As Hannibal from The A-Team used to say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”
With regards to Love Life Supplements, that plan was to rise through the supplement industry ranks on the back of top quality products.
(No mean feat, given the fact the market is drenched with over-hyped, misleading bulls**t.)
And I’m sure they love the fact that, to all extents and purposes, they have succeeded in their mission.
These guys have slowly carved themselves a reputation as one of the best manufacturers of high quality fitness supplements in the UK.
It’s the stuff the serious athletes want to use.
The stuff you don’t mind paying a little bit extra for, because you know the quality is there.
It’s nice to see products gain the trust of consumers based on their superiority rather than their marketing.
But enough of this friendly bulls**t… today I’ll be putting LLS back under the microscope of my deliberately harsh supplement rating system, for this Primal One review.
Will the latest entry into their growing product range buck the trend and deliver a dud?
(Spoiler: nah, it’s great.)
LLS Primal One Review
There are two things I always tell personal training clients to look out for when choosing a new whey protein supplement.
The first is to see whether it aligns with their goals.
Meaning, you don’t want a mass gainer if you’re trying to cut, much like you don’t want a tiny shake if you’re trying to bang in those extra calories.
It’s particularly important to know this when looking at a product like Primal One because, much like the rest of the LLS product line, it has been designed to reach a very specific set of athletes.
Each 202 calorie serving provides a macronutrient breakdown of:
- 19.9g protein
- 5.1g carbohydrates
- 9.7g fat
- 4.7g fiber
As you’ve likely already guessed, this is not the product for those who partake in low fat diets.
However, if you are following a low carb, high fat diet or any modern variation of one (keto, paleo, etc), you’ll find this product incredibly useful.
Not only are we achieving the “sweet spot” of protein serving size for spiking muscle protein synthesis (muscle building), but we are also obtaining a good chunk of our fat target and a sizable fistful of fiber. (1)
The rest of Love Life Supplements‘ products are also geared towards the same niche, and I believe this is one of the things which has really helped them achieve the aforementioned reputation as a true market leader.
The second thing I always advise to look out for is fairy dusting.
Fairy dusting usually comes in the form of a “fat burning matrix”, which is little more than a clutch of ingredients which have been (poorly) linked to fat loss being thrown into the formula so they can make big, bold claims on the tub about losing weight with the product.
Of course, the scientific links are weak and the ingredients are usually in tiny doses which are insufficient in yielding any of the promised effects, but that’s business…
Primal One is a step ahead of its competitors again here.
The inclusion of ingredients like MCT powder, curcumin, collagen, and good old vitamin D3 is a solid move, but they are provided in doses which actually make a difference to results.
With a massive 12 grams of MCT per shake, Primal One delivers a big dollop of fat burning medium chain triglycerides.
Cliff Sheats, author of Lean Bodies, breaks down why MCTs behave differently in the body:
“Conventional fat found in most foods contains 16-22 atoms. These are called long chain triglycerides. Medium chain triglycerides, on the other hand, only have 6-12 atoms.
This is the key difference in why they are utilized more effectively for fuel.
The body is able to absorb and digest MCTs far more easily, given their simpler structure.”
Once transported to the liver, some MCTs are used as a readily available energy source, and some are used for thermogenesis. (2)
In short, MCTs are f**king awesome.
By providing them in powdered form, we are able to sidestep many of the common digestive issues which are associated with MCT oil, making it a double-win. (3)
(Although if you’re new to MCTs, you may want to see how you respond to this large dose at first.)
But how much do we need to get the desired results?
Well, one study published in 2016 found that 15-30 grams daily yielded optimal effects. One scoop of Primal One contains a huge 12 grams, so two shakes (or two scoops) takes you into the golden zone for results. (4)
Well done LLS, for not only providing a potentially great ingredient, but doing so in a dose that’s actually effective.
There has been a huge rise in the popularity of collagen-based whey protein powders in the last few years as a result of it’s ability to improve joint strength.
However, it possesses a poor amino acid profile compared to other protein sources and should definitely not be your main form of protein.
It’s a secondary ingredient.
And that’s exactly how it’s used here.
A dose of around 10g per day will yield the benefits on offer, and Primal One provides 5.5g per scoop – so once again two scoops, or two separate shakes per day, will tick the box.
Ever heard people talking about the health benefits of turmeric?
Enter curcumin.
Curcumin reduces inflammation and increases antioxidants in the body. Although it usually suffers from poor absorption, this can be drastically improved by supplementing alongside black pepper extract (bioperine, which is also included in the product).
A dose of 1.2g per day is sufficient for great results, and Primal One provides 1g per scoop, so once again LLS have hit the back of the net. (5)
Finally, there’s 3000iu vitamin D3 in every scoop, too, which is tremendous.
When we see that Myprotein’s dedicated vitamin D3 supplement only provides 2500iu, it shows how thorough Love Life Supplements have been here when building out their formula.
Love Life Supplements Primal One Review – The Final Verdict
I love this product.
If you follow a high fat diet (or if you’re a person who just generally struggles to hit their fat macro target each day), this is a great choice as a whey protein supplement.
By building their brand around products which are always high quality, Love Life Supplements have established themselves as a sensible choice when you’re looking for premium grade supplements.
When most big manufacturers are releasing generic, cheap whey protein powders in the hope of being “good enough”, these guys are out there going the extra mile.
A grass fed whey protein supplement with sufficient doses of all key ingredients – and no unnecessary “filler” – is a product they can be proud of.
The large serving of MCTs and the very sweet taste will make Primal One a hit or a miss for some people, of course, and despite the fact that it costs a little more than its competitors, this is justifiable by the fact that the ingredients are correctly dosed.
(Picking up a quality whey protein, MCT powder, collagen, curcumin, vitamin D3, and black pepper extract, then dosing them like this, would cost considerably more).
So, you get what you pay for.
Primal One is the highest rated whey protein supplement on the website to date, with 4.25 stars.
I expect to see Love Life Supplements continue that rise up the fitness industry ladder with this one. Be sure to check it out.
References:
- Moore, D. R., et al. Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. (2009)
- Souza, P. F., et al. Effects of feeding medium-chain triacylglycerols on maternal lipid metabolism and pup growth in lactating rats. Br J Nutr. (1993)
- Courchesne-Loyer, A., et al. Emulsification Increases the Acute Ketogenic Effect and Bioavailability of Medium-Chain Triglycerides in Humans: Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fat Metabolism. Current Developments In Nutrition. (2017)
- Dulloo, A. G., et al. Twenty-four-hour energy expenditure and urinary catecholamines of humans consuming low-to-moderate amounts of medium-chain triglycerides: a dose-response study in a human respiratory chamber. Eur J Clin Nutr. (1996)
- Satoskar, R. R., et al. Evaluation of anti-inflammatory property of curcumin (diferuloyl methane) in patients with postoperative inflammation. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. (1986)