Muscle Milk offers high-quality protein products in the form of shakes and powders that helps in your muscle repair and rebuilding. Because their protein shakes have undergone independent testing, you can be confident that you are receiving exactly what is indicated on the label and nothing more or less.
We analyzed their catalog to establish what is – and isn’t – worth it for you to decide if Muscle Milk Protein Shakes would be the right choice for your diet or daily routine.
What You Will Learn?
- Overview Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
- Nutrition Facts Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
- What Does It Taste Like?
- The Benefits Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
- Does It Have Side Effects?
- The Cost Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
- Original Reviews Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
- Should You Try Muscle Milk Protein Shake?
Without further ado, let’s get started with this review.
Overview Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
The Muscle Milk Protein Shake is a nutrient and calorie-dense high-protein shake option for athletes to help recover and build muscles after a workout.
Muscle Milk offers its protein shakes in two versions:
- Genuine Protein Shake
- PRO Advanced Nutrition Protein Shake
The former one, or the Genuine protein shake, gives a net of 160 calories and 25g of protein in one serving of 330 ml. This variant is more famous for its zero sugar.
While the latter, which is Muscle Milk PRO Advance Protein Shake has 170 – 220 calories and 32-40 g of protein, depending on the flavor you choose.
The PRO Advance Protein shake is not zero sugar. It has 1g of sugar and 16 types of Vitamins and Minerals with each drink.
Muscle Milk advertises its protein shakes to contain no milk. Still, it also uses milk protein at the same time which is interesting but contradictory.
Also, the fact that Muscle Milk Protein Shakes contain milk protein doesn’t make them vegan-friendly if you are dairy intolerant.
Nutrition Facts Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
Whenever I put my hands on a regular protein shake in the store, the usual protein content is between 15 to 25 grams. But, the PRO Advanced Pro series contain as much as 40g of protein which we think is incredible.
Besides the higher protein, we also found the Nutrition Facts of Muscle Milk Protein Shake to be better than usual ones.
The PRO series has added 16 different Vitamins and Minerals over its regular Genuine protein shake.
Now, let us have an eye at the nutrition facts and the ingredients list of Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake and PRO Advanced Protein Shake.
As I found on the Nutrition Facts of PRO Advanced Protein Shake, Muscle Milk has added additional vitamins like Vitamin E, Niacinamide, Vitamin B6, Vitamin E, and more compared to its regular protein shake.
Let us look at the ingredients breakdown of Muscle Milk Protein Shake:
1. Milk Protein Isolate
It is a cost-effective ingredient mainly used in products to increase their protein content. Milk protein isolate is made from skim milk.
The nutrient profile of Milk Protein Isolate shows it also contains the nine essential amino acids that the body can’t produce by itself.
Milk Protein Isolate contains 80% casein which is relatively slower to digest. This gives your body sufficient time to absorb protein as well as amino acids helping retain muscle size and preventing muscle breakdown.
The casein protein has been studied to show an almost similar effect when compared with whey protein. Some research shows Milk Protein has a faster muscle growth rate with a longer time period than whey.
Thus the Milk Protein Isolate is a consistent and better source of protein when taken with Muscle Milk Protein Shake.
2. Calcium Caseinate
The next protein source in Muscle Milk ingredients is Calcium Caseinate. It’s a milk protein derived from casein found in skim and 1% milk.
Calcium caseinate is effective for muscle growth since it also slows down the process of digesting protein hence helping to slow down protein breakdown.
Since the protein breakdown is slowed down and your muscles receive a sustained supply of amino acids, muscle growth appears at a faster rate.
3. Sodium Caseinate Milk
This ingredient is also derived from cow’s milk and is a popular choice in supplements like protein powders and shakes.
Sodium Caseinate is often found used for a variety of purposes like building and repairing muscle tissues, boosting metabolism, and bone health alongside.
Besides the above ingredients, there are several other ingredients that are of good use in Muscle Milk Protein Shake. Inulin is a high-fiber ingredient that can help improve your digestion.
The ingredients also contain vitamins as well as natural and artificial flavors. So those who do not prefer the use of artificial ingredients might face some disappointment here.
So, while grabbing this stuff you really feel like Muscle Milk Protein Shakes do have a good nutrition profile to give you a satisfactory experience.
What Does It Taste Like?
When it comes to the taste, the opinion and choice may get totally personal meaning some might find Muscle Milk protein shake to suit their taste buds while some may not.
