Designer Whey Protein Review

Next Proteins Designer Whey protein powder has been on the market since 1993. This protein has undergone few changes in that time. Designer whey has been touted as the number one protein powder in America and has been highly acclaimed as the best tasting protein available.


Designer Whey Protein has been clinically tested and they claim to have research that proves that the product works. They also claim to have an amino acid profile most identical to human muscle, which makes for better digestion and more increases in lean mass and strength as well as increased weight loss.

Each serving of Designer protein powder contains 100 calories and 18 grams of whey protein. It is also low in sugar and it does have a few vitamins and minerals added.

I think Designer whey is a decent protein. They say they are taste award winners. I didn't think it was anything special. It was an average tasting protein powder. My results were not any different than any other proteins I have used in the past. The one thing it has going for it is cost. Designer is a relatively inexpensive whey protein and a good quality protein.

Overall, considering the cost and quality, I give Designer whey protein a thumbs up.

Met-Rx Meal Replacement Review

Met-Rx meal replacement powder has been on the market for over 10 years. It was one of the first bodybuilding supplements that I ever tried. Met-rx has been back with its original formula for several years now. Met-rx contains Metamyosyn protein. Which, at one time, was the most studied protein in the world.

For best results, the studies suggested that a person should use Met-rx two times per day. The studies were also done over a longer period of time....two to three months.
Met-rx contains different types of protein which allows for a timed-release of amino acids. It also contains a vitamin and mineral formula for those who don't want to take a multivitamin in tablet form.

Met-rx is also low in fat and they have added extra glutamine and branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) to the mix.

Overall, I like Met-rx meal replacement powder. You don't need a blender and it mixes a little thicker than proteins, which is what I want when I am using the product as a meal replacement. That helps keep me satisfied.

Most importantly, for most people, Met-rx tastes good. I highly recommend the product.


Met-Rx Meal Replacement at Bodybuilding.com

Met-Rx Meal Replacement at Netrition.com

Protein Powders | VPX Zero Carb Protein

First you have Zero Impact Protein, now you have Zero Carb Protein. Zero Carb Protein is VPX’s version of Isopure…or close to it.

Low carb dieting is still popular, especially with bodybuilders. Products like Zero Carb by VPX are a good compliment to any type of low carb diet. Zero Carb is fat free and carb free, giving you nothing but the best whey protein isolate you can buy.

I wouldn’t recommend this VPX supplement if you are looking for a protein as a meal replacement. The whey isolate is digested too quickly to do you any good. Zero Carb Protein is great for post workout nutrition because of the quick absorption. You will need to mix this protein with some fat or carbs if you are using it in between meals or as a replacement.

Just as it says, this VPX protein is nothing but protein. It is even lactose free. If you are looking for an alternative to Isopure, you have gotten tired of the taste. Give VPX Zero Carb Protein a try. You won’t have a drop in quality, both are good products and are interchangeable in my opinion.

Protein Powders | VPX Zero Impact Protein

VPX Sports has reformulated another product and it’s a protein. It used to be called Micellean, but now VPX has improved the formula and are calling it Zero Impact Protein.

VPX clamis to have done a lot of research to make the best protein possible. They say that this product is a must if you are looking for fat loss and muscle gain. Who isn’t?

Micellean, I mean Zero Impact Protein contains some of the same ingredients that you are seeing in the newer proteins.


VPX Zero Impact contains the following:

45 grams of protein per serving
Micellar Casein for timed release feeding of the muscles
Whey isolate for fast absorption of amino acids
Glutamine
Some beneficial fats
Contains a vitamin and mineral formula

This product can be similar to products like BSN’s Syntha 6, so it should taste good. It will be a tad higher in calories than your traditional whey protein, but that should not be a big deal.

This is one of the newer VPX supplements, so the jury is still out on this one. I will have to wait a while before I decide on whether this is a good product or not.

List of The Best Protein Powders On The Market

With all the different types of protein on the market, and everyone's individual tastes, it's hard to be precise when you are trying to decide what the best protein powders on the market are.

Protein powders can vary widely. You have egg, whey, casein, soy, rice, and pea proteins. There are more that I'm leaving out I'm sure. Then you can break it down further. Especially with whey protein. You have whey concentrate, whey isolate, microfiltered whey isolate, ion-exchange whey isolate, hydrolyzed whey protein, and there's more than that...much more.

