While I personally do think that supplements are effective, I think that the most important thing anyone can do to achieve their physique goals is to eat a proper healthy diet and exercise. As for what it means to eat a healthy diet – we all know that.
Some things like white bread and subs made with sandwich meats may appear to be healthy and not actually be so, but in general, I would say that almost everyone has a basic idea of what it means to eat a healthy diet. As for exercise – the basics are the basics.
90% of bodybuilders are eating a healthy diet and training properly and with intensity as far as I’m concerned. That having been said, there is one supplement that I always consistently use and that is the basic whey protein powder.
To me, it is food – only sometimes things can get busy and there isn’t a lot of time to eat meal after meal that is suitable for bodybuilding, but something basic like a banana and protein shake is simple and easy to prepare.
Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Ingredients:
Nutrition Facts:
-
- Serving Size (scoop) 1 (32g)
- Servings Per 73
- Calories 120
- Fat Calories 15
- Total Fat (g) 1.5
- Sat. Fat (g) 0.5
- Cholesterol (mg) 40
- Sodium (mg) 100
- Potassium (mg) 220
- Total Carbs (g) 3
- Sugars (g) 1.0
- Proteins (g) 24
- Calcium (mg) 130
Each serving of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Protein was 120 calories per 32-gram scoop. Only 15 of these calories were from fat or the equivalent of under two grams of fat per serving. Each serving was 24 grams of protein and 4 grams of carbohydrates. This is a nice ratio in favour of protein which is what everyone is obviously looking for in a protein powder.
Mixing the protein powder with milk would add in some extra calories, as would eating a piece of fruit with it, to make one small but complete bodybuilding meal.
Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Taste:
Pretty well any flavor in the Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey line tastes great. I have yet to find one that my tastebuds have disagreed with. For the longest time, I would always use extreme milk chocolate, chocolate mint, or double rich chocolate flavors.
Recently, I had mistaken a bucket of my friend’s ON protein as my own and mixed it, only to learn that it was the cookies and cream flavor which became my new favourite. The taste is great and there is no aftertaste to speak of. It is definitely formulated properly in the flavor department.
Optimum Nutrition whey Protein Mixability
I drank Optimum 100% whey in milk, but sometimes in water. Generally, I use skim milk, or any other type of milk depending on what is available. To date, I don’t remember ever mixing ON whey with homogenized milk. When I mix it with water, it is not as richly flavored and I think it is most suitable with milk, but it is ok with water. My preference is still with milk though.
Usually, I would drink my shake with a piece of fruit, sometimes post-workout, or just at any point in the day when I needed to get some calories in. In bodybuilding, fast food is a shake with a banana! That is a far cry from fast food which is common to most of the population. It’s all good and it’s all for you, so why not do it?
Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Effectiveness:
It is really hard to gauge the exact result of a protein powder since the purpose of a protein supplement is to get extra calories in your diet, and not to elicit an anabolic effect like some creatine products. I do think that a protein powder or weight gain powder, consumed either post-workout or at any point during the day as an extra meal will give you a boost in overall calories which will contribute to sustaining an anabolic environment.
Some may want to get these extra calories or protein in through other food items like tuna fish, but for me, the convenience of protein shakes cannot be beaten. I will always include them in my diet. I don’t necessarily consume them every day, but on a weekly basis, they are always a part of my bodybuilding diet and always will be.
Optimum Nutrition Whey Protein Review:
I have been using Optimum Nutrition whey for some time now and it has never let me down. Optimum whey is also generally inexpensive for a “Name brand” protein powder. It is a winner in every area, ranging from nutritional value to mixability to taste.
If you are looking for a boost of extra calories, Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey is for you. While I have only tried the chocolate and cookies and cream flavors, I’m pretty confident that all of the Optimum Nutrition line flavors would be worth a try. Next time I place my order, I will pick a new flavor out. I think I will try rocky road next.
Any bodybuilder that has ever done the tiniest amount of research into their passion knows that one of the keys to muscle gain is proper nutrition. Whether you’re cutting or bulking, nutrition and diet is at the forefront of these goals. However, with today’s busy lifestyles and the growing cost of whole foods, getting enough dietary nutrients to meet your goals can be difficult.
This is where the role of proper supplementation comes into play. Quality protein supplements have become a mainstay of the modern bodybuilder. Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey Protein powder has quickly become one of the most popular and effective supplements of its kind and not without good reason.
Mixability, taste, nutritional content, and most importantly cost are all areas where this product excels. Not only does this product offer an excellent source of quality protein, it is also loaded with a host of BCAA’s and glutamine; important nutrients to the muscle building process.
It is no wonder this product was voted Protein Powder of the Year and Supplement of the Year. It mixes easily and the taste is far superior to the powders I have tried in the past. My favorite means of preparing this product also happens to be the easiest; inside a glass with a spoon.
I found that by mixing by blender the mixture was more of a milkshake, not the consistency I favor. I must admit, I only consumed this product mixed with milk, never water. Whether it was skim, 1% or 2% it tasted great, 1% being my favorite.
When mixed with a spoon with 1% milk it had a surprisingly similar taste to chocolate milk. I had no digestive problems with this product. When mixed with 8 ounces of milk the nutritional yield was; 250 calories, 33g of protein and 16g of carbohydrates (estimate).
So many schools of thought as to when one should consume their protein supplements. Some suggest before one’s workout, some say after one’s workout, some saying before one goes to bed. With this product, it is easy (on your digestive system and your wallet) to consume it multiple times throughout the day.
I consumed this product at the aforementioned times. A fourth serving was also often consumed during breakfast. Oatmeal, fruit salad and toast or polenta are good sources of quality carbohydrates and nutrients to start the day but, they are not the greatest source of protein.
These are the types of breakfast meals that benefited from an Optimum Nutrition protein boost. Experts agree that consuming between 1-2 grams of quality protein per pound of body weight is needed for muscle growth and to sustain current muscle mass; an Optimum Nutrition protein shake goes a long way in meeting these protein needs.