Frequently asked questions

Provytl 50+ is the only evidence-based daily protein supplement specially formulated to enhance and extend healthy, active living in the over 50s.

You can have your sachet at any time of day; with or between meals, or as a bed time drink. Your total daily protein is the most important step in ensuring you optimise your strength and mobility.

For the majority of people, one sachet a day will be enough. However, if your protein requirements are particularly high, or you get very little protein from your diet, two sachets may be of benefit.

Because Provytl 50+ is unflavoured it is extremely versatile and simple to use. It can easily be added to your favourite hot or cold drinks and meals. Every order will include mixing ideas and recipe cards for you to keep. You can also check out the Recipes & Guides section on our website for more ideas.

Provytl 50+ is unflavoured. There are no artificial flavourings or sweeteners. This gives you the option to mix it with drinks and foods of your choice.

66kcal per sachet.

15g per sachet.

1g per sachet.

Yes, it is. This means that is contains all nine essential amino acids that your body cannot create on its own, so needs to get from your diet.

Yes.

Yes.

There are no sweeteners or flavourings (either artificial or otherwise) in Provytl 50+.

Two years (this will be labelled on your box).

Provytl 50+ is manufactured in the UK at a facility that is BRC (British Retail Consortium) AA grade certified. It adheres to NSF Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for food supplements, which verifies the purity and safety of each batch. All microbial testing has been carried out on Provytl 50+ by the manufacturer.

Protein is one of the three macronutrients that enable your body to remain healthy and function properly; the other two are carbohydrates and fat. Protein is vital for a range of critical biological functions. Your body breaks protein down into amino acids and then uses them to build and repair your muscles, organs and skin cells. Amino acids are the building blocks of almost everything in the human body.

As we get older our body begins to lose muscle and strength (“sarcopenia”), This becomes particularly prominent through the years over 50. The average person loses 0.5% to 1.5% lean body mass every year between 50 and 80.

Secondly, as we age, our ability to digest protein-rich foods and absorb the necessary nutrients reduces. This reduced response to eating protein is a phenomenon known as “anabolic resistance”.

We can combat both the loss of muscle and the reduced response to protein, by providing our bodies with more of it. This increased protein along with activity and exercise (to whatever level you can manage) can help to boost your muscle protein synthesis and allow you to retain your muscle mass or even increase it, regardless of age.

Without enough of the right quality of protein there is a higher risk of muscle protein breakdown, which means loss of lean muscle mass. This results in loss of strength and mobility which is ultimately linked to a loss of independence and reduced quality of life.

For older adults, you simply multiply your weight in kilograms by 1.2-1.5.This gives you your daily protein requirement range in grams. You can also use our protein calculator.

The main sources of protein in the diet are: meat, fish, eggs, dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese), soy-based products, beans and lentils, nuts, seeds and grains. You can find a list of high quality protein sources here.

The most important step is to ensure you are taking enough total protein in the day to fit your requirements. Ideally you would have some protein with every meal, and studies have shown that 25-30g protein per meal is needed to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (where the body rebuilds and repairs muscle tissue) in older adults.

You can get protein from many sources, but not all proteins are the same – they differ in their nutritional quality. Whey protein is the most nutritionally complete protein powder, containing all 9 essential amino acids. Whey protein is also a “fast protein” meaning one you absorb rapidly, and research shows this is more beneficial for maintaining and repairing muscle in older adults. Because of this rapid absorption, Whey protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis more powerfully than other protein sources.

You already get slow protein from your regular meals, so boosting muscle protein synthesis with fast whey protein is likely a good idea. It is also supported by the greatest amount of scientific research.  Crucially, Whey protein is also rich in the amino acid leucine, which plays a key role in kickstarting muscle protein synthesis.

Whey protein is one of the two major dairy proteins, the other being casein protein.

They both originate from cow’s milk.

Whey protein comes in two main forms: concentrate and isolate. They both come from cow’s milk but have some important differences. Whey isolate is a purer form of protein powder, having gone through a more thorough filtering process to remove much of the fat and carbohydrate, including lactose. Isolate contains at least 90 percent protein and has less calories than regular whey concentrate. Whey protein hydrolysate is a 3^rd type. This has been treated with enzymes to break it down and tends to have an unpleasant taste, meaning that hydrolysates usually need significant amounts of artificial sweeteners and flavouring agents to disguise this.

Whey protein isolate is a very pure form of protein (90%) and has a high nutritional value. It also has a high bioavailability and is rapidly absorbed. Whey protein isolate is a complete protein which provides the body with all 20 amino acids (including the 9 essential one’s). All of these benefits mean that whey protein isolate can help to slow down the loss of muscle mass and so support your overall health and longevity goals, preserving your strength, mobility and vitality.

This refers to the amount of the digested amino acids that your body can absorb into your system. When a protein has high bioavailability, it’s easier for your body to absorb the amino acids into the bloodstream. Protein synthesis then allows your body to use these amino acids to repair and maintain all the vital structures in your body, including your organs, muscles, and tissues. As many older adults already struggle to digest and absorb protein, protein sources with high bioavailability are ideal. Generally, animal-based sources of protein like meat, dairy, and eggs have a higher bioavailability than plant-based sources of protein. And protein supplements like whey protein powder tend to have a higher bioavailability than animal-based food sources.

