeded in reinventing the protein powder supplement, a classic and mainstay of the supplement industry. With their new PROTOS Whey protein powder — whose name is taken from the ancient Greek word for “first” — they’ve tried to emulate the original, and arguably optimal, source of human nutrition.

We’ve been waiting two years to see how Glaxon would “Glaxonify” a protein powder. Their humanized PROTOS Whey does not disappoint.

Protos Whey: Humanized Protein Powder

Glaxon has taken whey protein — by far the most common type of supplemental protein — and optimized its anabolic effect by combining it with the right ratio of casein protein as well as some wildly unique additions. The idea behind Protos Whey is to imitate the protein composition of human milk, which makes perfect sense when you remember that each mammalian species has a different milk than all the others, in order to support the unique metabolic requirements of its own young.

By selecting a whey-to-casein ratio that’s close to what you’d find in human milk, we can presumably take advantage of the human metabolism’s affinity for that ratio, getting better results compared to the milk protein ratio of other species.

Additionally, Glaxon has thrown in some special probiotics and enzymes to optimize digestion and gut health. Velositol, one of our all-time favorite ingredients, also makes an appearance!

Get ready for a wild ride, because Protos Whey is like no other. It’s covered below, after our price comparisons and videos:

Why take a protein supplement?

Post-workout protein shakes are a familiar ritual for most of us. At the very least, anyone who’s been in a gym long enough will be intimately familiar with the concept: immediately after finishing your exercise, you want to get protein and carbohydrates into your bloodstream as quickly as possible, since these two macronutrients are the big drivers of glycogen replenishment and muscle synthesis. This process is driven by insulin.^[1]

Prepare to read about a protein powder unlike anything you’ve ever tried.

Post-workout recovery is actually one case where higher insulin levels are good. During the recovery process, insulin is needed to drive fuel and nutrients into the muscle cells, which must be topped off for optimal growth.

Put simply, insulin can be thought of as an anabolic hormone.^[2] So it makes sense that for the purpose of fast-acting recovery, whey has been an excellent choice indeed.

But what if we could make it better?

Whey vs. Casein

There are two basic families of protein in mammalian milk.^[3] Whey is only one of them — the other is called casein.

In order to improve on existing protein powders, Glaxon’s first thought went something along the following lines, asking, “Is it possible that we’d get a better anabolic effect if we administered whey and casein together, in order to mimic the protein composition of actual milk?” Because it turns out that this is exactly what the research literature shows.

The anabolic effects of milk protein blends that keep both whey and casein

In 2016, a team of researchers set out to answer the following question: given that milk protein (MP), which contains both whey protein (WP) and casein protein (CP), has been shown to have better anabolic effects than soy protein,^[4] would WP or CP in isolation perform better than the combination of the two?

Their answer was no — although WP, CP, and MP all caused muscle synthesis to peak at different intervals after ingestion,^[4] the researchers measured the total effect of all three by calculating “area under the curve” and found that milk protein outperformed whey protein and casein protein.^[4]

Whey is fast, casein is slow, but what brings more muscle protein synthesis overall when looking at the total area under the curve in rats?! It was the milk protein blend.^[4]

The researchers who conducted this study noted that many researchers have suggested leucine, an essential amino acid found in milk protein, might be the primary determinant of a meal’s effect on muscle synthesis.^[4]

But why not just add more leucine to whey?

On the strength of this theory, the essential amino acids (EAAs), a category that includes leucine as well as two other branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), have been sold as a common supplement and marketed to promote muscle growth. Indeed, there is good evidence that EAAs are anabolic,^[5] and EAA/BCAA supplements with a higher proportion of leucine have shown to be more effective at building muscle.^[5]

Since Glaxon Xeno Amino V3 already takes hydration and intra workout / recovery amino acid sequences to the next generation… you knew they’d have to do something far more than just adding more leucine to their protein. And they’ve got the data to show why!

