One of the most common complaints with taking supplements, especially in the powdered form, is that they cause the athlete gas or bloating. However, many people don’t understand the true cause of this. Athletes think they are just sensitive to the contents of the powder, (which it can be) but many times it can be the fault of the processing agents added to the supplements that cause gas and bloating.
One of the most common thoughts is that people are sensitive to whatever they are consuming. This definitely can be the case with whey protein, as many people are sensitive to dairy based supplements. This possible sensitivity is one of the main reasons (along with others) we went with beef instead of whey for our protein powder, Prime Protein. Sensitivities are not the only thing that can cause GI distress.
Traditionally, when powders blend with water, small amounts of gasses that are bound to the powder are released and cause foaming when the gas escapes the powder. This process happens with coffee as well. You’ll see this next time you have a pour over done correctly. The process of releasing the gas from coffee systematically is called the “bloom.” Gasses being released from ground substances are completely normal, until it becomes a problem.
Unfortunately, manufacturers, athletes and 99.9% of supplement companies care far too much about aesthetics instead of performance and health. Instead of a little bit of foaming when their product is shaken or stirred from the natural foaming process, they want their products to look beautiful. To fix this, they bind chemicals to the powder when it is mixed so that the gas can’t escape. Shake it all you want and there will be no foaming. Sounds great, right?
The problem is that you have a stomach and gut with the main job of digestion. The digestive system easily cleaves the bond between powder and anti-foaming agent, and this is where the supplement causes gas and bloating. The powder and anti-foaming agent separate, and instead of in the shaker cup, the gas escapes in your belly. Welcome to protein powder gas and bloating, belching, and digestive issues. Not good! This is one of the main reason why even “cleaner,” non-allergenic proteins and supplements can cause gas or bloating.
Not only do these chemicals cause gas and bloating, they steal from your body’s reserves to do other tasks. There is no biological free ride when it comes to chemicals in your body, this is why we don’t use ANY in any of our products. The anti-foaming agents have to be processed and excreted from your body just like anything else would be, stealing your body’s reserves to other important things, like processing food for nutrients or repairing damaged tissues. Keep the chemicals down and your body can do what it is supposed to do.
At Equip, we don’t care if you have some foam in your shaker cup. You can easily shake it up and drink it down or wait 45 seconds until it settles. If eliminating this processing agent prevents our products from giving you gas and bloating, you shouldn’t care either. We want you to get the best nutrition possible and the best performance possible from the cleanest products possible. This is the Equip promise. Nothing artificial. Ever.
We guarantee that you will love Prime Protein and PureWOD Pre-Workout and not have any gas or bloating with these products. If you aren’t COMPLETELY satisfied with either product, we will refund you 100%, no questions asked.
