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Muscle Milk is a really hot product in the sports supplement market. It’s presented to the public as an athlete’s ideal protein drink…but is it?
Muscle Milk
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I’ve taken muscle milk and chances are, you have too. It’s very well marketed and tastes phenomenal compared to other protein drinks. If you’re going on taste, it’s a definite winner. It has good stats and boasts that its formula is similar to the natural muscle-building properties in milk and colostrum.
Colostrum, if you don’t know, is a special type of milk produced in late pregnancy that is extra dense in nutrients, and also contains antibodies that are crucial for building the immune systems of newborns.
Cows, goats, humans, are all examples of mammals who produce colostrum. Muscle Milk used to contain bovine colostrum extract, but I no longer see it listed on the ingredients list I obtained from their website.
Note: I am NOT offering specific dietary advice or advocating that you consume any specific food product. Do your own research and talk with your doctor or a nutritionist/dietician before taking any new supplement.
I’d say this is probably a good thing. I’ve talked before about my disdain for dairy products, though I still consume fractioned ones such as whey protein. Milk, yogurt and cheese all produce an insulin response higher than their carbohydrate content would predict, thus leading us to the conclusion that dairy products have an ability to store weight (fat) on us at a rate higher than other foods with the same macronutrient profile. But, I digress.
Muscle Milk Nutrition Facts
Muscle Milk contains more fat than other protein drinks, mostly because they market Muscle Milk as a more complete meal solution than just a protein supplement. While not a true meal-replacement supplement, Muscle Milk does, however, provide more fat, vitamins and minerals, and carbs than the average whey protein supplement. You get more than just protein from Muscle Milk, which is a good thing if you’re using it to replace part of, or supplement a meal.
Whey Protein Isolate
Whey protein is low carb and low fat, and whey Isolate is a good choice for some people. A few well-reviewed varieties are below:
Does It Help Recovery?
On the Muscle Milk website they suggest taking it after working out to optimize recovery. This is where Muscle Milk really falls short. With only 8 grams of carbs and 16 grams of protein per serving, this 1:2 ratio is backward to the 4:1 ratio of carbs-protein that research has shown is optimal for building muscle and recovering from strenuous training.
Also, because fat slows gastric emptying, Muscle Milk again falls short in the post-workout window because it would not leave the stomach for absorption as fast as lower or non-fat protein drink. For the above reasons, taking Muscle Milk, alone, after a workout is not an ideal solution.
Types of Muscle Milk
However, one of the best features of Muscle Milk is the blend of multiple proteins. Casein, whey isolate, milk protein and whey peptides are all part of their protein mixture. This means that you will be absorbing some of the protein very quickly (the peptides and whey isolate) and some of it more slowly (casein and milk protein).
Having both quick and fast releasing protein is ideal for a supplement, so you get a steady dose into the blood rather than a big spike all at once followed by nothing.
Muscle Milk Ingredient List
The fat source in Muscle Milk is another good feature. MCTs, or Medium-Chain Triglycerides, are shorter than regular fat molecules and as such are more readily burned by the body. MCTs in the blood will be used for energy at a higher rate than they will be stored as fat. There was a big boom for MCTs in the past few years, and they can now be found in a cooking oil, Enova. Enova commercials brag about how their cooking oil is less likely to be stored as fat when consumed. Commercialization aside, MCTs are a good choice of fat for a protein supplement. Coconut oil is the best natural source of MCTs, and is used for cooking as well. As such, it’s often found in the diet of bodybuilders and health buffs.
Unique Training Tools to Get in Better Shape
Nutrition is an important aspect of getting fit, but the right workout is also critical. These unique fitness tools can make a workout more productive.
Summary
Overall, here’s how I sum Muscle Milk up:
Pros
Taste is fantastic
Contains protein from multiple sources for sustained release
Now, that last one – fail a drug test – is something that I don’t quite understand. None of the ingredients are on the banned substances list by the NCAA, but some are hormone precursors which could lead to a positive test. There isn’t really anything in there that would cause a failed test, but the NCAA banned it anyway.
So, there is Muscle Milk Collegiate, which was manufactured to be compliant.
Muscle Milk Collegiate: Safe For Athletes?
Muscle Milk Collegiate
Muscle Milk Collegiate is a completely different product, with a tremendous amount of carbohydrates, in the form of maltodextrin, in a 2.25:1 ratio of carbs-protein. This makes it a better choice to take after workouts, but a much worse choice to take any other time of day. Maltodextrin is essentially a complex sugar, and so taking a Muscle Milk Collegiate shake at bedtime, like they suggest, would be like have a whey protein shake and two cans of soda. Not good. And, this product still has fat in it, which would slow its release during the post-workout window. This is, again, a time when you want the fastest possible absorption of nutrients.
Muscle Milk regular is a pretty good supplement for everyday, non-workout use. Muscle Milk Collegiate is a reasonable choice for post-workout, but not a great choice, in my opinion, for everyday use if one wishes to promote lean muscle gain only.
Alternatives to Muscle Milk
There are some other well-reviewed brands of whey protein-based supplements. Check them out and see what other supplements might be right for you.
Muscle Milk FAQ
Is Muscle Milk good for you?
It’s not an unhealthy supplement, but it may or may not be right for your goals, depending on whether you want to gain or lose weight, get stronger or just get leaner. Muscle milk has extra calories from fat and some of the weight-gaining ingredients, so it may not be a good choice for those hoping to lose weight.
When should I drink Muscle Milk?
Muscle milk can be drunk before or after a workout, or as a breakfast meal replacement, because it has vitamins, minerals and some fat in it–it’s not just pure whey protein like some supplements. There’s no wrong way to use it, but it’s best for breakfast or following a workout.
Can Muscle Milk make you fat?
Look, anything when taken in too high a quantity can make you fat. If taken once a day as a supplement to a healthy diet, Muscle Milk should be okay. It does have some artificial sweeteners and more calories than other whey protein-based supplements, but it’s certainly not like downing a milk shake or eating a few candy bars. Just like anything, be smart about it and don’t go beyond one serving per day, and use it to support a rigorous fitness regimen.
Is Muscle Milk safe for college athletes?
This is ALWAYS a question that should be researched by the athlete him or herself. It’s YOUR career, so go on the company website and be 100% sure any supplement you take you have researched yourself. Don’t blame someone else for failing a drug test if you didn’t take the time to do your homework. That said, Muscle Milk Collegiate is supposedly approved for NCAA athletes.