Following this logic, you would expect a combination of whey and BCAAs to outperform regular old milk protein, which remember is just the combination of whey and casein. After all, whey has a higher leucine content than casein^[6] — so if leucine is the main factor in building muscle, whey combined with BCAAs should prove superior.

The hypothesis makes sense, but when put to the test, it proved false.

When they measured the anabolic response of healthy young men during ten weeks of weight training, Kerksick et al. found that whey + casein (WC) actually outperformed the whey + BCAAs.^[7] Note that the WC group didn’t just build significantly more muscle — they also lost more fat.

One implication of this study is that WC is much better than whey alone. After all, the whey isolate had an extra boost from the BCAAs and still performed worse than the combination of whey and casein.

Why is whey + casein better?

Part of the answer is given by one of the studies we cited above, Kanda 2016 — because whey and casein are digested at different rates, they each cause muscle synthesis to peak at different times.^[4] Combining the two basically gives you the best of both worlds in terms of total anabolic response: fast-acting whey for rapid recovery, with long-digesting casein to extend the synthesis of muscle for longer than whey alone.

This is definitely one time where we do want a higher insulin spike – to drive those gains in after a hard workout – and the milk protein achieved it best!^[4]

What else is the casein doing?

It’s not just about what has more leucine. Another consideration is the varying effects of whey and casein on different growth factors. Whereas whey protein stimulates the production of insulin,^[8] casein stimulates the production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).^[8]

Both insulin and IGF-1 are known anabolic hormones, so presumably, they synergize with each other for a greater anabolic response than either one of them alone. This idea has been borne out by at least one research study, in which scientists discovered that suppressing insulin levels or IGF-1 levels in mice did significantly reduce muscle synthesis in response to feeding.^[9]

Does the specific ratio of whey to casein matter?

The answer is a pretty unequivocal yes.

Cow milk has a lot more casein than whey, in a ratio of about 4 to 1, whereas in human milk this ratio is pretty much reversed,^[10] with much more whey than casein.

Improved growth response from a more humanized milk

When researchers took cow’s milk but reversed it to seem more like human milk (by making it contain more whey than casein), numerous parameters were improved, including improved amino acid uptake.^[10]

When researchers gave human subjects an experimental type of cow’s milk with the ratio of whey to casein reversed, in order to imitate the protein fraction of human milk, they found that the growth response was significantly improved.^[10] The effects of not only insulin, but also insulin-related growth factors such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) were significantly increased — sometimes by over 100%.^[10]

All of this adds up to a much better anabolic response to milk with the proper whey to casein ratio for the species of mammal. It seems clear that for the purposes of growth and recovery, human beings are better off using a protein ratio which mimics that of human breast milk.

What whey to casein ratio does Glaxon PROTOS use?

It just so happens that PROTOS contains the exact same ratio of whey to protein that was used in the study cited above:^[10] 70% whey and 30% casein. To do this, they’ve included primarily whey protein isolate (which is 90% protein by weight) followed by micellar casein, and then lower down in the label, you can find a dash of casein hydrolysate as well, which may provide a quick amino acid burst as well.

So you can expect PROTOS to give you a powerful anabolic response compared to the whey isolate supplements commonly found on the market, and even compared to cow milk, whose famous anabolic properties inspired the legendary “gallon of milk a day” (GOMAD) strategy for bulking fast while lifting weights.

So we’re here to say that PROTOS is even better than the king of the bulk foods. Now let’s get into the formula’s specifics:

Glaxon Protos Whey Ingredients and Macros

In one 36 gram scoop of PROTOS Whey, you get about 22 grams of protein, approximately 15 grams of which is whey and 7 grams of which is casein. The macros for the original chocolate milk flavor are as follows:

Whey, Casein, Velositol, Milk Fat Globule Membrane, Human Milk Oligosaccharides, and more… have you ever seen a protein powder that looks like this?!

