Muscle Milk is a supplement produced by sports nutrition manufacturer CytoSport. Muscle Milk comes in powdered form and is intended to be mixed with water to use as a high-protein supplement for athletes or consumers intending to improve their body composition. Muscle Milk shakes may improve your athletic performance, but you should consult a doctor before using these or any other supplements.
Product Claims
According to CytoSport, consuming Muscle Milk shakes helps improve recovery from exercise and provides energy for your workouts. The company also suggests that regular use of Muscle Milk shakes may help you improve muscle mass and strength. CytoSport suggests that the blend of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates are the key to these benefits.
Protein Benefits
Some of the benefits of Muscle Milk are due to the protein content, according to CytoSport. Each two-scoop serving provides 32 g of protein. Muscle Milk contains a blend of protein sources, including whey and casein, which are derived from milk. Research from the April 2005 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," indicates that milk proteins provide greater strength gains in conjunction with exercise programs than other protein sources such as soy.
Fat Benefits
Each two-scoop serving of a Muscle Milk shake contains 12 g of fat. Although dietary fats are sometimes avoided by dieters, they can be beneficial. As CytoSport explains, Muscle Milk shakes contain a type of fats known as medium chain triglycerides. According to research published in the November 2010 issue of the "International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition," medium chain triglycerides may increase the oxidation, or burning, of fat, but they do not improve exercise performance.
Carbohydrate Benefits
Muscle Milk shakes are relatively low in carbohydrates, as each two-scoop serving contains only 16 g of carbohydrates. The shakes are low in sugar, with 4 g per serving, and they also contain 5 g of fiber. Consuming a low-carbohydrate diet may be beneficial for dieting; research from the July 2008 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine" found that low-carbohydrate diets produced more weight loss than low-fat diets.
In addition, the types of carbohydrates in Muscle Milk shakes may be beneficial for performance. The December 2010 issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology" found that a combination of maltodextrin and whey could stimulate muscle protein synthesis when consumed in close proximity to exercise.
References
- CytoSport: Products: Muscle Milk
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Dietary protein to support anabolism with resistance exercise in young men; SM Phillips, JW Hartman, SB Wilkinson; April 2005
- "International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition"; Medium-chain triglycerides are advantageous in promoting weight loss although not beneficial to exercise performance; ME Clegg; November 2010
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Weight loss with a low-carbohydrate, Mediterranean, or low-fat diet; I Shai et al; July 2008
- "European Journal of Applied Physiology"; Nutrient provision increases signalling and protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle after repeated sprints; VG Coffey et al; December 2010
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