ATP Science NOWAY Protein Review – Top 10 Facts

ATP Science NOWAY Protein – Top 10 Facts you need to know.

ATP Science have made huge waves in the fitness industry with their brand new Protein NOWAY and when you read this, you will know why…

-          4x More effective than Whey for strength and power.
-          3x More effective than Whey for building muscle.
-          2x More effective than Whey for reducing belly fat.
-          100% natural, bloat free, dairy free & gluten free.

Unbelievable, right? Makes you want to say NOWAY? But ATP Science are saying YES WAY and are bringing not only the talk, but the walk (clinical trials & studies) to back up these impressive claims. The innovation of this product is insanely exciting, however is also very in depth and tough to take in at a glance.

We’ve taken the best bits from our meeting with ATP Science head developer Matthew Legge, and expert European developers of BODYBALANCE® (Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides) and curated our Top 10 Info Bites about ATP Science’s NOWAY Protein.

1 - What is ATP Science NOWAY Protein

ATP Science Noway Protein contains BODYBALANCE®, a patented blend of hydrolyzed bovine collagen peptides. The collagen peptides used in NOWAY have been perfected over a period of years and are a composition of different, specific peptides that are bio-active, meaning they are optimized for and will specifically target muscular recovery, fat loss and connective tissue repair.

- 30% of whole body protein is collagen
- 10% of skeletal muscle mass is made up of collagen in the form of connective tissue.
- 30% of muscle power is generated by this connective tissue.

2 - How BODYBALANCE® is made

BODYBALANCE® collagen peptides are derived from the raw material, collagen protein, using a complex hydrolyzation process, whereby the collagen protein is treated with a specific blend of enzymes. Two of the key reasons for this treatment are

o   The hydrolyzation process and enzymic treatment breaks the collagen protein into smaller protein strands also known as peptides, the specific blend of enzymes that are used in the production of BODYBALANCE® establishes the precise functionality of the peptides (in this case, muscle recovery, fascia, tendon & joint repair and fat loss)

o   The enzymic treatment re-creates the body’s digestive process so that when it enters the gut, no further digestion is required and the body can absorb and utilize the full peptide for its specific function.  

BODYBALANCE® establishes the precise functionality of the peptides (in this case, muscle recovery, fascia, tendon & joint repair and fat loss)

3 - The Studies

BODYBALANCE® has been clinically trialed in several randomized, placebo controlled, double blinded studies. The most recent study involved 114 healthy physically inactive men aged 35 – 60 and found that 15g of BODYBALANCE® post resistance training led to an increase in lean body mass, an increase in muscular strength and an overall decrease in fat mass and waist circumference when compared to whey protein and the placebo.

4 - Compared to Whey

In the clinical trials BODYBALANCE out performed Whey Protein on all fronts as we saw above, however, on paper it’s a slightly different story. To explain how BODYBALANCE can outperform Whey Protein in real life trials despite being weaker on paper in certain areas we need to look at 3 measures.  

- Biological Value: (BV for short) is how good the protein looks on paper. Or as we like to say, the proteins CV (curriculum vitae). BV is established based on the proteins amino acid profile and the ability on paper for the protein to stimulate the mTOR (muscle growth) pathway. Leucine is the most anabolic amino acid, signaling the most mTOR, therefore as a rule of thumb the higher the leucine content in the protein the higher the Biological Value (BV).

In this measure, Whey Protein has a higher BV than BODYBALANCE because of its higher leucine content. 

- Bio-Availability: is how well the body can actually absorb and digest the protein (So you’ve handed in a great CV, but are you actually showing up to work consistently and on time?).

Whey protein and BODYBALANCE have a similar Bio Availability, but in this measure BODYBALANCE is a touch better because it contains bio-active peptides that don’t require additional digestion, meaning once they hit the gut they can be absorbed by the body completely as they are. In addition, NOWAY is gluten, dairy and bloat free, whereas Whey Protein can create digestive upset and bloating in some individuals which reduces the Bio-Availability (or the body’s ability to break down the protein).

- Bio-Efficacy: is how well the protein actually works to repair muscle tissue, (ie. You’ve got your CV and you’re showing up to work on time, but are you actually doing your job well?) and whilst you may hear BV and Bio-Availability bantered around with Whey protein, Bio-Efficacy rarely is.

Whey protein is not a specifically functioning protein which means the body has freedom to decide how to utilize the protein. Meaning that not 100% of the protein may go towards building muscle, the efficacy, the way the body uses the protein, can also be impacted by factors including, genetics, stress, steroid use, hormonal profiles, immune profiles etc.

