Are We Getting Scammed ?

[Tim Wescott]

Found this posted on www.ironage.us and thought it was pretty interesting!!

Same protein powder...........different prices!!

According to bodybuilding researcher and writer Professor Roland Persson:

... I visited a large Fitness Expo ... a representative of a major supplement manufacturer ... proudly pointed to two large tubs of whey protein powder on the rack behind him, both of which contained the same amount but were differently prized.

"This is the budget version," he said, "and that one is the ultimate high-tech solution for the hardcore bodybuilder." Too old and too jaded to fall for a sales pitch, I asked him why there were different price tags on them. His answer stunned me. "Well, he said matter-of-factly forgetting his sales pitch in a moment of surprising honesty, "the content is in fact the same in both.

They are both manufactured by the same pharmaceutical company, but they are sold as different brands and marketed at different price levels".

- Roland S. Persson, Ph.D., quoted above from pp. 148-149 of his book "Hungry to win, losing your mind? The effects of eating and dieting in bodybuilders and power sport athletes.", 2004, published from lulu.com at www.lulu.com/content/75623 (ISBN 1-4116-1351-1).

BTW, one of most famous and influential muscle mag publishers originally had made a deal with Roland to publish the above book after seeing a draft. Roland then added a chapter on supplements in response to that publisher's request for more diet info in the book. The new chapter was supplement truth as Roland sees it.

The publisher then reneged on his deal!! Why?? In my opinion, quotes such as the above conflict with that publisher's magazine pushing of uber-hyped supplements!!

[xenabeachgirl]

Sounds like we definitely are getting scammed, Tim.

While it's often true that "you get what you pay for", experience has shown that that's not always true; sometimes you are paying more for the labelling/advertising when the product is not really superior.

[Tim Wescott]

I hear ya` there Lori.....a lot of times a big name food company will sell their products to a lesser company ..........kind of like a generic brand..........same product.....cheaper packaging.

[youngblood]

Well, think about it. How "scientific" can protein get? An amino acid, is an amino acid really. Wether it's attached to loads of fat or something else is another thing. But protein-aside from the casein, whey, micellar etc.....protein is protein IMO.
Calories are more important to what kind your getting.
I'm more worried about taste and price (and think I've found my happiness in a protein jug with Muscle Milk) rather than protein quality.
You buy from a fairly name brand- say Cytosport rather than "Al's House of Supplements" your probably getting something just as good if not better than EAS- without the hefty price tag.
My .02........

[Troyster]

Noooooo, Muscle Tech's Nitro Tech is %1048 BETTER protein... or is that their creatine. Darn, I can't keep that straight anymore!!

Great post Tim!

T

[J65]

They are both manufactured by the same pharmaceutical company, but they are sold as different brands and marketed at different price levels".

General Motors did that for years, look at the 70's Pontiac Firebirds and Chevy Camaro's.

Not a dime's worths of difference except for the nameplates.

[youngblood]

J65 said:

They are both manufactured by the same pharmaceutical company, but they are sold as different brands and marketed at different price levels".

General Motors did that for years, look at the 70's Pontiac Firebirds and Chevy Camaro's.

Not a dime's worths of difference except for the nameplates.

I disagree. No difference between a Firebird and a Camaro? What about the taillights? For individual rectangles on the FB and one solid rectangle divided with three lights on the Camaro. There's other differences as well, and they cost more than a dimes worth, especially to us.
I understand your point, but just a bad example. The cars were the same frame (just as a Mustang, Explorer and I believe the Ranger are all the same frame today), and body-style, but different interior appointments and other things. The Ford Mustang actually used a Ford Fairlane gauge cluster for the first "2" years of it's life, and same chassis too. But those were hardly the same car.
Sorry, I feel technical today.

[J65]

YoungBlood said:

I disagree. No difference between a Firebird and a Camaro? What about the taillights? For individual rectangles on the FB and one solid rectangle divided with three lights on the Camaro. There's other differences as well, and they cost more than a dimes worth, especially to us.
I understand your point, but just a bad example. The cars were the same frame (just as a Mustang, Explorer and I believe the Ranger are all the same frame today), and body-style, but different interior appointments and other things. The Ford Mustang actually used a Ford Fairlane gauge cluster for the first "2" years of it's life, and same chassis too. But those were hardly the same car.
Sorry, I feel technical today.