• Calories: 140

• Protein: 22g

• Fat: 2g

  • Saturated Fat: 0.5g

• Carbohydrates: 7g

  • Sugar: 0g

  • Fiber: 0g

With whey and casein already discussed, what do we have next?

• Amylopectin Chromium Complex (as Velositol)

  Velositol is a designer ingredient patented by Nutrition21. It’s a complex of chromium and amylopectin, a starch that increases muscle synthesis by regulating the action of insulin,^[11] thus helping the body utilize dietary protein more efficiently.

  In one 2017 study, a direct comparison of Velositol+whey protein and whey protein alone showed that when the supplements were given to human subjects immediately after a workout, the Velositol+whey group synthesized significantly more muscle than the group that only took whey.^[12] In this study, the researchers even used relatively small doses of whey protein, far below the 22 grams of protein that you get from Glaxon PROTOS whey, and the effect of velositol on protein utilization was still significant enough to be observed.

  Further research has demonstrated that Velositol does increase muscle synthesis when administered with larger doses of protein as well,^[13] partly because people who take Velositol demonstrate higher levels of musclin, a molecule upregulated by exercise that initiates the process of muscle synthesis.^[14]

  A double-blind, placebo-controlled study — a type of study considered the “gold standard” in medical and nutrition research — showed that when administered with just 15 grams of whey (again, significantly less than the 22 grams of protein you get from a single serving of PROTOS), Velositol increased subjects’ squat reps, jump height, and jump power.^[15,16]

• Milk Fat Globule Membrane (as NeoShield)

  Just as the inner contents of a cell are bound and contained by the cell membrane, droplets of milk fat are surrounded by the Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM), a complex structure of unique proteins and lipids.

  

  How Protos Whey works

  Certain constituents of MFGM, such as sphingomyelin and gangliosides, are highly concentrated in the brain and central nervous system, where they support the myelin sheath,^[17,18] a structure that’s crucial for enabling efficient nerve transmission by insulating axons from background electrical interference.^[19,20]

  Other components of MFGM have been identified as integral components of the immune response^[21,22] and cardiovascular health.^[23]

  Specifically, MFGM seems to support the mucosal and epithelial layers in the gut, which supports the overall integrity of the gut.^[21,22] Given how important gut health is for overall health, this is definitely something worth paying attention to.

  A nootropic edge in your protein powder?!

  Milk Fat Globule Membrane also seems to have broad effects on certain aspects of cognition, even in adults. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in elderly Japanese adults found that MFGM augmented the effects of light exercise. The group receiving MFGM showed significantly greater improvements in muscle and neuromotor function than the group receiving a placebo.^[24]

  Protective of lipid levels

  MFGM seems to be specifically responsible for the beneficial effects of dairy consumption: researchers compared the cardiometabolic effects of whipping cream (whole milk fat) to those of butter oil (milkfat that had been denuded of the MFGM) in an eight week trial. They found that the butter oil worsened the lipoprotein profile of the subjects (increased LDL cholesterol while not increasing HDL or lowering triglyceride), while the MFGM-based whipping cream did not.^[23]

  Buttermilk, a form of diary that’s particularly rich in MFGM, has been shown to actually improve the lipid profiles of people who consume it.^[25]

  The bottom line?

  

  MFGM may provide many of the beneficial effects of dairy fat — and as we saw in one of the studies we discussed above, without MFGM, the saturated fats themselves may slightly worsen certain markers of cardiovascular health.

  By extracting the MFGM from milk fat, Glaxon is basically giving some of dairy consumption’s upside, without some of the downsides — namely, without adverse lipid effects or added calories. Most people who use a protein supplement are trying to maximize their protein intake while minimizing their overall caloric intake, so it’s very smart of Glaxon to identify and isolate the beneficial component of the fat fraction in milk.

