GNC PRODUCT SERIES: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE SCIENCE BEHIND GNC AMP WHEYBOLIC®
At GNC, research informs everything we do – so you get the real results you’re looking for. What most people don’t know is that GNC has invested in clinical research on several of its top-selling products to demonstrate their effectiveness.
In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into THREE of GNC’s clinical studies where a premium blend of Whey Protein + Leucine was put to the test. When used as part of an exercise training program, can a Whey Protein + Leucine blend really help improve muscle strength and endurance? What about muscle size? Are all protein powders created equal? That’s what GNC researchers were set to find out. This research fueled a variety of GNC AMP products.
Wondering about GNC AMP proteins? Is GNC AMP Wheybolic® good? Read on to learn more about GNC AMP family of products, and what sets GNC AMP Wheybolic® apart from the competition.
What Did GNC Study?
A team of Scientists and Registered Dietitians at GNC formulated a Whey Protein + Leucine blend containing 20g of Whey Protein and 6.2g of Leucine (GNC AMP Wheybolic®). Why Leucine? One of the three branched chain amino acids, Leucine signals pathways to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Passionate about the health, wellness and training goals of their customers, GNC’s researchers were interested in learning the physical and performance benefits of supplementing with this innovative GNC AMP Wheybolic® blend while following a prescribed resistance training program.
How Does Wheybolic® Work?
Athletes are always looking for an edge, and providing your strength training program with protein supplementation is a great way to get an edge. Protein supplementation increases muscle protein synthesis, allowing for optimal hypertrophy (a.k.a. growth!), recovery and strength gains. Whey protein isolate is considered a “fast” protein because the amino acids that make it up appear quite rapidly in the blood where they can be used to build new and repair existing muscle tissue.
GNC’s science team wanted to know how they could take this amazing protein and make it better, so they combined whey protein isolate with additional leucine (a branched chain amino acid already found in high levels in whey protein isolate) to make a great protein even more beneficial. Leucine can actually increase muscle protein synthesis by activating the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a protein which signals your body to make new cells, especially muscle cells. Wheybolic®’s combination of whey protein isolate and leucine is more than just protein—it is working at the cellular level to signal your body to make more muscle.
GNC AMP Wheybolic Clinical Study #1
What Was the Objective of The Study?
The primary goal of this study was to determine the effects of resistance training in combination with a GNC AMP Wheybolic® supplement on muscular strength and size (measured by muscle cross sectional area).
Who Were the Study Participants?
Thirty-three healthy male volunteers ages 20 to 25 years participated in this study.
What Was The Study Design?
GNC chose to conduct a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study – the best and most reliable form of research in which neither participants nor investigators were aware of treatments received.
All volunteers participated in a resistance training program performed 3 times per week for 8 weeks total. Training sessions were supervised by study investigators.
Participants were assigned to one of three groups:
- 20g of whey protein and 6.2g of leucine (GNC AMP Wheybolic®)
- 20g of carbohydrate (equal in calories to the GNC AMP Wheybolic® blend)
- No supplementation
Participants ingested their assigned supplement 30 minutes prior to and immediately following each resistance training session. On non-training days, subjects ingested one dose of their assigned supplement before breakfast.
What Were The Results of The Study?
Researchers found that over a period of 8 weeks, participants receiving the GNC AMP Wheybolic® supplement experienced:
- Greater increases in muscle strength compared to the placebo group♦^.
- Greater increase in muscle size from baseline♦^.
- A 30% increase in muscle strength♦^.
Interested in learning more? Read the published study here.
GNC’s AMP Wheybolic® blend produced incredible results. Encouraged by these findings, researchers generated additional questions to be answered, fueling a second clinical study.
Clinical Study #2
What Was The Objective of The Study?
The primary goal of this study was to determine the effects of resistance training program in combination with the GNC AMP Wheybolic® supplement and its impact on muscular strength and endurance.
Who Were The Study Participants?
Thirty-nine healthy male volunteers participated in this study, ages 19 to 28 years. Volunteers were untrained in resistance/power exercise.
What Was The Study Design?
GNC again chose to utilize a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
All volunteers participated in a resistance training program performed 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Training sessions were supervised by study investigators.
Volunteers were randomly assigned to one of the following three groups:
- Group 1: 1 set of 6-8 reps at approximately 80% of their one rep maximum effort three times per week. Volunteers consumed 20g of whey protein and 6.2g of leucine (GNC AMP Wheybolic® blend)
- Group 2: 1 set of 6-8 reps at approximately 80% of their one rep maximum effort three times per week. Volunteers consumed 20g of carbohydrate (equal in calories to the GNC AMP Wheybolic® blend)
- Group 3: 2 sets of 6-8 reps at approximately 80% of their one rep maximum effort without supplementation
Participants ingested their assigned supplement 30 minutes prior to and immediately following each resistance training session. On non-training days, subjects ingested one dose of their assigned supplement in the morning and once again in the evening.
What Were The Results of The Study?
Researchers found that over a period of 8 weeks, participants receiving the GNC AMP Wheybolic® blend experienced:
The same gains in maximal strength and muscle endurance after JUST one set of training (when compared to two sets of training in the group receiving no supplement) ^.
Maximal strength gains with half the amount of work!
Read our published study here.
Clinical Study #3
What Was The Objective of The Study?
After two successful Wheybolic® studies, GNC wanted to learn how protein supplementation works in the real world. We know most athletes aren’t consuming protein powder before AND after exercise. So, we compared the performance results of participants using a once and twice daily dose of the whey-leucine blend.
Who Were The Study Participants?
39 recreationally active males, ages 19-22 years.
What Was The Study Design?
The study design was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. All volunteers were randomized to one of three groups and participated in a resistance training program three times per week for eight weeks as noted above in study #2.
Group 1: Once daily dose of 40 g whey + 6.2 grams total leucine
Group 2: Twice daily dose of 20 g whey + 6.2 g total leucine (daily total = 40 g + 12.4 g leucine)
What Were The Results of The Study?
GNC took an innovate approach at analyzing results. Instead of comparing group averages and response to training, we looked at the individual responses to the intervention.
We learned that 100% of individuals consuming the once daily dose of the whey-leucine product significantly increased leg strength and endurance compared to the twice daily and placebo groups.
What Does This Mean?
As revolutionaries and industry leaders in the field, GNC put its AMP Wheybolic® blend to the test, something competitors rarely do. The results of these three clinical studies show that supplementing with GNC AMP Wheybolic®, as part of a progressive resistaqnce training program, improves muscle strength, size, and endurance. It also adds to the body of scientific evidence to support supplementation with high quality whey protein and leucine has benefits for muscle strength gains.
GNC’s AMP Wheybolic® has been clinically shown to:
- Increase muscle strength and stamina with half the sets^!
- Increase muscle strength and size by 30% in just 8 weeks♦^!
- 100% of individuals taking Wheybolic® once daily increased leg strength and endurance±.
GNC’s AMP Wheybolic® is the 1st ever clinically studied protein blend to show significant, and meaningful individual responses. Helping to account for differences like genetics, nutritional status, and lifestyle factors. 100% of individuals taking Wheybolic® once daily increased leg strength and endurance. A guarantee that your leg training days will pay off!
