THE OVRL QUALITY STANDARD
A Protein Should Be Judged by What It Delivers — Not Simply by the Word “Whey”
At OVRL, we believe that total protein content is only the first layer of protein quality.
For a protein designed for physically active individuals, the formulation should also be evaluated according to its essential amino acid profile, leucine content, digestibility, protein source and the amount delivered in each serving.
This matters because different protein sources can provide similar amounts of total protein while producing different amino acid availability after ingestion.
The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand highlights two particularly important variables when comparing protein sources: their leucine content and the rate at which the protein is digested.
For OVRL, this creates a clear quality principle: a performance protein should provide a meaningful amount of complete protein, a strong essential amino acid profile and sufficient leucine — while giving consumers enough information to evaluate the formula beyond the headline protein number.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
“The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) provides an objective and critical review related to the intake of protein for healthy, exercising individuals. Based on the current available literature, the position of the Society is as follows: 1. An acute exercise stimulus, particularly resistance exercise, and protein ingestion both stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and are synergistic when protein consumption occurs before or after resistance exercise. 2. For building muscle mass and for maintaining muscle mass through a positive muscle protein balance, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day (g/kg/d) is sufficient for most exercising individuals... 5. Recommendations regarding the optimal protein intake per serving for athletes to maximize MPS are mixed and are dependent upon age and recent resistance exercise stimuli. General recommendations are 0.25 g of a high-quality protein per kg of body weight, or an absolute dose of 20–40 g. 6. Acute protein doses should strive to contain 700–3000 mg of leucine and/or a higher relative leucine content, in addition to a balanced array of the essential amino acids (EAAs). 7. These protein doses should ideally be evenly distributed, every 3–4 h, across the day. 8. The optimal time period during which to ingest protein is likely a matter of individual tolerance, since benefits are derived from pre- or post-workout ingestion; however, the anabolic effect of exercise is long-lasting (at least 24 h), but likely diminishes with increasing time post-exercise. 9. While it is possible for physically active individuals to obtain their daily protein requirements through the consumption of whole foods, supplementation is a practical way of ensuring intake of adequate protein quality and quantity, while minimizing caloric intake... 10. Rapidly digested proteins that contain high proportions of essential amino acids (EAAs) and adequate leucine, are most effective in stimulating MPS. 11. Different types and quality of protein can affect amino acid bioavailability following protein supplementation. 12. Athletes should consider focusing on whole food sources of protein that contain all of the EAAs (i.e., it is the EAAs that are required to stimulate MPS).”
“Two critical variables exist that determine a protein’s impact on overall protein accretion and protein turnover: a) the protein’s leucine content and b) the rate at which the protein is digested. In general, the proteins with the greatest leucine content include dairy (9–11%), egg (8.6%), and meat (8%), while sources low in leucine include plant-based proteins... Using the criteria of leucine content, Norton and Wilson et al. [198, 199] used animal models to compare the potential to activate initiation factors and MPS between four different protein sources: wheat (supplemented with leucine), soy, egg, and whey, (containing 6.8, 8.0, 8.8, and 11% leucine, respectively)... Wheat and soy did not stimulate MPS above fasted levels, whereas egg and whey proteins significantly increased MPS rates, with MPS for whey protein being greater than egg protein. MPS responses were closely related to changes in plasma leucine and phosphorylation of 4E–BP1 and S6 K protein signaling molecules... Tang et al. [86] compared high leucine/fast-digesting (hydrolyzed whey isolate), lower leucine/intermediate digesting (soy isolate) and high leucine/slow-digesting (micellar casein) protein sources on MPS at rest and following exercise... MPS after consumption of whey was approximately 93% and 18% greater than casein and soy, respectively. A similar pattern of results was observed after resistance exercise (whey > soy > casein) whereby protein synthesis following whey consumption was approximately 122% and 31% greater than casein and soy, respectively.”
THE STUDY
A Broad Scientific Position on Protein and Exercise
This publication is an official International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand examining the scientific literature on protein intake for healthy and physically active individuals.
Rather than focusing on one single experiment, the paper synthesizes evidence across a wide range of topics relevant to athletes and people who train regularly.
These include:
- total daily protein intake;
- resistance exercise;
- muscle protein synthesis;
- protein intake per serving;
- leucine;
- essential amino acids;
- protein quality;
- protein digestion;
- amino acid bioavailability;
- different protein sources;
- nutrient timing;
- supplementation;
- recovery;
- body composition.
The authors therefore evaluate protein from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective.
The question is not simply:
“How many grams of protein?”
