Cytogainer by Cytosport is another in a crowded field of protein supplements. The company claims that Cytogainer is formulated to put muscle on even the skinniest hopeful by way of quality protein and amino acids. The truth is, no supplement will build muscle for you -- training does that. A good protein supplement can only support your body nutritionally to help you reach your goal. Cytogainer may do that in some cases, although it's likely too much for most people, but it's not clear who it's for. The nutrient profile and creatine content seem aimed toward heavy-duty bodybuilders, but the L-Glutamine content seems to be aimed toward distance runners.
Calories/Fat
Cytosport promises that Cytogainer will pack on the pounds, which seems very likely -- the company recommends three daily servings at 570 calories each. That comes out to 1,710 calories per day, not counting any other food you eat. Unless you are training for a marathon, adding that many calories per day is likely to result in fat gain, even if you're lifting heavy. While the supplement is advertised as "97% fat-free," three daily servings will get you 21 g of fat, 10.5 of which come from saturated fat -- unless the rest of your diet is sterling, this is likely too much.
Nutrients
Your three Cytogainer shakes per day will provide 225 g of carbohydrates and 162 g of protein. Cytosport claims that the carbs will help you recover post-workout, which is true -- carbs help replenish your glycogen stores -- but unless you're working out three times per day, there's no need to drink three high-carb shakes. A full 21 g of those carbs come from sugar -- only 3 g short of a woman's maximum recommended sugar intake, and 15 g short of a man's. The protein comes from whey protein, which is a quality protein, but there is too much per serving. Only the first 30 g of protein in any one meal go toward muscle growth, so the rest would just get metabolized and excreted or stored as fat.
Creatine
Cytogainer contains 3 g of creatine per serving, which the company claims will replenish your muscles after a workout. Following the recommended three servings per day, this works out to be 9 g of daily creatine -- 4 g more than recommended by the University of Maryland Medical Center. While creatine has been found to increase lean muscle mass, it does this by increasing the amount of energy available to the muscle cells during exercise. Unless you are working out very hard multiple times per day, three daily doses will not give you any more benefit than would a single dose. Your body makes creatine by itself, so as long as you eat lean meat and fish, you probably already have enough creatine in your system.
L-Glutamine
Cytosport claims that the 2 g of L-glutamine per serving will "help preserve muscle tissue and help boost immunity." The UMMC notes that this may indeed be the case for endurance athletes in heavy training, but it has not been shown to benefit other athletes or those in moderate training. Three serving of Cytogainer will give you 6 g per day, which is considered safe, but you may not realize any benefit from it unless you are an endurance athlete. L-Glutamine may be helpful, however, when you are recovering from a prolonged illness or injury and are beginning to ease your way back into training, but it is not necessary to take as a long-term supplement. Instead, increase your L-glutamine by eating meat and dairy.
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