The use of BODYBALANCE in ATP Science’s NOWAY makes this protein an “instructional protein” meaning that not only is it providing the protein for repair it is also instructing the body in how to use it (muscle growth, fascia repair, joint repair etc.) making the Bio-Efficacy of NOWAY Protein much higher than standard Whey.

Not only is ATP Science NOWAY providing the protein for repair it is also instructing the body in how to use it (muscle growth, fascia repair, joint repair etc.) making the Bio-Efficacy of NOWAY Protein much higher than standard Whey.

5 - Why 15g of Protein is the new 30g.

The dosage for NOWAY is only a 15g serving size, traditionally most proteins are 25-30g, so why the small scoop? The findings behind the BODYBALANCE clinical trials have established that a 15g dose will give the body all of the instructional value it can handle at one time as well as sufficient protein to perform its specific functions, ie. muscle recovery, fascia/joint repair etc.

Instead ATP Science recommend the following protocol for maximum protein uptake, recovery and performance:

1. You can take a single serve of NOWAY Protein 3-4 times per day, take your servings at least 2 hours apart, to allow the body to fully digest and utilize the previous uptake of protein.
   
   
2. We recommend using NOWAY Protein, 1 hour before, immediately after training and again before bed blended with water and ATP Science Glutamine for further protein synthesis and muscle recovery.
   
   
3. If you are on a specific diet and are trying to hit higher levels of protein macros you can still add some whey or vegan protein into your NOWAY to boost the overall protein content. 

6 - Lean Muscle Gain (mTOR) and Fat Loss AMPK

Despite having a lower Leucine content than Whey protein, clinical trials of BODYBALANCE have actually shown that it gives a stronger mTOR pathway stimulation than Whey protein due to it’s incredibly high Bio-Efficacy.

Usually if you have high mTOR stimulation it will suppress or counteract AMPK or the body’s fat loss pathway. The studies behind BODYBALANCE uncovered that the peptides stimulated both mTOR (muscle growth) and AMPK (fat loss) simultaneously which was previously unheard of. This was reflected in the studies with the reduction of fat mass seen in the trials. Whilst the studies are still not concluded, the scientists who developed BODYBALANCE think that the ability of the peptides to signal mTOR so specifically for muscle, fascia and connective tissue repair, means that the body is still able to signal AMPK effectively in other areas ie. stored body fat.

mTOR – is the body’s primary muscle building gene or the signaling pathway for muscle growth.

AMPK – is the body’s activation pathway for fat loss.

7 - Some cool stuff about cellulite

This one is specifically for the ladies, so gents, feel free to skip on. During the female menstrual cycle the endometrial tissue that lines the uterus is stabilized and held in by collagen. Approaching menstruation each month the body releases enzymes that break down that collagen which allows the endometrial tissue to break away from the uterine wall to create menstruation. Unfortunately, during this process the released enzymes do not discriminate what collagen to break down and end up breaking down the layer of collagen beneath the skin which can worsen the appearance of cellulite. By supplementing with ATP Science’s NOWAY protein you are helping to replenish the body’s collagen levels and helping to maintain a healthy collagen layer which can make the skin appear smoother and firmer. 

8 - Improve Vasodilation (Pump)

NOWAY Protein contains high levels of bioavailable Arginine that can be delivered directly to the working muscle tissue. Arginine assists with vasodilation (the expansion of blood vessels) and will help to improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to the working muscles, as well as improved waste (lactic acid) removal, for improved endurance in addition to providing the “pump” feeling in the muscle.

9 - Who can’t take it?

ATP Science NOWAY Protein is safe for most people to use. However, it is not suitable for Vegans and/or some Vegetarians as it is derived from cattle. We also always recommend speaking to your GP or health practitioner if you are on any specific medication before using any natural or herbal supplements.

10 - Flavour Selection & Blend-ability. 

Any good review wouldn’t be complete without a flavor recommendation, here at FBO-HQ we are BIG fans of the Choc Caramel Fudge flavor, however for those with a sweeter taste we would recommend Vanilla Caramel. (or you can always go for the twin pack - “por que no los dos”) We recommend mixing NOWAY with room temperature water to prevent the protein from clumping, alternatively a good 30 second shake with a blender ball will help to ensure no lumps.

If you are a massive nerd like us and love learning all the nitty gritty scientific secrets about your supplements we hope you enjoyed reading this in depth article. If you have any furthers questions about NOWAY protein or any product in the ATP Science range please hit us up! We promise to share all of our collective knowledge with you and give you the best possible service we can to help you reach your goals!