Protein Shake Review: July 2007

REVIEW -- Cytosport Muscle Milk: Strawberry Milkshake

I really think that there are two types of protein shakes: chocolaty and fruity. And to avoid getting bored of drinking shakes, you need to have one of each.

One of the best Cytosport Muscle Milk shakes in the fruity category has to be Strawberry Milkshake. Although I am not a big fan of artificial strawberry items (gum, candy, etc.), this flavor is surprisingly tasty and enjoyable. It doesn't have a chalky aftertaste, nor does it have the artificial strawberry flavor that always seems to give me a headache. It is not overly sweet, nor overly milky. Instead, this Cytosport creation takes very much like a strawberry milkshake that you might make at home from good strawberry ice cream and whole milk. It's become my favorite fruity protein shake.

Note that this is not the Natural Fresh Strawberry flavor also offered by Cytosport. I anticipate purchasing that after I exhaust my current tubs!

What do you think?

REVIEW -- Cytosport Muscle Milk: Rocky Road

I purchased this flavor thinking that it would taste like my favorite flavor of ice cream. But I've been somewhat disappointed with Cytosport on this one.

A rocky road flavor, to me, would have hints of marshmallow and almond. However, this protein shake is simply a sweeter version of Cytosport's Milk Chocolate. It almost tastes like a cherry-chocolate. If the bottle was labled, "Chocolate Covered Cherry" then I'd have no complaint. And I probably wouldn't have purchased it in the first place.

Personally, I find Rocky Road a bit too sweet and not as easy to drink as the delicious Mint Chocolate Chip.

What do you think?

REVIEW -- Cytosport Muscle Milk: Chocolate Mint Chip

This is one of the best-tasting chocolate flavored protein shakes ever made -- and I'm not even a big fan of mint chocolate candies or ice creams.

The mint serves the purpose of masking the occasional chalky flavor found in most protein shakes. While Muscle Milk generally has a very limited chalkiness, it is still noticeable in some of its other flavors. But here, the mint really adds a note that makes the shake almost dessert-like.

It is worth noting that the Chocolate Mint is entirely different from the Chocolate Milk or Rocky Road flavors. The latter two flavors are milky-sweet and are pretty much what one would expect from a chocolate protein shake. The Chocolate Mint, however, is a little darker in color and contains what look like flavor crystals. Perhaps it's just the mint, but what ever the difference is Chocolate Mint puts the other chocolate flavors to shame.

What do you think?

Shake Advice

MIXING: Remember, there are endless ways to make your shake taste even better. The obvious ways include mixing them with fruit juice or milk instead of water. Try adding chocolate milk or soy milk to vanilla or chocolate flavored mixes. Add orange or apple juice to fruit flavored mixes. Adding a capfull of almond, vanilla, or mint extract can do wonders for most shakes. If you're going to add ice, a blender will be necessary; but that requires too much clean up. Purchasing a single-serving, battery-operated mixer is ideal; you can easily find one at GNC or the Vitamin Shoppe for about $10. Also, think about adding a fiber supplement like Benefiber to your shakes. You're supposed to get about 35 grams a day, but most people come nowhere near this number. Fiber supplements that contain Wheat Dextrin are easy to digest and are tasteless.

USAGE: Don't actually mix your shake with liquid until you're ready to drink it. The active ingredients will start to break down once they are liquefied and you want this to happen in your stomach! If you're bringing the shake to work, school, or the gym, simply put your dry ingredients into a Ziploc baggie and place it inside your single-serving mixer. When you're ready to drink, fill the mixer with water and pour in the powder.

WHEN: Some people drink a shake first thing in the morning. If you've had a heavy workout the day before, this is probably a good idea since your muscles will be craving a surge of nutrient-rich ingredients after your 8-hour fast. You might also want to drink a shake before hitting the gym if you haven't eaten in a while; it'll give you the needed energy to have a good workout. You might also choose to have your shake after you work out. This is usually the ideal time because you will have just torn all your muscles and will need the building blocks found inside the shake to repair them. Finally, some people like a shake right before bedtime so that the muscle building process continues while you sleep. If you do this, make sure that your shake doesn't contain some sort of stimulant like caffeine, guarana, or taurine -- you don't want to be up all night. It is important to remember that protein shakes are supplements and shouldn't be your main source of nutrition. There are numerous nutrients and phytochemicals that you can only get from fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meats. In fact, you probably only want to drink about one shake a day.

PURCHASING: You can usually find the cheapest prices on most of these protein shakes on Amazon.com. They usually have every flavor in stock, and you'll receive your purchase in about 4 days even if you opt for the free shipping (which could take up to 10 days, according to the website).

REVIEW -- Cytosport Muscle Milk: Strawberry Milkshake

REVIEW -- Cytosport Muscle Milk: Rocky Road

REVIEW -- Cytosport Muscle Milk: Chocolate Mint Chip

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