Protein,
protein, protein… It is an essential building block for muscle. And every gram
that you can add to your diet is a benefit. So, what is a great way to help
recover from your workout? And what are all these powders that they sell in the
“Nutrition” section at Walmart? Well, let’s do a breakdown. And for that today,
I am reviewing Body Fortress’s Super
Advanced Whey Protein Powder.
What Is It & Why Do I Need It? Whey
Protein provides your body with protein which helps you build muscle. Because
of the chemical makeup of the product, it is absorbed very quickly by your
body. They are saying it is roughly 15-minute absorption to get into your blood
stream. Body Fortress’ formula also gives you amino acids which helps support
lean muscle and recovery from your exercise. The trick with this stuff is that you have a
window of between 15 minutes and 45 minutes to drink it while your body is
screaming for recovery from your workout. The BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) aid
in that recovery.
Benefits and Cost Analysis: You can see
on the packaging that they are touting 60 gram of premium protein and 9 grams
of BCAAs. However, it should be noted that a recent study from the University of
Texas (Boomer Sooner!) found that consuming 90 grams of protein at one meal
provides the same benefit as eating 30 grams. Study author Douglas
Paddon-Jones, Ph.D. likened it to a gas tank: "There's only so much you
can put in to maximize performance; the rest is spillover."
So while the labels
will tell you that using two or even three scoops is the optimum choice (to get
their recommended dosage of BCAAs), my theory is that you are just really need
one. Because the benefits of getting 9 grams of BCAAs don’t seem to outweigh
the negative effect of chugging down 100+ grams of protein.
If you only use one
scoop, you can make one tub of this stuff last a month. My evening commute home
from the gym is about 20 minutes. I get home drink a shake, strip out of my
gear, and then I am ready for dinner, where I am going to have more protein. So
even though the packaging labels out for 1 and 2 scoops, you can just get away
with one scoop, which is going to get you 20 grams of protein just on its own, plus
the protein from the milk (8 to 16 grams). 36 grams of protein is
basically a fourth meal in one drink. And according to the medical study,
anything much beyond that is not going to be optimized.
Ryan’s Review: I choose the Body Fortress
brand because that is as close as you can get to generic. It is always the
cheapest on the shelves at Walmart. As of the time of this writing, it is
$17.98 for a 2-pound tub (which equals out to 56.2-cents per ounce).
Schwarzenegger has a brand that he has developed with MusclePharm but it is
more expensive and with less product. It is a little leaner in calories and a
little more in protein but is more expensive. (It was around $22.00 for 1.5
pounds.) At the end of the day, it was more expensive for less product. There
are other brands that are also expensive (Muscle Milk, EAS, Six Star, etc.).
But I am more than happy with Body Fortress.
My personal recommendation
is the chocolate. The chocolate peanut butter cup was okay but it was just
inferior in taste. And I am not a big vanilla fan. Maybe one of these days I
will try it. However, when I am presented with an option I always choose chocolate
over vanilla. But get a blender. Hand stirred is gross. And I have not been
brave enough to try it in water. I just do one scoop per shake and if I do 5
shakes a week, one bottle can last a month. From this one shake, I get 20 grams
of protein plus the protein from the milk, so that is almost the protein totals
for a whole other meal in one shake.
It is not a bad
tasty. It is chocolaty as you would expect. The more you drink of it, the more you
like it. It is an excellent addition to add to your regiment that is not
insanely expensive. Hopefully, by reading this review, you understand how and
why to use it. Now, drink up!
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