Most protein powders are popular not because of what they contain, it's how they taste, and how cost effective they are. Below is my list of the best protein powders available:

1. Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein
2. BSN Syntha 6
3. Gaspari Myofusion
4. GNC 100% Whey Protein
5. Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex
6. Optimum Nutrition Casein Protein

That's my list. Of course many people will have differing opinions on this list. All I can base it on is personal use, sales, and feedback from clients. You cannot go wrong with any of the proteins I have mentioned on the list. The quality is there with all of them, price is not too bad, and taste is pretty good. If you are going to choose a good protein, any of them on the list would be great choices.

Where's Muscle Milk?
As far as quality goes, Muscle Milk doesn't deserve to be on there. The have actually started using a lower quality protein in their powders now. The used to use micellar casein, but I guess the cost for them was too high.

Muscle Milk tastes good, but that's pretty much it. If you want results, don't use Muscle Milk.

Cytosport Muscle Milk Protein Review

Muscle Milk has been a popular protein for many years. This is probably due to taste. It is one of the best tasting protein powders on the market. I have tried Muscle Milk many times, it does taste good. That's about all I can say.....it tastes good.

If you are a looking for a protein to consume to help you lose bodyfat, Muscle Milk is not it. It contains high amounts of fat which makes the calorie count quite high. Before you know it, you have gained weight.

Cytosport states that the fats in Muscle Milk are more likely burned for muscle energy and heat than stored as fat. They also state that research proves that calories with these engineered fats taken before and during your workouts promote leanness.

Can fat make you leaner? Cytosport seems to think so. Me, I'm not so sure.

I don't personally use Muscle Milk. I believe there are other protein based products that can give you better results. I will say this however....If you have trouble with the taste of protein powders or if you just want some protein and you are not that worried about your waistline, then give Muscle Milk a try.



CytoSport Muscle Milk

MRI Pro-NOS Protein Review

MRI Pro-NOS protein has been on the market for a couple of years now. It is basically a whey isolate protein with a few carbohydrates and a couple of trademarked compounds that differentiate it from its competitors.

What is the difference with Pro-NOS protein?

Well MRI claims that Pro-NOS can help boost nitric oxide production as well as melt away bodyfat.....specifically abdominal fat. The nitric oxide benefit comes from a whey peptide fraction called "Actinos". This fraction helps create a greater nitric oxide output.

These whey peptide fractions supposedly break down fat, specifically abdominal fat. this is called "VAT-burn". I don't know if this really works, but with MRI you have to be kinda skeptical. After all, these days said NO2 would make you "look" more handsome!

The other claim that MRI Pro-NOS makes is that is contains enzymes that allow for the conversion of arginine to nitric oxide. More converting enyzmes equals more nitric oxide output.

How does Pro-NOS taste?
It tastes great! I especially enjoy the vanilla flavor. Its one of the best tasting proteins I have had in a while. I can't tell if it does anything else for me. I only use it occasionally. It contains more carbohydrates than I want in a whey protein right now. I will use it post-workout every once in a while.

Nutrition profile per serving:
290 calories
9 grams fat
18 grams carbohydrates
42 grams protein

My opinon:
Purchase MRI Pro-NOS if you don't mind paying a bit extra for a good tasting, high quality protein....with a few extra carbohydrates.


MRI Pro-NOS, 3 Lbs., Dutch Chocolate Royale


MRI Pro-NOS, 3.1 Lbs., French Vanilla Creme


MRI Pro-NOS, 3 Lbs., Cookies & Cream

Protein Review : BSN Syntha 6

A personal favorite protein of mine is Syntha 6 by BSN. In my humble opinion Syntha 6 is one of the best tasting protein powders on the market. It is not too sweet and it mixes very well. All you need is a shaker cup.

Syntha 6 boasts of 6 different proteins, all digesting at different rates. This allows Syntha 6 to be termed a "time release protein". As with most other protein these days, BSN has added extra branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and glutamine to the mix.

Also included is a bit of fat in the form of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). MCTs are fats that act like carbohydrates. Studies have shown that MCTs can increase calorie burning.

Rounding out the list is fiber. Syntha 6 contains approximately 5 grams of fiber per serving. A good amount compared to other protein powders. This addition could make Syntha 6 a nice option as a meal replacement.

The protein is high quality. Syntha 6 contains the best whey proteins as well as casein and egg.

The taste is delicious!.....well I think it is. It is currently my protein of choice. I highly recommend this protein to anyone.

