VasoDrive-AP
By Jon Klipstein, U.S. Army Combat Veteran & Founder of Die Tryin Co.
Science reviewed by Onur Oncer, BS Physiology and peer-reviewed published researcher.
THE PUMP INGREDIENT MADE FROM MILK
VasoDrive-AP® is a trademarked ingredient made by breaking milk protein (casein) into smaller pieces. That process leaves it rich in two tiny protein pieces, known by their short names VPP and IPP. Each piece is only three protein building blocks long. VPP and IPP slow down an enzyme your body uses to tighten blood vessels. Scientists call it ACE. Turn that enzyme down and your vessels relax. That is exactly the state you want them in mid-set, with blood flowing through.
Most pump ingredients push your body to make more nitric oxide, a gas that relaxes blood vessels. VasoDrive-AP works on the other side of the problem: it takes the brakes off. That is why it pairs with L-Citrulline and Nitrosigine instead of competing with them.
Here is where it sits in our line, at the dose printed on each label:
| Product | VasoDrive-AP per serving | Riding with |
|---|---|---|
| Red Dot | 508 mg | 9,000 mg pure L-Citrulline, zero caffeine |
| Pump Action | 508 mg | 1,500 mg Nitrosigine, in capsules |
| Project M777 (per scoop) | 254 mg | 5,000 mg L-Citrulline and the full stimulant stack |
WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
The two tiny protein pieces in VasoDrive-AP have real human data behind them. In one tightly controlled human study, each person took the casein product for one week. At another time, they took a look-alike with none of the protein pieces in it (a placebo). Neither the people nor the researchers knew which was which. On the real product, peak blood flow in the forearm was about 44 percent higher than on the placebo. In raw numbers, peak flow was 30.0 on the real product versus 20.8 on the placebo. Both numbers are milliliters of blood per minute, for each 100 milliliters of forearm tissue. That is a sign the blood vessels were opening up better when they needed to. In that one-week study, blood pressure stayed the same.
A review that combined 18 trials covered 1,194 people. In each trial, chance decided who got the protein pieces and who got a placebo. Across those trials, resting blood pressure dropped a little on average. The drop was bigger in some groups of people than in others. That fits the enzyme-slowing action described at the top.
One honest note on the numbers, because we would rather explain it than blur it. The studies and our labels count two different things:
| Dose | What the number counts | |
|---|---|---|
| In the trials | 1.8 to 17.1 mg a day, most under 5 mg | Only the two tiny protein pieces, IPP and VPP |
| On our labels | 508 mg (Red Dot, Pump Action) · 254 mg per scoop of M777 | The whole VasoDrive-AP powder that carries those pieces |
Where the evidence stops: those trials tested people whose blood pressure ran a little high. They did not test lifters chasing a pump. The blood-pressure effect across the wider research is small and depends on who takes it. We put VasoDrive-AP in our formulas for how it works: it helps blood vessels relax and widen. Red Dot and Pump Action carry 508 mg, the standard dose for this ingredient, and we disclose every milligram. Here it is a training ingredient, not a treatment for anything. If blood pressure is a health concern, that conversation belongs with your doctor, not a supplement label.
WHY IT PAIRS INSTEAD OF COMPETES
L-Citrulline raises your body's supply of arginine, the raw material it uses to make nitric oxide. Nitrosigine hands you arginine directly. VasoDrive-AP works on a different step. It holds back the enzyme that tightens the vessel in the first place. Pair an ingredient that adds supply with one that takes the brakes off, and each one has more room to work. That is the whole design of Red Dot and Pump Action. The Nitrosigine deep dive covers the supply side of that same team.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is VasoDrive-AP?
A trademarked ingredient made from milk protein (casein), broken down and standardized to contain two tiny protein pieces, VPP and IPP. It helps blood vessels relax and widen by slowing the enzyme that tightens them.
Is VasoDrive-AP dairy-derived?
Yes, it is made from milk casein, so products that carry it list milk on the allergen line. If dairy is a concern for you, check the label of the specific product.
What dose does the research use?
The trials count only the two tiny protein pieces, 1.8 to 17.1 mg a day, most under 5 mg. Labels, ours included, count the whole VasoDrive-AP powder that carries them, which is why the 508 mg in Red Dot and Pump Action looks so much bigger.
Does it work without caffeine?
It is not a stimulant, and caffeine plays no part in how it works, which is why it anchors both of our stim-free pump formulas. For what belongs in a pre-workout and why, start with the essential pre-workout ingredients guide.
READY TO GEAR UP?
Every product dose above is the amount on our labels, and the amount you actually get. See every ingredient we use in the Ingredient Index, or take the 60-second quiz to match a formula to your training.
ALWAYS FORWARD.
GEAR THAT FITS THIS POST
The products this article actually talks about. Real doses, disclosed labels, veteran owned.
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