Skip to main content
IngredientsNutrition 21

Velositol: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage and Supplements

By March 6, 2019May 2nd, 2022No Comments
FIt Butters
Velositol

Velositol®

Velositol®, a patented ingredient from Nutrition21, is a complex of Amylopectin and trivalent chromium.   Velositol’s highly soluble Amylopectin stimulates a small amount of insulin release in a safe and controlled manner, while the Chromium enhances insulin function and increases muscles cells’ sensitivity to it. Together, these nutrients enhance insulin’s ability to transport amino acids into muscle cells where they supply the nutrients needed for muscle protein synthesis (MPS.)

Uses of Velositol®

Velositol® from Nutrition21 is used in conjunction with protein by sports nutrition and food & beverage companies to increase the power of protein.  In clinical trials Velositol® has been shown to increase muscle strength and power by accelerating and boosting MPS.

MPS is the metabolic process that describes the incorporation of amino acids into skeletal muscle proteins and an important process for muscle repair, recovery and growth.

A single dose of Velositol® added to protein is clinically shown to increase MPS in those exercising significantly more than protein and exercise alone.  By increasing muscle protein synthesis, Velositol® can help improve body composition and the body’s ability to repair muscle damage due to exercise, which speeds up recovery.

A single dose of Velositol® has also clinically been shown to increase the fractional synthesis rate (FSR).  The FSR is the fraction of the protein pool that is synthesized per unit time. The higher the rate of FSR, the higher the MPS.

Velositol FSR

In clinical studies, Velositol® has been shown to double the power of protein. When Velositol® was added to 6g of whey protein, it doubled the rate of MPS.  Velositol® also has been shown to increase MPS at various dosages of whey protein including 20g, 30g and 40g of protein. Results of these studies show that when combined with Velositol® , the same FSR can be achieved with less protein.

Velositol FSR and MPS increase

Results of increasing MPS can be strength gains, muscle endurance and improved body composition. In a clinical study, the use of Velositol® combined with 15g of whey protein, doubled the number of reps to failure of squats in subjects over an 8-week period compared to those who used 15g or 30g of whey protein alone.  In this same study, the Velositol® group improved their 1RM (one rep max) by 20 pounds over the 15g and 30g protein-only groups. The Velositol group also demonstrated increases in vertical jump power and jump height compared to the protein groups. 

Velositol and strength gains

Traditional uses of Velositol® have been in the protein powder category. Post-workout protein shakes have been marketed for years by sports nutrition brands as a recovery mix/shake. Muscles need adequate amounts of protein (amino acids) to repair and rebuild muscle tissue and Velositol® can help improve these outcomes.

While many of the traditional uses of Velositol® have been in the whey protein powder market, Velositol® can also be used with plant-proteins, BCAAs/EAAs and food products. In a pre-clinical study, Velositol® was shown to help increase MPS when combined with BCAAs, pea protein or soy protein. Protein powders, amino acid products and protein bars are now using the power of Velositol® to increase MPS and performance outcomes for consumers.

Velositol BCAA, Pea Protein and Food

Formulations with Velositol®

Velositol® needs to be combined with whey protein, plant protein or an amino acid product to achieve the desired results of improved muscle protein synthesis and performance benefits.

Side Effects of Velositol®

Velositol® is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) affirmed with no known side effects at this time.

Recommended Velositol® Dosage

The recommended dosage of Velositol® per serving is 2g.

Recommended Supplements Featuring Velositol®

The following products contain Velositol, and are recommended supplements for Fitness Informant:

Taurine: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage and Supplements
Nitrosigine: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Dosage and Supplements

Leave a Reply