Nutrition profile per serving:

200 calories
6 grams fat
15 grams carbs
5 grams fiber
22 grams protein

Protein: How much do you need?

How much protein do I need to take every day?

This is a question that has lots of different answers. I have seen everything from .5 grams per pound of bodyweight to 4 grams per pound of bodyweight It is almost impossible to come up with one universal number for everyone.

Protein is a necessity if you are looking to change your physique.

Pretty much everyone involved in bodybuilding or fitness would agree with that statement. Regardless of your goals, you need protein.

So again, How much protein do you need?

Well it depends. If you are on a low carb diet you would probably need more protein that someone on a moderate to high carb diet. Why? Well your muscles need glycogen and you aren't taking in carbs, so it has to come from somewhere........bring in the protein.

Your activity level will make a difference too. As well as whether you are trying to gain muscle mass or lose bodyfat.

The easiest way to do it would be just to experiment on yourself. Try taking in around 1 gram of protein per pound for about a month...then check your results. After that, change the amounts you use, maybe go for 2 grams of protein per pound or .5 per lb.

Track your progress and see what fits you best.

Protein Stacking for Bodybuilding

Protein Stacking is just another term for using different types of proteins in a supplement regimen. Whether you're trying to lose weight or gain mass, using different sources of protein can help reach both those goals.

When trying to gain mass, higher protein intake will help keep your body in an anabolic state. The added protein helps repair muscle tissue at a faster rate allowing for quicker increases in muscle mass.

When a person is dieting, protein is used to keep the body anti-catabolic. The extra amino acids will help your body hold on to its muscle tissue allowing the body's metabolic rate to stay elevated.

As mentioned before, there are several types of protein. Some work better at certain times than others. Some athletes and fitness enthusiasts use the different proteins at different times to keep a constant flow of amino acids to the muscles. A typical day might look like this:

8 am (with breakfast) - mixed protein (a protein with different types of whey, casein and/or egg)

11 am - mixed protein

1 pm - lunch

4 pm - (pre-workout) whey protein blend/whey isolate

5:30 pm - (post-workout) whey isolate

6-6:30 pm - dinner

8 pm - mixed protein

10 pm - casein protein

That is just an idea of what you could do. There are tons of different ways the different types could be used. For example, a person could used a whey protein throughout the day and a casein protein at bedtime. That would be a more cost effective option than the sample day mentioned above.

Time Released Protein

The newest proteins on the market are formulas that contain many different forms of protein. They contain all types of whey, egg, and casein proteins that claim to have a sustained release. The idea is that you can have a constant stream of amino acids so that you are feeding your muscles for hours, hopefully keeping your body anabolic. This type of protein would probably be a good fit for an in between meal snack.

The consistency is a little bit thicker due to the casein in the powders. Mixability in time released proteins will vary depending on the amounts of casein in them. Casein is a bit tougher to keep from getting clumpy and is very thick. As far as taste goes, most of these products taste good. Very rarely will you be disgusted by these products.

Top choices:
Syntha 6 by BSN
Myofusion by Gaspari

Using Whey Isolate Protein

Whey isolate is the purest form of protein available. When you drink a whey isolate powder, you are drinking pure protein…..over 90% protein. That also means that its much lower in fat and lactose, which some people have trouble digesting anyway.Whey Isolate is digested very quickly, which makes it a great protein to use after workouts. It's an easy protein to drink. It has a very thin consistency and the aftertaste is minimal. I would not use it as much in between meals just because of the speed of digestion.

There are several whey isolate proteins on the market. Some of them are 100% lactose free, which is good for those that are lactose intolerant. The other thing to consider is price. Generally, Whey isolate is expensive, s0 you're going to pay a pretty penny. Proteins such as ISOPURE from Nature's Best are the more popular isolates available.

Hydrolyzed Whey as a Protein Supplement

I had someone ask me a question about hydrolyzed whey protein supplements the other day. They wanted to know if they can get a supplement containing only hydrolyzed whey. I told them that was doubtful because apparently hydrolyzed whey tastes really bad....very bitter. That is why you don't see much, if any, pure hydrolyzed whey protein on the market. It does have some benefits however. Basically, to make a protein, the amino acids must form a chain. In hydrolyzed whey protein those chains are broken down making the absorption better for everyone. From what I understand, blended protein powders, at the most will have minimal amounts of hydrolyzed whey in them just to keep the powders drinkable.

So its better to avoid looking for protein supplements containing hydrolyzed whey and use something that contains different sources of whey.