Personally, for the Muscle Milk PRO Advanced protein shake, I find the taste to be pretty average while the Original Muscle Milk protein shake is better tasting.
Some say with the Vanilla flavor of PRO Advanced protein shake you end up with an overpowering bitter aftertaste.
However, even with the taste I and others didn’t have much difficulty gulping down since the texture of their drink isn’t very thick. So, for the taste section Muscle Milk PRO Advanced Protein shake didn’t quite impress me.
Rather I would prefer sticking with the regular Muscle Milk Protein shake to save the taste.
The Benefits Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
Muscle Milk Protein Shakes claim to provide you with sustained energy and help you to rebuild muscle after exercise.
Build Muscles
Muscle hypertrophy or growth is the process by which amino acids, the building blocks of protein, are absorbed into muscles, therefore increasing our muscle size (2).
Exercise, particularly weight training, accelerates this process by putting stress on the muscles and initiating a series of events that leads to your muscle growth.
Muscle growth, on the other hand, can only occur when there are sufficient amino acids from proteins are available (3).
As a result, it’s critical to consume enough protein each and every day to maintain muscle growth, even on days when you don’t exercise.
If you want to gain muscle mass, the active ingredient Milk Protein Isolate in this protein shake can be a good option.
Milk Protein Isolate may be especially helpful for building muscle mass after resistance training exercises earlier in the day (4).
For example, a study of 16 healthy middle-aged men discovered that milk protein increased muscle growth in the same way that whey protein did.
Another research suggests that milk protein may increase muscle growth more effectively than casein protein and for a longer period of time than whey protein (5).
When compared to plant-based proteins such as soy protein, milk proteins are more effective at promoting muscle growth (6,7).
Calcium caseinate is especially effective for muscle building. It is a slow-digesting protein that contains all of the 9 essential amino acids required for your body (8).
It reduces protein breakdown in the body because of its slow digesting rate and steady supply of amino acids in muscle cells. This protein also contains a lot of L-glutamine, an amino acid that is essential for muscle development.
Calcium caseinate, according to the book “Diets Designed for Athletes,” can slow digestion when used as a dietary supplement. This can help athletes and bodybuilders to avoid catabolism or the breakdown of muscular proteins. Calcium caseinate also contributes to the feeling of fullness or satiety.
Muscle Milk Genuine & Pro Protein Shakes, in any case, provide a combination of premium, slowly absorbed protein Milk Protein Isolate and Calcium Caseinate (casein) for a longer-lasting release of amino acids (9).
Milk Protein Isolate is still the primary source of protein in Muscle Milk Genuine & Pro Protein Shakes.
Sustained Energy
Muscle Milk’s protein shakes claim that their Genuine product provides long-lasting energy is debatable.
This claim, however, could be explained by the product’s higher calorie, carbohydrate content.
A serving of their Pro Advanced Nutrition includes 220 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, and 12 grams of carbs.
Standard whey protein products, on the other hand, often contain less than 150 calories and about 3 grams of fat and carbohydrates.
Muscle Milk Protin Shakes contain more protein than typical whey protein powders, but the majority of the additional calories come from carbohydrates.
These extra calories can provide you with more energy to fuel your workouts or get through the day.
So, both Muscle Milk Protein shakes Genuine and Pro Series provide extra calories for sustained energy.
Does It Have Side Effects?
Protein powders or shakes have a solid safety reputation/profile, especially when they have undergone independent testing for potency and purity, like in the case of Muscle Milk Genuine and Pro Protein Shakes.
However, Lactose intolerant people should avoid the Muscle Milk Protein shakes.
If you are lactose intolerant, a better option may be whey protein isolate because it contains one gram or less of lactose. Another option is a plant-based protein that contains no milk ingredients at all.
As Muscle Milk products contain fermentable oligosaccharides, Muscle Milk may not be suitable for persons suffering from irritable bowel syndrome.
Muscle Milk Protein Shakes, like many other protein shakes, contain artificial sweeteners such as sucralose and acesulfame potassium, which some people may be sensitive to.
There is little evidence to support or contradict the claims that artificial sweeteners contribute to and may play a role in the development of obesity, diabetes, or cancer (1).
Finally, Muscle Milk protein shakes also contain a trace of maltodextrin, a type of carb derived from rice, corn, potato starch, or wheat that may be problematic for persons with CSID due to a lack of the enzyme required to digest the carb.
