Episode #231 of the PricePlow Podcast is a science deep dive, and this one comes with tons of citations. Dr. Daniel Traylor, a protein and amino acid researcher at DePaul University, joins Jim McMahon of Fit Foods to launch PVL’s ISO CLEAAR, a dairy-free protein drink built around Leuvate, Traylor’s leucine-forward essential amino acid blend making its first commercial appearance.
Traylor has spent close to 15 years studying how fast different protein sources and amino acid forms show up in the bloodstream, and this episode walks through that research paper by paper, from a 2012 dose-threshold study out to Traylor’s own ongoing GLP-1 crossover trial.
McMahon, who’s been building Fit Foods since 1996 (he joined us on Episode #215 to talk protein price shocks and the Mutant story), explains why he built ISO CLEAAR around collagen, pea, and fava protein instead of whey, and why absorption speed matters as much as total EAA content. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for PVL and Leuvate news alerts before diving in.
https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/daniel-traylor-leuvate-231
Video: Dr. Daniel Traylor and Jim McMahon on Leuvate and ISO CLEAAR
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI0lwdat2lc
Detailed Show Notes: Dr. Daniel Traylor and Jim McMahon on Leuvate, ISO CLEAAR, and the Science of Fast Amino Acids
- (0:00) – Introductions
- (0:30) – From the Football Field to Sports Science
- (7:45) – The Gummy Idea, a Patent, and a Fateful Email
- (14:45) – A Postdoc at McMaster and the Birth of Leuvate
- (19:45) – Why EAAs Drive Muscle Growth (and Why Speed Matters)
- (26:45) – Jim McMahon on Recovery Speed and 33 Years of Whey
- (34:15) – Leuvate’s First Human Study: The 2021 Feeding Trial
- (37:00) – Why 1.5 Grams of Leucine? The Threshold Research
- (40:00) – How Low Can You Go? Lower Doses and a 2022 Biopsy Study
- (46:15) – Adding Vitamin D3 to the Mix
- (50:15) – Does Timing Matter? Protein Windows and Recovery
- (56:00) – How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?
- (1:00:45) – Sestrin2: How Muscle Cells Actually Sense Leucine
- (1:02:15) – The Disability Threshold and Why “Older” Is Relative
- (1:07:45) – Revisiting the Amino Acid Spiking Controversy
- (1:14:00) – Why Collagen and Plant Protein Instead of Whey
- (1:17:30) – How a Trade Show Meeting Led to ISO CLEAAR
- (1:21:15) – Bringing Glycine and Taurine Back Into the Conversation
- (1:22:45) – Inside the ISO CLEAAR Label: EAAs, CEAAs, and a Flavor-First Approach
- (1:25:15) – Does Collagen Actually Support Muscle Protein Synthesis?
- (1:30:30) – Dan’s Ongoing Research Into GLP-1 Users and Muscle Preservation
- (1:33:30) – Inside the Three-Arm Leuvate and GLP-1 Crossover Study
- (1:38:00) – Protein’s Role Beyond Building Muscle
- (1:47:15) – Third-Party Validation: Health Canada, USP, and Strong Science
- (1:49:00) – Dan’s Advice for Aspiring Ingredient Entrepreneurs
- (1:53:45) – Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Everyone
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