As I’ve mentioned here on a couple of occasions already, I get sick of protein drinks sometimes. I had my first protein drink (actually, that would be a weight gainer drink) in the late eighties, and only God knows how many I’ve had since then. It is only fair that I never stick to the same product, but instead mix things up constantly and try new brands on a regular basis. And that’s why a can of Nanox Protilox now sits in my supplement cabinet.
Nanox Protilox is a basic whey protein concentrate, and therefore the least expensive protein supplement currently manufactured by Nanox Nutriceuticals. Nanox also make a high end whey isolate powder they call Varcil R2, as well as the protein blend product Orbilox, which consists mostly of micellar casein with some whey and egg albumin mixed in (Orbilox is something you might very well want to check out, seeing as casein may actually be a more potent muscle builder than whey). On the label of my Protilox can it says that the product contains both whey concentrate and isolate, but judging by the nutritional profile of this product I do get the impression that the manufacturer has saved most of their whey protein isolates for their other, more expensive protein supplements.
Taste, Mixability, Ingredients & Nutritional Profile
This product comes in four different flavors, namely Belgian Chocolate, Strawberry, Cappucino (yay, that’ll be one to try out), Vanilla and something they refer to as Belgian Speculaas (sorry, I have absolutely no idea what that is). I’m currently on the strawberry one, and I would refer to this version of Protilox as good, but not great tasting. It’s a little too artificial, and I’m not sure Nanox did the right thing by using just one type of sweetener, as the use of two different sweeteners usually results in a rounder taste (Protilox is sweetened with Sucralose, and is therefore an aspartame-free protein powder). I do enjoy my protein drinks made with this supplement, but they’re not tasty enough to create a, ahem, dependency (which I am embarrased to admit has actually happened in the past with other products). If I buy this product again, I will try a different flavor, and probably won’t miss this one all that much. Don|t get the wrong idea here, though: I do like the taste, I just don’t find it spectacular.
While this protein supplement may not taste quite as great as, say, Scitec’s Protein Delite or BSN Syntha-6, it is easily superior to those guys nutritionally. Protilox comes with 77 grams of protein per 100 grams, as opposed to Protein Delite’s 65 grams and Syntha-6 not-so-impressive 50 grams (which almost puts that product in the weight gainer category). 77% protein per weight is pretty much spot on for a whey protein concentrate, and quite typical for a product belonging in this category. As for grams of protein per calories, consider this: a 30 gram Protilox serving comes with 116 calories, and 23.5 grams of protein. To get the same amount of protein from a serving of Syntha-6 you’d have to use 50% more powder. That means your serving would also give you more than 200 calories, and probably hit your wallet a little harder too. In other words, you get a lot more protein per calorie with Protilox than you get with Syntha-6, and perhaps more protein for your buck as well.
The mixability of this powder is great. It easily falls into the easily-mixes-with-a-spoon category, even though I’d rather use a blender, shaker or a stick mixer (and I do, most of the time).
Ingredients: Whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, flavoring, sweetener (sucralose), colorant (red beet powder). Contains soy lecithin and traces of lactose.
Nutritional values: A 30 gram serving of Nanox Protilox contains 116.5 calories, 23.5 grams of protein, 2,2 grams of carbohydrates (chocolate and cappuccino flavors have roughly 1 gram less, while the vanilla flavored version has about the same) and 1.68 grams of fat.
Nanox Protilox comes in 900 gram and 2 kg containers.
Don’t Judge a Company by Its Age?
Talking to a supplier, I was informed that Nanox have only been in business for about three years, so it’s a pretty young company. They do seem quite ambitious, though, and some of their supplements, like their Androx Q12 Testosterone Booster (which we wrote about just a few weeks ago) has caused a bit of a stir, and actually seems like a really great product. It is my honest impression that the good people at Nanox are doing their best to establish Nanox as a quality manufacturer of nutritional, bodybuilding oriented sports supplements. For that reason, I’ve decided to review a few more of their products, beginning with their Isolox Bars (here’s a preview: they’re not that big, but they taste great). In our Whey Protein Buyers Guide we ask you to look for a reputable manufacturer, and I think Nanox Nutriceuticals belong in that category.
Unfortunately for our non-European readers, Nanox products may be hard to get hold of for the moment, as this manufacturer seems to focus mostly on the European market at present.
If you’re after a basic, high quality whey protein powder, you’ll do well to check out Nanox Protilox. It does taste good, it’s easy to mix, and the price is fine – this does’t come across as a cheap product in any way whatsoever. We are happy to recommend it!
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