Muscle Milk Genuine & Pro Protein Shakes can be consumed by people of all ages, from youth to senior citizens, with no unwanted or negative side effects.
Summary: Except for people with specific food allergies and intolerances, Muscle Milk Genuine & Pro Protein Shakes are generally safe and well-tolerated.
The Cost Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake costs vary depending on the retailer and sometimes the flavor, with less popular flavors costing less. But the cost of their shakes is around $18 for 12 servings, $22 for 16 servings, and $44 for 32 servings.
Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake cannot be purchased directly from the company’s website, so the return policy and any money-back guarantees will vary depending on where you buy it.
Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake is available on both online and offline outlets.
Muscle Milk’s official website does not enable direct product purchases on their protein powders and shakes, however, they do provide links to other websites where you can make a purchase.
If you prefer to shop in-store, you can enter or input your zip code into the website’s search function to get a list of retailers who sell it or carry it.
Lastly, If you have any questions about Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake or any of their other products, you can contact the company through phone or email through their website.
Original Reviews Of Muscle Milk Protein Shake
Because the Muscle Milk brand does not have a direct purchase button on its official product page, we were unable to locate a reviews section.
Furthermore, we did not utilize any reviews from the official store’s page because these ratings are frequently manipulated.
So we decided to look at the Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake reviews on Amazon. The Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake has an exceptional rating of 4.6/5 and reviews from a total of 13,173 global ratings.
The following are some of the positive and negative Amazon customer reviews for Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Shake:
Alessandra says – Filling with great flavor
“This product is a perfect meal replacement or supplement. The protein keeps you full for several hours. I ordered these because I need to drink protein drinks after gastric bypass surgery. I was pleasantly surprised with the taste. It is similar to a thicker chocolate milk, and the “protein shake” texture/flavor is only slightly noticeable. It kind of reminds me of a YooHoo chocolate milk. Not as great as the real thing but it will pass! I tried the cookies and cream but was disappointed with the flavor. This one’s a winner. Even my 10 year old loves them! 🙂”
CrosstownLucy says – Convenient, cheap drink with high-quality fast acting protein
“I have sacrificed taste for nutrition for 15 years, and have become a health junkie as I near 60. This “chalky crap” tastes great to me and the soluble fiber lowers LDL. I go vegan mostly – this whey protein digests faster and is a tool to be used as needed. After the 1st few swigs, you can water it down, add Miralax or add coffee and still have something that tastes decent and can be jammed into a cup holder. Unless you demand 5 star creamy taste (i.e. you are in worse shape than me) or are a strict vegan you will be hard pressed to find a quibble with this product”
Cynthia G says – So bad! Could not finish!
“I look and take time to read reviews. So I’m going to do you a favor and write an accurate review of this product. It’s quite honestly the worst protein drink I’ve ever tasted. I’ve had many terrible ones, some not too bad, but still not great, but this one is the first that I couldn’t actually get myself to power though. I didn’t care I was out $, I tossed it in the garbage. It’s like a muddy water mess. Save your money. There are plenty other better ones”
Kelsey says – Usually Good, but Delivered 2 full boxes of spoiled product
“I usually buy muscle milk powder and switch to the premade shakes. The last two full boxes were delivered with spoiled product. It is not fun when you purchase 24 shakes only to have them chunky and sour. This happened twice. Not sure what is going on. Stay away from pre-made”
Should You Try Muscle Milk Protein Shake?
Muscle Milk Protein shake contains an impressive amount of protein per shake to help recover and rebuild your muscles after the workout.
The Protein Shake uses Casein (extracted from Milk Protein) which is almost similar to whey protein in terms of its benefits and effectiveness. However, these shakes could be expensive especially if you are wanting to try the PRO Advance.
Muscle Milk PRO Advanced Protein Shake can be a preference for people desiring higher protein content with each drink. But for that, you surely need to comprised with your taste.
For someone like me who is a bigger fan of the taste. I’ll pick up the regular protein shake. The PRO Series Protein Shake however gives you as much as 40g of protein at once.
Besides the better taste, the Genuine Protein Shake of Muscle Milk Protein also is zero-sugar, which can significantly reduce your calorie intake.
For the Muscle Milk review of Protein Shake, that was our wrap-up and final verdict. Now we would like to read a word from you. What do you say of Muscle Milk Protein Shake? Make us know in the comments.