• Human Milk Oligosaccharides

  A type of prebiotic indigestible sugar, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are a big part of human milk composition — after lactose and fat, the third most abundant constituent of milk.^[26]

  By acting as a substrate for beneficial gut flora, preventing the adhesion of pathogens to the gut wall, and having direct anti-virus effects, HMOs help to stimulate the growth of the infant’s immune system while protecting the infant against pathological infection.^[26] They also have anti-inflammatory effects.^[26]

  Research is also mounting that HMOs may have long-term anti-obesity effects in children who are breastfed.^[27]

  You might be wondering whether these effects can be seen in adults as well, and fortunately, it seems that they can. Researchers who intensely analyzed the composition and action of HMOs concluded that they can have similar effects in the adult gastrointestinal tract.^[28]

  Although actual research in adults is limited, which is to be expected given Glaxon’s tendency to operate on the scientific cutting edge, at least one study has shown that certain types of HMO do indeed boost immunity and decrease inflammation in older adults.^[29]

• Non-Fat Whole Dry Milk

  

  The Glaxon Goon Day Podcast episode was one for the ages!

  Glaxon added dry milk to the powder – why?!

  In simple terms, as discussed in Episode #057 with Michael Bischoff and Joey Savage of the PricePlow Podcast, Joey abhors when people mix their whey protein powders with milk… “…so I added it for them.”

  Fair enough – because the taste and texture absolutely work. Whether you like it or not, milk is coming for the ride on this one!

• Protease Enzyme Blend 87,500 HUT (as ProHydrolase)

  ProHydrolase is a proprietary digestive enzyme complex made from a process that hydrolyzes the bonds between protein molecules, making complex proteins like the ones found in milk easier to digest and potentially more bioavailable.^[30] Since human milk itself contains protease enzymes,^[31] it makes sense that Glaxon would add some into PROTOS as part of their quest to create a protein supplement that closely replicates optimal human nutrition.

  

  As a reminder whenever we add protease — research has shown that it can help with post workout soreness and recovery! This is what happens when you have better protein digestion, utilization, and uptake, and potentially other benefits are there as well

  The use of supplemental enzymes to support human digestion is a well-established principle in modern medicine, which uses animal-derived enzymes such as protease enzymes to alleviate symptoms of gastrointestinal disease.^[32]

  Even for healthy people, more efficient digestive processes can potentially increase the subjective sense of well-being, as energy that would otherwise be spent on digestion is freed up for other uses.

  Normally, we don’t need to provide so much research for a protein powder. Velositol is generally the biggest innovation we’ve seen over the past few years. Glaxon obviously took advantage of that, but then took it about ten steps further with this incredible formula in PROTOS Whey.

• Other Ingredients

  Glaxon finishes the job off with a dash of inulin (another prebiotic fiber that provides some sweetness), its incredible flavoring system (milk chocolate literally tastes like the real thing – see the above section to understand why), sunflower lecithin for dispersal, xanthan gum as a thickening agent, and both sucralose and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) for sweetening. This is no simple formula, to say the least.

Flavors available

Conclusion: This is how you “Glaxonify” protein powder

The side panel of Glaxon PROTOS Whey

After experiencing their innovation in other categories, we’ve now been waiting two years for Glaxon to come out with a protein powder. To say the wait was well worth it is an understatement.

The trend in dietary science during the past decade has been to focus on what’s “species-appropriate” — to analyze the evolutionary or ancestral environment of an organism and use that analysis to infer what types of food that organism’s metabolism is optimized to consume.

This line of reasoning was the impetus behind the famous “Paleo diet”, which took the alternative health world by storm a decade ago and continues to yield enormous health benefits for many, many people who are realizing incredible benefits through the removal of modern industrial ultra-processed foods and seed oils.

But to our knowledge, nobody has followed that reasoning to its logical conclusion as Glaxon has with their creation of PROTOS. After all, if a food can support optimal human development during infancy and childhood, a precarious time of life when insults to the metabolism can have lifelong consequences, it’s probably going to be awesome for adults as well.

Don’t take our word for it — give it a try. And if you need to keep it dairy-free, next up, we’ll discuss PROTOS Vegan.