You pick upa a protein powder and the label lists whey isolate, hydrolyzed whey, casein, and added BCAAs. Sounds pretty good! But unless each ingredient's amount is clearly stated, you're making an educated guess at best.
What Is Underdosing?
Underdosing occurs when brands include just enough high-cost ingredients to list them, but not nearly enough to be effective. They often mask this using proprietary blends, which only disclose the total weight of grouped ingredients (e.g. “Protein Matrix: 25g”) without specifying individual amounts.
The Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition has noted that proprietary blends make it impossible to know if key ingredients are present at effective doses.
Why It Matters
Each protein type has distinct benefits:
- Whey isolate is quickly absorbed with low fat and lactose.
- Hydrolyzed whey absorbs even faster.
- Casein offers slow release, ideal for overnight recovery.
If your blend is mostly cheap whey concentrate, you're not getting what you're paying for, even if the label suggests otherwise.
Read Swolverine’s analysis for info, but the tldr is: proprietary blends are often used to underdose expensive ingredients for marketing appeal.
How to Spot an Underdosed Blend
Watch out for:
- Proprietary blend listings labels that group ingredients without providing quantities.
- Premium-sounding formulas at suspiciously low prices.
- No amino acid breakdown or third-party validation.
What You Can Do
- Choose brands that list exact grams for whey isolate, casein, etc.
- Look for third-party testing
- Avoid buzzword-heavy products hiding ingredient amounts behind terms like “Anabolic Matrix.”
Final Word
Underdosing isn't illegal, but it’s misleading. A premium blend doesn’t guarantee premium value, especially if the manufacturer won’t show you what’s inside. Transparency and testing matter more than flashy ingredients and empty promises.
Sources
- Patrick S. Harty et al., "Multi-ingredient pre-workout supplements…challenge…due to proprietary blends", JISSN, 2018. https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-018-0247-6
- Swolverine, "Proprietary Blend Meaning: What It Is & 5 Reasons To Avoid It". https://swolverine.com/blogs/blog/what-is-a-proprietary-blend-5-reasons-to-avoid-proprietary-blends-at-all-costs