Muscle Milk is the name of a family of supplements manufactured by a company. The Muscle Milk line includes protein powders, ready to drink shakes, and protein bars. These products are designed to be used both before and after strenuous workouts to achieve maximum results, and they help average gym-goers reach their personal fitness and performance goals.
Muscle Milk is available in many forms including powders, ready to drink shakes, bars, and even instant cups of oatmeal. The product line offers reduced calorie versions of nearly all forms of Muscle Milk for those with weight loss goals.
Muscle Milk products come in a wide variety of flavors although not all products are available in all flavors. Muscle Milk flavors include Chocolate Caramel Pecan, Cookies 'n' Creme and Natural Real Vanilla. There are many others.
Even though Muscle Milk is high in calories and fats, the producers claim that the combination found in Muscle Milk is ideal for fat burning and muscle building. Even though this sounds backward, it could actually be true. The fats present in Muscle Milk are generally medium chain tryglicerides and are readily absorbed and burned by the body. In addition, Muscle Milk is high in certain amino acids that promote fat burning. Carnitine in particular is involved in transporting fats directly into the mitochondria of the cell, which is the cell's power plant responsible for generating energy. So having a nice balance of Carnitine and healthy fats can actually give a person quite a boost in energy. Still, if you're taking Muscle Milk and are experiencing unwanted fat gains as a side effect, you might want to discontinue use and go with a different protein powder. Muscle Milk is formulated specifically with fat burning and lean muscle building in mind, but it reacts differently with different body types and metabolisms, so you should definitely figure out how it affects you personally.
I also think that Muscle Milk is interesting because of its nutritional content. Muscle Milk contains high concentrations of both Vitamin A and Vitamin D. In fact, Muscle Milk contains the bovine, or cow, equivalent of a compound known as Colostrum, which is a compound found just after birth. As you can imagine, Colostrum is very nutritious and contains antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids. This is the part that really makes Muscle Milk different from other proteins. This is also what makes Muscle Milk not generally a post workout protein. It will definitely work post workout, and you'll see some nice gains, but many people take Muscle Milk before a workout as well. The product manufacturers recommend that "For Best Results" a person should take Muscle Milk after waking up, before a workout, after a workout, and before bed.
It is important to note that muscle milk is most beneficial when consumed while following a healthy diet and an active workout regime. It is not a weight loss supplement as some people assume. With that said, here are some side effects that you may be prone to upon consuming muscle milk in excess:
Common side effects that are believed to affect people are nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. This is because of vitamin toxicity in the body, caused due to an excess of vitamins A and D. Since these are fat-soluble vitamins, they do not leave the body easily, and may therefore cause the aforementioned side effects. How much is too much vitamin will be determined based on your body type, gender, metabolism, and your current levels of vitamins A and D.
Weight gain is another side effect that is experienced when muscle milk is consumed in excess. However, because the 'weight loss' factor is given more attention, people believe that by consuming it they are going to lose weight. It has to be understood that muscle milk provides the body with extra fats and protein that are expected to be burned up while working out. When the body does not get as much exercise, the muscle milk you drink is definitely going to add up to those calories and cause weight gain.
Some experts suggest that because muscle milk has hunger-suppressing properties, it is possible that you may not receive the necessary nutrition from natural food that you are expected to consume daily. This can lead to an imbalance of nutrients in the body which may further result in other side effects.
Consuming muscle milk at bedtime causes restlessness because this supplement enhances the body's metabolism and energy levels. It is therefore suggested that the ideal time to consume muscle milk is before and/or after a workout to avoid muscle milk side effect.
Gas and bloating are side effects that some people experience due to crystalline fructose and maltodextrin present in it. These two ingredients can also result in elevated insulin levels if consumed in excess.
Muscle milk has cholesterol and excessive consumption, without monitoring your diet may result in the development of cholesterol and cardiac problems. Though this is not an immediate side effect, you have to be careful about it right from the beginning.
It is best to get advice from an expert regarding how much muscle milk you should be consuming, and when you should be consuming it. Once you do, muscle milk will definitely benefit you more than it can harm you.
Muscle milK March 06, 2012, From Brazil
Perfect, good results
Tasy quality March 06, 2012, From Canada
Good flavour and aroma. The standard dose may be a bit high depending on your current bodyweight. I found my current shake format needed reworking due to the sweetness of this protein powder. Goes good with frozen berries, preferably something tart.