It is also:
“What type of protein?”
“How quickly is it digested?”
“How much leucine does it contain?”
“Does it provide all essential amino acids?”
“How is the protein distributed across the day?”
KEY FINDINGS
1. Resistance Exercise and Protein Work Synergistically
The authors state that both resistance exercise and protein ingestion stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
When combined around resistance exercise, the two act synergistically.
This is an important distinction because protein supplementation should not be viewed as a substitute for training.
The training stimulus and nutritional availability work together.
2. Daily Protein Intake Remains Fundamental
For most exercising individuals seeking to build or maintain muscle mass, the ISSN position identifies a general daily range of:
1.4–2.0 g protein/kg body weight/day
This means that individual protein servings need to be considered within the context of the athlete's entire day.
For example:
70 kg athlete → approximately 98–140 g/day
80 kg athlete → approximately 112–160 g/day
90 kg athlete → approximately 126–180 g/day
One protein shake can therefore contribute meaningfully to daily intake, but it does not replace the rest of the athlete's nutritional strategy.
3. Approximately 20–40 g of High-Quality Protein Per Serving
The authors describe general recommendations of:
0.25 g high-quality protein/kg body weight
or an absolute serving of approximately:
20–40 g protein
They also make clear that this is not an immutable threshold.
Age and recent resistance exercise can influence the amount required to maximize muscle protein synthesis.
4. Leucine Is One of the Critical Variables
The ISSN position states that acute protein servings should strive to contain:
700–3000 mg leucine and/or a higher relative leucine concentration
together with:
a balanced array of essential amino acids.
The wording is important.
The authors do not describe leucine as a replacement for complete protein or the other EAAs.
Instead, leucine exists within a broader amino acid environment required to support muscle protein synthesis.
5. Essential Amino Acids Matter
The position specifically emphasizes the importance of EAAs.
The authors state that athletes should prioritize protein sources containing all essential amino acids and explicitly note that:
EAAs are required to stimulate MPS.
This supports evaluating protein quality by more than total protein grams alone.
6. Leucine Content Helps Differentiate Protein Sources
The authors identify leucine concentration as one of two critical variables affecting the impact of a protein on overall protein accretion and turnover.
They report typical leucine concentrations of approximately:
Dairy proteins: 9–11%
Egg: 8.6%
Meat: 8%
They contrast these sources with proteins naturally lower in leucine.
This is one reason whey has attracted considerable attention in sports nutrition research.
7. Digestion Rate Is the Second Critical Variable
The paper identifies the other major variable as:
the rate at which a protein is digested.
A protein's amino acid composition matters, but so does the rate at which those amino acids become available after ingestion.
The authors therefore distinguish between protein sources that are:
- rapidly digested;
- intermediate in digestion;
- slowly digested.
8. Whey Combines High Leucine with Rapid Digestion
In the research discussed in the position stand, whey is characterized by both:
high leucine content
and:
rapid digestion.
This combination can generate a rapid rise in plasma amino acids after ingestion.
The paper describes whey as having approximately 11% leucine, one of the highest proportions among commonly consumed protein sources discussed in the review.
9. Whey Produced a Greater Acute MPS Response in the Research Reviewed
The authors discuss work comparing hydrolyzed whey isolate, soy isolate and micellar casein.
At rest, the paper reports that muscle protein synthesis following whey consumption was approximately:
93% greater than casein
and:
18% greater than soy.
Following resistance exercise, the difference reported was approximately:
122% greater than casein
and:
31% greater than soy.
Importantly, these values describe the specific experimental conditions and protein sources used in the studies reviewed by the authors. They should not be interpreted as a universal percentage advantage for every whey product in every person.
10. Timing Matters — But the Window Is Not Just a Few Minutes
The ISSN position recognizes benefits from consuming protein before or after training.
However, the authors also emphasize that the anabolic effect of resistance exercise remains elevated for:
at least 24 hours
although it likely diminishes as more time passes after exercise.
This provides a more nuanced view than the idea that an athlete has only a very short post-workout opportunity to consume protein.
11. Distribution Across the Day Matters
Rather than concentrating all daily protein into one or two large meals, the authors suggest distributing protein doses approximately:
every 3–4 hours
throughout the day.
This recommendation combines:
- adequate daily protein;
- meaningful protein per serving;
- appropriate amino acid composition;
- repeated opportunities to support MPS.
12. Supplements Are a Practical Tool — Not a Requirement
The paper explicitly acknowledges that athletes can meet their protein requirements through whole foods.
