There’s a sign on the wall next to the water fountain at my local gym which reads: ‘Please do not empty the remains of your protein shake down the sink’.
The fact the sign exists is a reflection of just how ubiquitous protein shakes have become (within the fitness community that is).
One question I’ve seen asked by protein supplement users in fitness forums is: how many shakes should I have per day/week? There isn't a definitive answer but Livestrong quotes a 2008 study in the journal ‘Nutrition and Metabolism’ which found that those who took two protein shakes per day lost more body fat and maintained more lean muscle mass than those who didn’t take any.
Two shakes per day! That's a lot of protein drinks being guzzled down the plughole (just the human one hopefully!). No wonder food supplement brands have been quick to bring out a whole variety of different flavoured ones – it’s become a huge market and we’d soon get bored of drinking just the standard chocolate or vanilla!
One of the more interesting developments on the flavour front has been the arrival of cake-inspired protein shakes, like these new ones from USN, Cherry Bakewell and Strawberry Cheesecake. I’ve given both a try.
USN Diet Whey Isolean - Strawberry Cheesecake and Cherry Bakewell
Both are part of USN’s Body Makeover Range. They are ultra-low carb shakes, providing a good amount of protein (25g per serving) to support fat-loss with lean muscle maintenance. Recommendation is for 2-3 servings per day, to be taken at any time high-protein is required (so after a workout is particularly good to help muscle recovery).
Other key ingredients include green tea and calcium to help metabolism, plus a heap of vitamins and minerals.
Nutritional Values Snapshot:
The Taste Test
As I ripped open the sample packs I could detect a strong pastry smell. Yes, these really do smell like cake, well pastry anyway! Mix with 150-200ml water.
I’m used to protein shakes being thick in consistency and these were watery by comparison. I would recommend using much less water, perhaps even as little as 100ml (though adjust to personal taste).
As I’ve found with other USN shakes they are very sweet. I have a very sweet tooth and even for me the sweetness is powerful (though interestingly there’s only 1.4g of sugar per serving). On flavour I’m not sure there is much to distinguish between them but they both live up to their billing as fruity and cake-like.
It you’re currently on a diet and cakes and biscuits are strictly off the menu, then a pudding flavoured protein shake could be one to try, particularly if you’re having a craving. Myself, I still prefer the taste and consistency of the chocolate Diet Whey Isolean (reviewed here).
USN’s Diet Whey Isolean Strawberry Cheesecake and Cherry Bakewell cost £19.99 for 454g each, and can be bought here.
Post contains press samples.
Pic Credit, Cherry Bakewell Tarts: david_pics
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