Pump
Casein Tripeptides (VasoDrive-AP)
Casein tripeptides are milk peptides with blood-pressure data but weak evidence for workout pump benefits.
How it counts: Not part of the score
We show it on the label and count it as disclosed, but it never affects Dose, any sub-score or the grade. The basis below explains why.
- Clinical dose
- No established clinical dose
- Safety ceiling
- —
- Evidence
- weak
- Category
- Pump
Evidence summary
Research confidence: low
No reference dose. These are small milk-protein peptides (IPP and VPP) that mildly block ACE, the enzyme that narrows blood vessels; across about 30 trials they lower blood pressure by roughly 1-3 mmHg over weeks of daily use. The only workout study (36 trained men, 4 weeks, run by the ingredient maker) found more thigh swelling and lean mass with the higher dose and better self-rated pump with the lower dose, but no significant change in blood-vessel function. Label doses (150-254 mg) match the lower amounts tested; one manufacturer-run trial is not enough to set a reference dose.
Research sources
- Effects of Casein Hydrolysate Containing Val-Pro-Pro and Ile-Pro-Pro on Muscle Pump, Muscle Hypertrophy, and Motivation in Resistance-Trained Men: A Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Comparison Study (Ohigashi et al., J Exerc Nutr 2026)(opens in new window)
- Casein-derived lactotripeptides reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in a meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials (Fekete et al., Nutrients 2015)(opens in new window)
30 RCTs: SBP -2.95 mmHg, DBP -1.51 mmHg; larger in Japanese than European studies; 24-h ambulatory BP not significant; publication bias and small-study effects shrink the effect.
- Do the lactotripeptides isoleucine-proline-proline and valine-proline-proline reduce systolic blood pressure in European subjects? A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (Cicero et al., Am J Hypertens 2013)(opens in new window)
14 European trials (n=1,306): SBP -1.28 mmHg, DBP -0.59 mmHg.
- The impact of lactotripeptides on blood pressure response in stage 1 and stage 2 hypertensives (Germino et al., J Clin Hypertens 2010)(opens in new window)
91 hypertensive patients; VasoDrive-AP 75 mg twice daily (150 mg/day) for 6 weeks lowered daytime SBP 3.6 mmHg (dose per the supplier's evidence sheet).