Can you Make Gains with Protein Powder? A Muscle Pharm Combat Powder Review

Anyone who has been lifting a while will eventually need to find a protein supplement to continue to make gains. Adequate protein intake is vital as a part of a strength training program. This is because when lift weights you are creating small tears in your muscles. This is also called protein breakdown. To make gains in size, strength, and muscular endurance the body must be fed correctly. The most critical nutrient in muscle growth is protein!

There are a lot of different protein supplements on the market. On my quest to push myself to the next level I’m review several different brands and types to find what works the best. Today I’m taking a look at Muscle Pharm Combat Powder.

Muscle Pharm was started by professional athletes in 2008 to develop high quality supplements. They are backed by top sports organizations such as the UFC. They have a goal to release the absolute safest and effective sports nutrition products. By the rapid growth of the company it is clear athletes of all levels are noticing great effects from taking the products.

Muscle Pharm Combat Powder is a time released protein formulation that uses several kinds of protein to achieve this goal. The blend includes Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Hydrolysate, Whey Protein Concentrates, Micellar Casein and Egg White Albumen. It also has some additional ingredients to help with recovery after your workout. Below you’ll find my full review on Combat Powder protein.

Benefits and drawbacks of combat powder

The benefits of any protein supplement are well-known and widely agreed upon. When combined with a strength training program, lean muscle mass is increased, recovery is enhanced and strength is gained. As part of a balanced diet, protein supplementation also helps promote weight loss. Muscle Pharm Combat Powder brings all of these benefits to the table, and a few more. This particular product also includes branched chain amino acids to help aid post workout recovery. In addition, Muscle Pharm Combat Powder also uses five kinds of protein in its blend. Each of these sources is absorbed at different rates, making the protein content of the product very highly available to the body, gram-for-gram. We’ll go deeper into these forms of proteins in formula breakout.

That said, there are a few drawbacks of Muscle Pharm Combat Powder worth mentioning. The first is that it uses quite a bit of artificial sweetener in its formula. This could be an issue for those who wish to avoid it, and can make the taste far too sweet for some consumers. The second major issue that Muscle Pharm Combat Powder has is that it combines protein from milk and egg sources. In itself, this is not a problem, but it does mean that individuals who are sensitive to those ingredients may experience some problems. Most people who have problems digesting milk and egg proteins experience symptoms like bloating and gas; if you are one of those people, then this may not be the supplement for you.

Formula and Ingredients Breakout

This is a proprietary formula so you can see all of the ingredients in the supplement, but they do not break out the exact amount of each on the label. As mentioned earlier, Muscle Pharm Combat Powder combines protein from five sources to enhance absorption. All of these ingredients come from naturally occurring sources, primarily eggs and milk.

Lets take a quick look at each type of these proteins and how they digest into your system. Whey Protein Hydrolysate is broken down quickly by absorbing peptides, this rapidly infuses muscle-building amino acid. The Whey Protein Isolate also absorbs and digests rapidly into your system. It is, gram for gram, the highest available yield of protein. The Whey Protein Concentrate is the closest to whole food and is a great fuel for your body. Egg Albumin is highly bioavailable and contains a high amount of BCAA’s and arginine, contributing to hormone productions and muscle building. Finally the Micellar Casein is the slow digestion form of protein. This will infuse with valuable amino acids over several hours allowing your body to have an 8-hour recovery period after your workout.

Muscle Pharm Combat Powder also contains a branched chain amino acids blend as part of its formula. This blend includes alanine, l-lucien, tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and several others. Branched chain amino acids such as these are some of the building blocks of muscle and are well understood as part of a supplementation regimen for strength trainees. The rest of the ingredients are the flavorings and are fairly standard in the industry.

Ingredients:

 

Calories 140

Calories From Fat 20g

Total Fat 2.5g

Saturated Fat 1.5g

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.5g

Cholesterol 32mg

Sodium 75mg

Total Carbohydrate 180mg

Dietary Fiber 5g

Sugar 2g

Protein 25g

Digestive Enzyme Blend 60mg

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Calcium

Iron

Vitamin D

Vitamin E

Thiamin

Riboflavin

Niacin

Vitamin B6

Folate

Vitamin B12

Biotin

Pantothenic Acid

Phosphorus

Iodine

Magnesium

Zinc 0

Copper

Featuring Omegawave™

 

Multi-Level Amino Acid Growth Matrix 35g **

Alanine, Leucine, Lysine Arginine, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine,Tyrosine,Valine, Cystine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Tryptophan, Glutamic Acid

Combat Powder™ Proprietary Time Release System **

Whey Protein Isolate, Partially Hydrolized Whey Protein, Micellular Casein,Whey Protein Concentrate, Egg Albumin, L-Glutamine, L-Isoleucine, L-Leucine, L-Valine, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin (Dutch Process), Digestive Enzyme Blend.

How it feels to take Muscle Pharm Combat Powder

Unlike pre-workout supplements, protein supplements do not have an immediate effect. The benefits of protein supplementation come over time, and Muscle Pharm Combat Powder is no exception. The only people who will experience rapid onset of any sort of effects are those who are sensitive to particular ingredients. Specifically those who react poorly to aspartame, egg protein, or milk protein.

Outside of that, those who take Muscle Pharm Combat Powder regularly and as part of a strength training program and proper diet will begin to see increases in lean muscle mass, better recovery times after hard workouts, and lower bodyweight.

If you cycle off protein you will also notice an effect

Should you try Muscle pharm combat powder

?

Protein supplementation for those who are strength training is pretty much a necessity if you want to continue to progress. There are a lot of products on the market to choose from, and that’s a good thing. With the increase in competition Muscle Pharm Combat Powder has had to innovate in order to stand out. They developed a nice time released formula the will provide a nice recovery period, over 8-hours.

The formula contains high quality ingredients but it stinks you can’t see the total amount of each. For those who can consume egg and milk protein without ill effects, the time-release blend found in Muscle Pharm Combat Powder is definitely worth checking out.

Overall from my research it looks like a pretty solid supplement and worth giving a try in the future.