Two rules regarding my nutrition which I never break:
1) ALWAYS eat a good breakfast
2) ALWAYS consume some form of protein post-workout
My lineup includes the 3 best flavors in the world: chocolate, peanut butter, and banana. Use a magic bullet to blend ‘em all together with a little creatine, some delicious E2 Pro Charge Protein, and milk and you’re got yourself one smoothilicious post-workout drink!
Looking for a lighter, easier shake? Buy yourself a Blender Bottle and you’ve protein shake’s ready in seconds!
I’ve already gotten into the 1st topic, and I’ll cover more of that in a future post, but for now, we’ll chit-chat about good ‘ol number 2 (and I’m not talking about the guy from Austin Powers.)
The process of working out isn’t quite what it seems. While many people assume that every curl makes your arms bigger and stronger, initially, you’re doing the opposite. As the knowledgeable Nate Green puts it in his (recommended) book, Built For Show, “you aren’t really building muscle, you’re tearing it apart.” When you execute proper weight training, you’re strategically tearing muscle fibers and afterwards, you’re body uses its muscle protein to repair and build up more muscle on top of the tears. The reason that a good recovery drink is so essential to your workout is the fact that it provides your body with an adequate amount of protein for this restoration process. A good post-workout meal/shake has a solid blend of protein and a small amount of carbs to speed up the process and replenish your recently depleted blood glucose. All in all, protein powders are a convenient way to get these much needed nutrients within minutes after a heavy training session. Simply shake it up and drink it down!
Lucky for me, I’ve had some pretty amazing tasting proteins in my day. On the other hand, I’ve had some that seem akin to cat food (not that I’ve ever tried that or anything…) but I digress.
In no particular order, here’s a list of almost every protein powder that I’ve consumed along with a taste rating from 1-10, a quick overview and a link to each company’s website its product’s name:
- High-5, Strawberry
Taste: 7
One of the first protein powders I tried when I started lifting in high school. If I’m not mistaken, it’s made by MaxMuscle and exclusively available in their stores. Not a bad product to start off with, taste and quality wise, but there’s better out there.
- Isopure Zero-carb, Chocolate & Isopure Zero-carb Mint Chocolate Chip
Taste: Chocolate- 8 Mint Chocolate Chip- 1
Night and day difference flavor wise. Going out on a limb here, and I’m sure my buddy Alex would agree, in saying that the mint chocolate chip may be the absolute worst thing I’ve ever had in my mouth (close competition with the cat food) but again, I digress. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some mint chocolate chip ice cream, but this stuff just doesn’t get along well with your taste buds. At all. In regard to ingredients, when I started I, like many others, assumed that this was the best protein available because it was “zero-carbs!” and who wants those fattening carbs, right? I do. As I mentioned before, after an intense workout, you’re muscles need a solid balance of carbs and protein to replenish and rebuild. As tempting as a the zero-carb label may be, this is probably one time you should forgo the the former and opt for more.
- Nitro-tech, Chocolate
Taste: 7
I am forever grateful to the Garcia family for their donation of this large jug to me, but the fact that it was over a year past its “best if used by” date, didn’t help much. Aside from uh… cleansing my system, I’d assume that it’s not too poor of a product. Within its due date of course.
- ON 100% Whey, Every Flavor Sample Pack
Taste: Ranges from 1-9
Great supplement. As far as ingredients go, this is probably the simplest, yet most solid combination of whey proteins out there. For any dude or dudette out there looking for a simple, yet effective post-workout recovery, this is your guy. Taste on the other hand, varies greatly between flavors. It’s kind of like Coke trying to make a fruit juice. It’s just best to stick with the original flavors. “Root Beer Float” and “Rocky Road” sound tempting, but they leave you with a weird aftertaste that says, “they tried too hard..” Go with extreme milk chocolate and you’ve got yourself a delicious shake with a great nutritional profile that gives your muscles a good dose of whey protein.
- Up Your Mass!, Cookies ‘n Cream
Taste: 10
Hands down, the most delicious protein powder that I’ve ever had. I literally used to rush through my workouts in hopes of getting back sooner, mixing one of these bad boys up and drinking it down. Savor the creamy..well..cream, part of the title, and crunch down on the delectable cookie pieces throughout. If you’re looking to gain weight, go with the 4 scoop recommendation, but if you want to stay lean, cut it down to 2 and you’re golden.
- Muscle Milk, Chocolate & Muscle Milk (Light), Vanilla Crème
Taste: Chocolate- 9 Vanilla- 7
Mmm, “muscle milk.” Sounds like something that’s good for your muscles, but the harsh reality is that it’s probably not. While it is arguably one of the best tasting protein supplements out there, this is simply because of its high levels of sugar and fat. The “Light” version’s a better option, but a recent study that found dangerous levels of harmful substances such as lead and arsenic in most of their products has me leaving this milk on the shelf.
- AtLargeNutrition’s Nitrean, Strawberry
Taste: 8
Similar to Beyoncé, this can only be described in one way: thick and delicious. Mixes well but still holds a thick creamy strawberry flavor that’s enjoyable to drink. A good blend of proteins with whey for immediate absorption, and casein for delayed long term absorption. Voted “Supplement of the Year” the past 2 years by Men’s Health.
