Custom Protein Boosts

Take your protein powder & recovery blend to the next level by giving it a "boost"

Let’s face it. There are A LOT of protein powders and supplements out there claiming to be the secret to performing better, losing weight, living forever or any number of magical effects. It can be pretty confusing, and sometimes overwhelming, to know what product will really help reach your goals and which ones are just smoke and mirrors backed by baseless claims.

Here at INFINIT, there are a few things that set-us apart:

• We’ve been around for 15+ years serving active individuals and athletes by helping them reach their goals through proper nutrition.
• We have an in-house team of Registered Dietitians/Nutritionists who are (self admittedly) pretty picky — We are, the ones that research and vet all of the ingredients that go into INFINIT products.
• We focus on all natural ingredients and never use any artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners in any of our products.
• We customize nutrition to you — your needs, your goals, and your preferences.

So when we were developing our Custom Protein, there was a lot of discussion, research and debate among the team about what ingredients were going to make the cut — What extracts, amino acids, nutraceuticals or enzymes have really been proven to provide health and recovery benefits.

Using the create-your-own protein powder platform, essentially you can create your own personalized protein recovery blend through 5 steps:

1. Calories & carbs
2. Protein
3. Flavor
4. Boosts
5. Size

Boosting your blend is the step that allows you to really take your Custom Protein to the next level by selecting from nine different “boosts” ranging from healthy fats, to antioxidants and amino acids just to name a few.

These boosts were carefully chosen by our team of dietitians to ensure they were both clean and high quality but also served a beneficial purpose to you. We asked ourselves the question, “What could we take to make an already great protein recovery powder, and make it even better?”

The boosts are designed to enhance your Custom Protein blend whether you’re looking for more protein, better recovery and inflammation control, or a boost of fat to turn your blend into a meal replacement or well balanced pre-workout meal, there’s a boost for that.

So, let’s explore the nine boosts in more detail.

∞  Upsize  ∞  Creatine  ∞  L-Glutamine  ∞ CoQ10  ∞ MCTs  ∞  

∞  Tart Cherry   ∞ Tryptophan  ∞  Flax Seed  ∞ White Curcumin  ∞ 

Upsize - 2X Protein and BCAAs

Recommended for: The budget-conscious -or- those wanting max protein.

Amount: The upsize option will double the protein and Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) in your blend taking the protein from 20 grams → 40 grams per serving and the BCAA’s from 3 grams → 6 grams (3 grams L-leucine, 1.5 grams L-isoleucine, 1.5 grams L-valine).

Cost: $25 per bag

Upsize to either double your protein per serving or double your servings per container.

Max Protein — For those focusing on gaining muscle or overall body weight and undergoing a weight lifting/strength training plan or those just struggling to get enough protein in throughout the day, the upsize button will take your custom blend from 20 grams to 40 grams per serving.

This allows your muscles to completely saturate with protein post exercise for the ultimate muscle recovery or even serve as a high protein meal replacement.

TIP: Mix up your “upsized” Custom Protein blend and drink half of it before your workout and save the other half for after your workout — This will give you 20 grams of protein before AND after your workout.

Budget-conscious — For those on a budget, select this boost and use only one scoop at a time (instead of the normal two), and you now have 50 servings at 20 grams of complete protein per serving. A few things to remember if you are only using 1 scoop, the carbohydrate and total calories will be cut in half, so consider moving up to the moderate or high calorie option unless you want a very low carbohydrate blend (which you’ll get with the low calorie option). The flavor will also be reduced with only 1 scoop so consider bumping up/maxing out the flavor.

TIP: Use less water/milk when mixing your custom protein blend to make the flavor stronger.

Creatine Monohydrate

Recommended for: Sprinters (running, swimming, biking), weight lifting/strength training, HIIT (high intensity interval training), Vegetarians

Amount: 3 grams per serving

Cost: $4.50 per bag

Supplementing with creatine will increase your creatine muscle stores which will allow you to get a little more out of your high intensity training.

Creatine’s main function is with higher intensity, shorter effort exercise. It serves as the primary energy source during very short, very high intensity exercise.

Creatine is naturally found in the body as well as a number of foods people eat (beef, pork, and fish) and aids in the production of ATP (energy source of the body). Creatine in the muscles synthesize energy for very short bursts of energy. The use of creatine can have a positive impact on weight lifting, sprinting, and higher intensity exercise allowing you to push a little harder for a little longer, which over time can improve your strength and performance.

Why Creatine Monohydrate? Creatine Monohydrate (CrM) is the best form of creatine to use with supplementation. CrM is the most researched, most tested, and safest form of creatine available.

Vegetarians naturally will get less creatine through their diet, so they may benefit from supplementing, particularly if they are doing any type of very high intensity exercise within their training.

Creatine may cause you to store additional water weight so it is not uncommon to gain a few pounds when supplementing with creatine.

L-Glutamine

Recommended for: Post-workout recovery & gut health.

Amount: 1000mg per serving

Cost: $3.50 per bag

L-Glutamine aids in muscle protein synthesis, immune function, and inflammatory response after exercise, enhancing protein synthesis.

Exercise can break down muscle which needs to be rebuilt (aka muscle recovery). Creating and synthesizing muscle is essential for the body’s repair, maintenance, and growth.

L-Glutamine is used in the synthesis of proteins. This amino acid is crucial to the maintenance and growth of muscles.

MicroActive® CoQ10

Recommended for: Individuals over 35 and those taking statins for high cholesterol and/or blood pressure lowering medications.

Amount: 130mg of MicroActive®CoQ10 per serving — The Microactive® form of CoQ10 that we use has been shown to be highly absorbable by the body making it more effective at lower doses than many other types out there.