The protein you eat is made up of 20 amino acids, 9 of which are essential (because they can’t be made by the body so we need to get them from food). Those are the ones crucial to building and repairing muscle and the ones you need to get adequate amounts of to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. A protein source that contains large amounts of all 9 essential amino acids is called a complete protein.

Provytl 50+ contains all 20 amino acids, and importantly large amounts of the 9 essential amino acids (see below).

One of the essential amino acids is called leucine. Leucine is the trigger when it comes to muscle protein synthesis. It drives the entire muscle repairing and building process after protein is ingested. It is also required for the growth and repair of skin and bone tissue. Not only does leucine increase protein synthesis, it also decreases’ protein breakdown. It appears to be the most “essential” of the essential amino acids in muscle protein synthesis. Numerous studies have shown that older adults need more leucine within their protein intake than their younger counterparts in order to kickstart muscle protein synthesis. Dietary protein that is low in leucine is probably far less effective at stimulating the critical muscle protein synthesis. Some Leucine is present in most proteins, especially from animal sources (meat, fish, dairy, eggs). It is also found in legumes, cereals and seeds, but at lower quantities.

Creatine is a substance that is found naturally within our body and in our diet. It is made mainly in our liver, and to a lesser extent, by the kidneys and pancreas. Around half of our creatine stores are made endogenously (within the body), with the other half coming from our diet (exogenously).

Creatine is made up of three amino acids; glycine, arginine and methionine.

Around 95% of a person’s creatine stores are within muscles in the form of phosphocreatine. The other 5% is found within the brain, kidneys and liver. It helps the muscles produce and provide energy.

ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) is the source of all cellular energy. Creatine promotes faster and more efficient recycling of ATP, and so helps provide the fuel our bodies need to accomplish physical and metabolic tasks.

Aids muscle repair and maintenance, and so improves muscle function

Increases ageing muscle health and strength (upper and lower body)

Increases cell hydration and reduces protein breakdown, resulting in less muscle breakdown

Improves cognitive performance and memory

Increases neuroprotection

Enhances bone mineral density

Acts as an antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory effects. Elevated and sustained low-grade inflammation during the ageing process, something called inflamm-aging, has a negative effect on aging muscle and bone.

Creatine is from the Greek work “kreas” meaning “meat”. The main sources in the diet are red meat, fish and chicken.

We need to restore 1-3 grams creatine per day (depending on our muscle mass).

Some form of exercise as we age (to whatever level you can manage) is always recommended. Creatine supplementation, with and without resistance training, has been shown to have positive effects on age related loss of muscle mass, strength and function. In fact, four studies have shown positive effects of creatine supplementation on aging muscle without associated resistance training.

Creatine in the form of creatine monohydrate is the most extensively studied (over 40 years) and clinically effective form of creatine. A recent study on the safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation stated that there is no scientific evidence that the short- or long-term use of creatine monohydrate has any detrimental effects.

The outer carton and Provytl box are both made from cardboard and fully recyclable. The tissue paper (used to wrap Provytl box) is acid free, fully recyclable and biodegradable. Our branded tape (used around outer carton) is eco-friendly and made of paper, and is fully recyclable.

The individual sachets are not currently recyclable as this affects stability and so gives a shorter shelf life. We are looking at ways to switch to recyclable sachets in the future.

Our shaker bottle is made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and is 100% recyclable and highly sustainable.

Provytl 50+ is made from whey protein isolate which is an upcycled ingredient from the cheesemaking process, and so aligns with environmental responsibility. Compared to meat and many plant based proteins, whey protein ranks very low for environmental impact and carbon footprint. (Beef, lamb, pork and chicken have the largest climate footprint per gram of protein).

Provytl 50+ is manufactured in the UK at a facility which has the top AA grade certification from the BRC (British Retail Consortium). It adheres to NSF Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for food supplements which verifies the purity and safety of each batch. All microbial, heavy metal and pesticide testing has been carried out on Provytl 50+ by the manufacturer. The manufacturer is ISO 14001 compliant, which means that the impact on the environment and carbon footprint is minimised

Before using the shaker bottle, rinse in warm water.  Only use with cold, non-carbonated beverages. Always ensure the lid is fastened securely before drinking. Not for use in a microwave and not dishwasher safe. Hand wash using warm soapy water after each use and dry thoroughly. PET bottle and PP lid can be recycled at end of life.

Before using the travel mug, rinse in warm water.  Sealing lid is designed to help prevent most spills from accidental tipping. Always ensure the lid is fastened securely before drinking, and take care as the beverage maybe very hot. Do not exceed the mug capacity, hot drinks may scald the user. Take care when removing the lid to help release excess pressure that may occur with steaming hot beverages. Grasp mug firmly around the middle when securing or loosening the lid. Do not overtighten. Keep out of reach of children when filled with hot liquids. Not intended to be spill or leak proof. Not for use in a microwave and not dishwasher safe. Hand wash using warm soapy water after each use and dry thoroughly.

Yes, we offer a monthly subscription option.

Yes, boxes cost 15% less when bought in a subscription as opposed to one-off.

There are no shipping fees for subscriptions.

Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Simply log into Your Account and go into Subscriptions.

Orders placed by 4pm (Mon-Fri) will be shipped same day, orders placed after 4pm or at the weekend will be shipped the next working day. All orders will be sent via First Class Royal Mail.

We do not currently ship outside of the UK.

Any unopened boxes can be returned within 30 days of receiving them. Please contact info@provytl.com for details.