Ok, I get your point, no problem.

But also the point remains of "caveat emptor", Latin for buyer beware, a good consumer is an informed consumer.

[youngblood]

J65 said:

But also the point remains of "caveat emptor", Latin for buyer beware, a good consumer is an informed consumer.

I agree, we as consumers should be informed, and/or learn as much as we can about what we are purchasing.
If you read my first post above, you'll understand how I don't always buy "the good stuff." I do feel protein/amino acids are just that-protein/amino acids. I don't think you can make anything 1329973% better than the leading protein, and I certainly do NOT think that's justified cause for having consumers pay out the ass for it.
I think the quantity of protein is much more important than the kind, of course I do beleive mixing proteins. I just mean that if I were to drink Nitro-Tech for X amount of $$$ and have the exact same serving size of, say, Muscle Milk or HDT, or Dorian Yates etc... the only thing I would care about aside from amount, is the taste. Not the ingrediants.

[J65]

YoungBlood said:

I agree, we as consumers should be informed, and/or learn as much as we can about what we are purchasing.
If you read my first post above, you'll understand how I don't always buy "the good stuff." I do feel protein/amino acids are just that-protein/amino acids. I don't think you can make anything 1329973% better than the leading protein, and I certainly do NOT think that's justified cause for having consumers pay out the ass for it.
I think the quantity of protein is much more important than the kind, of course I do beleive mixing proteins. I just mean that if I were to drink Nitro-Tech for X amount of $$$ and have the exact same serving size of, say, Muscle Milk or HDT, or Dorian Yates etc... the only thing I would care about aside from amount, is the taste. Not the ingrediants.

I totally agree, marketing and advertising are a big influence, and IMO, that is the reason why this board was set up, to cut through that crap and get to the facts and help people get tangible results.

[youngblood]

Actually, I thought this board was set-up to take down the red commie pigs that rule the country. Was I wrong?

[xenabeachgirl]

YoungBlood said:

Actually, I thought this board was set-up to take down the red commie pigs that rule the country. Was I wrong?

YoungBlood's in rare form today........

[youngblood]

Well, was I wrong? Tim?

[ChrisC]

Completely agree with J65 and Youngblood. The supplement industry would provide a marketing student with a masterclass in product differentiation.

<rant time>
today, pro bodybuilding shows and magazines exist for one purpose - to help companies sell supplements (many of which are of dubious value). supplement companies own the magazines, promote and sponsor shows and athletes all in an effort to sell their products. I cannot think of any other sport controlled in this way. admittedly this is no different to what happened years ago with Hoffman and Weider but the bar has certainly been raised by todays companies.

I remember what an idiot i felt like when i learned that Bill Phillips was nothing but a very good snake oil salesman who had elevated indirect advertising via mm2k to an art form. Of course the Weiders are still the best example of this business model, it has been very profitable for them over the last 65 years.


sorry for the rant, i feel better now

[J65]

YoungBlood said:

Actually, I thought this board was set-up to take down the red commie pigs that rule the country. Was I wrong?

I have no idea if you were being faceitous(sp?) or serious.

But that does not matter, although you did decide to take an ameteurish jab at my political beliefs, which I have detailed on the OT section at MM.

To get back on point, this thread is about supplements, and my opinion is that a good consumer is an informed consumer.

Do you Youngblood, have an opinon on that, or shall I see another reply in the vein of "Actually, I thought this board was set-up to take down the red commie pigs that rule the country. Was I wrong?".

Oh anyway, to answer your question, you were wrong in one respect, this board was not set up to do that, but were right in another aspect, that commies are trying to take over this country, like any other political movement.

[xenabeachgirl]

Guys, c'mon, keep that political sh*tee over at Mayhem, we don't want or need it here.

[youngblood]

I do not get involved in political wars, either here nor MM. I don't go to the forum at MM you speak of.
The comment was not directed at you, or any member of WOTW or anyone else on the world wide web for that matter!!! It was a joke, plain and simple.
Next time send me a PM asking for clarification. Or just ask if it was intended for you. Again it was not.