The science · Dosed in the open
Protocol is built on published research. Here is what each ingredient is, how much you get, what the studies found and where the evidence stops.
25
published papers, cited and linked on this page
See all references8 g
creatine monohydrate a day, across morning and night
Kreider 2017200 mg
L-theanine
Hidese 20193.5 g
glycine at night
Bannai 2012Morning · Day formula
Taken in the morning. Creatine leads, because it is the foundation of the system.
5 g
in the morning, plus 3 g at night
The foundation of the system.
Creatine helps your cells recycle energy, in muscle and in the brain. It is one of the most studied supplements in the world, and the International Society of Sports Nutrition concludes it is safe and well tolerated. A 2024 analysis of 16 randomised trials found it may also support memory, attention and processing speed. Protocol gives you 5 g in the morning and 3 g at night.
About 900 mg
sodium, plus about 300 mg potassium
Hydration built for the heat.
Sodium is the main electrolyte you lose in sweat. Protocol AM replaces it as sodium citrate, with potassium alongside. In research on athletes sweating hard at 32°C, sodium citrate taken during recovery restored more plasma volume than placebo.
2 g
Tested in more than 1,000 people.
Taurine is an amino acid your body concentrates in the heart, muscle and eyes. It has been studied in 25 randomised trials at 0.5 to 6 g a day, with no more side effects than placebo. Protocol AM sits inside that range.
65 mg
Anthocyanins from aronia berry.
Aronia berries are rich in anthocyanins, the dark pigments also found in blueberries. In a six-month double-blind trial of adults aged 40 to 60, aronia extract improved psychomotor speed, the link between thinking and movement.
Night · Night formula
Taken in the evening. L-theanine leads, because its dose matches the trial exactly.
200 mg
The trial dose, to the milligram.
L-theanine is an amino acid found naturally in tea. In a four-week double-blind trial, 200 mg a day improved sleep quality scores, verbal fluency and executive function in healthy adults. A 2025 Australian-led analysis of 897 people points the same way on sleep.
3.5 g
For the morning after a short night.
In a controlled study, 3 g of glycine before bed left sleep-restricted people less sleepy and less fatigued the next day, with faster reaction times. Protocol PM gives you 3.5 g.
28 mg
Saffron, an hour before bed.
In an Australian double-blind trial of 120 adults with poor sleep, saffron extract taken an hour before bed improved sleep quality ratings within 28 days. A 2025 trial using EEG sleep tracking found people fell asleep faster.
About 350 mg
at night, plus about 155 mg in the morning
Magnesium, morning and night.
Researchers describe magnesium as a natural NMDA antagonist and GABA agonist, two pathways involved in winding down. In a 2025 double-blind trial of 155 adults with poor sleep, magnesium bisglycinate modestly improved insomnia scores in four weeks. Protocol uses bisglycinate in the morning and citrate at night.
Honest by design
We chose every ingredient in Protocol because published research supports it. That research has limits, and we would rather you hear them from us.
Some studies used higher doses than a serve of Protocol. The table below shows where.
| Ingredient | In Protocol | In the study | How we compare | Study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creatine, daily | 8 g a day (5 g AM, 3 g PM) | Around 3 g a day noted for lifelong intake; up to 30 g a day reviewed as safe | Above baseline Well inside the reviewed range |
Kreider 2017 |
| Creatine, for sleep loss | 8 g a day (5 g AM, 3 g PM) | One dose of 0.35 g per kg, about 25 g for a 70 kg adult | Above baseline Well inside the reviewed range |
Gordji-Nejad 2024 |
| Taurine | 2 g (AM) | 0.5 to 6 g a day | Within range | Tzang 2024a |
| Glycine, night | 3.5 g (PM) | 3 g | Slightly above | Bannai 2012 |
| L-theanine | 200 mg (PM) | 200 mg | Matched | Hidese 2019 |
| Saffron extract | 28 mg (PM) | 14 and 28 mg | Matched on dose | Lopresti 2021 |
| Magnesium | About 355 mg elemental | 250 mg elemental | Above baseline Well inside the reviewed range |
Schuster 2025 |
| Aronia berry extract | 65 mg (AM) | 65 mg a day and above | Matched on dose | Ahles 2020, Ahles 2024 |
| Potassium | About 300 mg, or 8 mmol (AM) | 30 to 140 mmol a day; 60 mEq a day in a second trial | Slightly below | Filippini 2020, Jehle 2013 |
Questions people ask
No. A systematic review of controlled trials found no evidence that creatine impairs the body’s ability to shed heat or stay hydrated at recommended doses. Lopez 2009
Creatine is one of the most studied supplements in the world, and the International Society of Sports Nutrition concludes it is safe and well tolerated, with up to 30 g a day reviewed as safe. Protocol gives you 8 g across the day. Kreider 2017
Creatine helps your cells recycle energy, and sodium is the main electrolyte you lose in sweat. Taking them together in your morning serve covers both before a long, hot day. Hummer 2019
No. Each ingredient is chosen and dosed against published research on that ingredient, and the table above shows where our dose matches, exceeds or falls short of the studies. Our morning and night split has not been tested in a trial.
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References
25 published papers and one published correction, grouped by ingredient.