At the same time, supplementation can provide a practical way to achieve adequate protein quality and quantity while controlling caloric intake, particularly for individuals completing high training volumes.
This is an important distinction.
The scientific rationale for whey supplementation is not that whole foods are inadequate.
It is that a supplement can provide a convenient, measurable and protein-dense nutritional option within the athlete's overall diet.
WHY THIS MATTERS
Two Whey Products Can Contain Similar Protein — Yet Be Nutritionally Different
This research helps explain why OVRL does not believe protein products should be compared only by total protein grams.
Imagine two products each providing approximately 22 g of protein.
On the front of the packaging, they may appear almost identical.
But their nutritional profiles could differ substantially in:
leucine content
total EAA content
protein source
digestion characteristics
amino acid bioavailability
calories
carbohydrates
fats
ingredient transparencyThe ISSN paper directly identifies leucine concentration and digestion rate as critical variables when comparing protein sources.
It also reinforces that rapidly digested proteins with high proportions of EAAs and adequate leucine are particularly effective at stimulating acute muscle protein synthesis.
For consumers, this means that protein quantity matters, but protein composition matters too.
HOW OVRL APPLIES THIS STANDARD
We Look at the Amino Acid Profile — Not Just Total Protein
The research reviewed by Jäger and colleagues provides a scientific framework for evaluating protein formulas according to their total protein, leucine content, essential amino acid profile and protein source.
OVRL applies this approach when evaluating its whey formulations.
OVRL Whey Protein ISO
The current OVRL formulation includes whey isolate together with 1 g of added fermented L-leucine, in addition to the leucine naturally present in the whey protein itself.
This formulation choice reflects the importance placed on leucine within the protein literature and the ISSN position stand.
However, the amounts of naturally occurring leucine and added leucine should not be combined into a definitive total leucine claim unless the finished product's complete amino acid profile has been analytically confirmed.
That distinction is important to the OVRL Quality Standard: formulation logic and analytical verification are not the same thing.
OVRL Pure Whey Concentrate
According to the formulation information supplied for Pure Whey Concentrate, a serving provides approximately:
3.18 g leucine
This places the serving above the upper end of the 700–3000 mg range described by the ISSN position statement for acute protein doses, while also providing leucine within the context of a complete whey protein amino acid profile.
Again, this should not be interpreted to mean that simply exceeding a numerical leucine value guarantees a greater anabolic response.
Muscle protein synthesis depends on multiple factors, including:
- total protein;
- complete EAA availability;
- training stimulus;
- total daily protein intake;
- age;
- body size;
- dietary context.
THE OVRL INTERPRETATION
Leucine Is Important — But It Is Not the Entire Formula
One of the most important conclusions from this research is that leucine should not become another marketing number viewed in isolation.
The ISSN itself places leucine alongside a balanced array of essential amino acids.
OVRL therefore considers three questions together:
How much protein does the serving provide?
How much leucine does the serving provide?
What does the complete essential amino acid profile look like?
A product that simply adds leucine without delivering an appropriate protein and EAA profile should not automatically be considered equivalent to a complete high-quality whey protein.
The nutritional system matters more than any single isolated number.
RESEARCH AT A GLANCE
Lead author: Ralf Jäger
Scientific body: International Society of Sports Nutrition
Publication: Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Year: 2017
Article type: Official Position Stand
Population addressed: Healthy, exercising individuals
Primary subject: Dietary protein and exercise
Major areas reviewed: Muscle protein synthesis, daily protein intake, protein serving size, leucine, essential amino acids, protein digestion, protein sources, amino acid bioavailability and nutrient timing
Daily protein recommendation: 1.4–2.0 g/kg/day for most exercising individuals
General serving recommendation: Approximately 0.25 g/kg or 20–40 g high-quality protein
Leucine recommendation: 700–3000 mg per acute protein dose and/or a higher relative leucine content
Recommended distribution: Approximately every 3–4 hours
Anabolic response after exercise: At least 24 hours, although diminishing with time
Two major protein-quality variables highlighted:
- Leucine content
- Digestion rate
Protein characteristic emphasized: Rapidly digested proteins with high EAA content and adequate leucine are particularly effective at stimulating acute MPS.
Protein source highlighted in the reviewed evidence: Whey
READ THE ORIGINAL RESEARCH
International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise
Jäger, R., Kerksick, C. M., Campbell, B. I., Cribb, P. J., Wells, S. D., Skwiat, T. M., et al., & Antonio, J.
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
2017
DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
Licence: CC BY 4.0 — Open Access