Muscle Armor: What to Look For in Protein Drinks (pt.2)

In the last post, I went over the ingredients to look out for when selecting a protein drink that you'll benefit from the most. But I forgot to inform you as to which is more convenient to make (unless you buy an Ready To Drink product, then you won't have to worry about it).

Protein is beneficial and is highly recommended to stay healthy, and even gain some muscle mass (or in this case, Muscle Armor!), but there are other factors you may need to know when selecting a protein drink that's best for you.

Taste is a big factor. No matter how nutritious a protein drink is, if it tastes bad, then you will cringe whenever it's time to drink up. And possibly, in time, you might stop drinking it altogether. Try drinking an EAS Myoplex and tell me what you think.

Does it mix easily? If you try the cheaper products, you get what you pay for, and you can see it in clump form. Take GNC's %100 Whey, for instance. I've tried it myself, and found the taste to be o.k. It's drinkable. But if you tried to mix it with a spoon, you get clumps, despite their claim that it's "Quick Dissolving". It isn't. Be warned.

Is the product worth the price? Take MRI's Pro Nos, for instance. From what I've heard, it's a high quality product. Easy to mix, easy to digest, and it tastes great. But the problem is in the price tag. For 3 lbs, it costs $43.99 (wow!). Also, they recommend you take two scoops each time, and if you check the servings per container, you get 19 servings. Less than a month for a 3 lbs whey protein product that costs $43.99. To me, there are other products available that work as good without the hefty pricing.

Also, there is sort of a thing called "deceptive marketing". It's not false advertising, but if you look at these products, they advertise that you get 40 or 50 grams of protein per serving! Now, I didn't say per scoop... I said per serving. Serving size depends on the manufacture. For the previously mentioned Pro Nos, it's two scoops. For AHN's (Advanced Health Nutrition) Muscle Food product, the recommended serving size is 3 scoops. You get the point. If you want to find the grams of protein per scoop, you gotta do some division.

Here is a list of products that give you the bang for your buck (courtesy of Bodybuilding.com):

MuscleTech's Nitro-Tech Hardcore - Only $27.99 for 2 lbs, this product is loaded with different ingredients to optimize your performance in the gym. Just be wary of side effects (bloating, gastrointestinal problems).
Optimum Nutrition's 2:1:1 Recovery - A great deal for $35.97 for 3.73 lbs! Lasts about a month, with great benefits that I've went over in the previous post.
Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard 24 Pak Whey & Casein Stack - A special package from Optimum Nutrition! Hurry while it lasts!
Cytosport's Muscle Milk - Long established in the supplement industry, Muscle Milk is definately the best tasting protein available today! Wide array of flavors to choose from!
Higher Power's %100 Whey Powder - The best deal available here! Under $35 for over 5 lbs! Low in calories, high in protein... this should last you for over two months!

There are other products out there, but these are the best whey protein supplements you can get for a low price. If interested in purchasing, I would recommend buying a small tub, in case you don't like the flavor and want to try something else.

If you have questions, feel free to leave a comment and I'll answer soon as I can!

2 comments:

Anonymous July 16, 2008 at 10:54 AM: you are right, not all protein mixes are created equal!

It's important to check for sugar too - some of them have so much sugar I think it outweighs any benefit of the protein shake!
Thaiger July 16, 2008 at 11:52 AM: Ugh, how can I forget? No one's perfect!

Yes, sugar content is also important when looking for protein drinks. Fortunately for us, many name brand protein drinks try to keep sugar to a minimum. The soy protein I advertise in the sidebar has none!

I'm glad you raised this issue! Because speaking of sugars, there is a kind you do need to look out for. Aspartame is a synthetic sugar found in artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet, Equal, and others. Very bad for the body, especially because aspartame is hydrolysed by the body into three chemicals - aspartic acid, Phenylalanine, and methanol, the last one being highly toxic to the body.

So when looking for protein drinks, you need to make sure they are labeled "Aspartame Free". Very easy to find because of competition in the supplement industry.