Cost: $6 per bag

CoQ10 aids in the reduction of stress helping recover your cells after exercise.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is found naturally within the cells of the body. It functions in cellular respiration, energy production, stress reduction, and antioxidant activity. 

CoQ10 is heart healthy! During exercise your body relies on your heart to pump blood and oxygen to the muscles. CoQ10 aids in energy production for the heart to perform these essential tasks.

Individuals taking statins to lower cholesterol may have lower levels of CoQ10 as a side effect. Combining CoQ10 helps reduce muscle soreness and fatigue as a result of statins.

Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) Oil

Recommended for: Meal replacement or supplementation, pre-workout nutrition, those with GI issues (malabsorption and maldigestion), or daily calorie/energy supplementation.

Amount: 5g MCT fats per serving derived from coconut.

Cost: $10 per bag

MCT’s can offer a secondary energy source beyond carbohydrates, and are also known to have a positive effect on body composition and lactate threshold.

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) are just as they sound, they are shorter chains of triglycerides (fats) making them easier to digest. MCT’s are broken down quickly by the body and metabolized faster than longer chained triglycerides, which means they can be used right away for energy.

TIP: Planning to use your custom blend as a meal replacement? MCT will add healthy fat to your blend creating a well balanced ''meal'' on the go. MCT will help with feeling fuller and more satisfied, providing 5 grams of fat and an additional 64 calories per serving.

Tart Cherry

Recommended for: Faster recovery and reduced muscle soreness.

Amount: 480mg per serving

Cost: $5 per bag

Tart Cherry is a post-workout, recovery enhancing boost shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, and play a positive role on sleep cycles.

It is rich in anthocyanins which is an antioxidant found naturally in many fruits and vegetables, and are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.

During workouts, your body is being put through a lot of stress. This stress can lead to inflammation in many different areas of the body. Anthocyanins can help reduce inflammation, decreasing the stress in your body, and ultimately improving your body’s recovery.

Tart Cherry also has been shown to naturally increase the levels of melatonin in your body. Melatonin regulates your body's natural rhythms allowing you to have a better night’s sleep. And we all know, better sleep leads to a better recovery as the muscles and body are able to adapt to the stresses of training.

TIP: Tart cherry is naturally red and will give your blend a slight reddish color to it. It will also give your blend a very light cherry flavor, which actually nicely complements all four of the natural custom protein flavor options.

L-Tryptophan

Recommended for: Sleep and overnight recovery.

Amount: 1000mg per serving

Cost: $6 per bag

Tryptophan is a natural essential amino acid long known to increase the levels of the relaxation hormones, melatonin and serotonin, in the body.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, which means it needs to be taken in through the diet because the body can’t make it. It also is the amino acid responsible for breaking down into the very important hormones serotonin and melatonin.

Serotonin regulates your mood making you feel focused, happy, and calm. Melatonin functions in regulating your body’s natural rhythms. Both play a role in improving sleep.

If you are planning on using your Custom Protein blend in the evening or before bed, the addition of tryptophan is a must. With its positive benefits in muscle recovery and sleep, tryptophan will help relax the body, while the protein soothes and repairs your muscles while you sleep.

Ground Flax

Recommended for: Adding healthy fats & fiber to your diet.

Amount: 1g flaxseed (250mgs Omega-3’s) per serving

Cost: $2.50 per bag

Ground flax seed provides healthy fats, fiber and lignans.

Our premium golden ground flaxseed is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, improves digestive health and can even aid in lowering cholesterol. Adding flaxseed is a great way to add some “healthy” fats and a little bit of fiber to your custom blend.

Flaxseed is a great source of these omega-3’s. Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential fatty acid, meaning they need to be taken in from the diet. These fatty acids play a huge role in making hormones that regulate inflammation. Because of this benefit, Omega-3’s play a part in easing the inflammation that occurs during exercise.

TIP: The body struggles to digest whole flax seeds, often leaving the nutrition of the seed untapped and subsequently wasted. Ground flaxseed is much more easily digested and can be better utilized by the body.

White Curcumin

Recommended for: Faster recovery, reduced inflammation and reduction in muscle soreness.

Amount: 500mg per serving

Cost: $5 per bag

Curcumin acts to reduce inflammation, and as an antioxidant, counteracting the effects of stress on the body. 

Curcumin is a naturally-occurring chemical compound and the principal “curcuminoid” found in turmeric. Curcumin has been shown to be the main source of turmeric’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Exercise-induced stress can cause inflammation and soreness within your muscles, which can lead to poor recovery and decreased performance.

Anti-inflammatory compounds like curcumin can reduce inflammation and swelling brought on by exercise, and antioxidants reduce the oxidative stress.

TIP: The White Curcumin is naturally high in potassium. Adding this boost increases your Custom Protein Blend’s potassium content by +278 mg per serving.

With so many boosts to choose from, you may be overwhelmed or still not sure which ones are best for you.

It ultimately comes down to you and your goals as to what boosts will help you out the most. No matter what you decide, you will have a high quality, complete protein, tailored to your needs with no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners (can you say that about your current protein?).

And of course, you can always schedule a consult and chat with one of INFINIT’s Registered Dietitians (like me) and we’ll help you figure out which boosts will help you out the most.

About the Author

Colin Riley, MS, RDN, LD, CSSD is INFINIT's Head Formulation Specialist, registered dietitian, a fourth year professional triathlete, and a USA Triathlon level 1 certified triathlon coach. Colin started his triathlon career while he was studying at the University of Dayton and Florida State University. Also in that time Colin received his Bachelor of Science in fitness and nutrition from University of Dayton and his Masters in Sports Nutrition from Florida State University.