It’s often difficult for some to get enough protein in their diet to start building mass. This is where protein supplements can come in handy. These protein supplements help people gain their intended weight, muscle growth, lean muscle, and catalyze their workout processes.
Many people drink Muscle Milk to receive the mentioned results among many protein powders. But what about the ingredients Muscle Milk comprises of? Even though Muscle Milk markets itself as lactose-free, is Muscle Milk Lactose-free?
The short answer is yes; Muscle Milk is lactose-free. However, the FDA requires Muscle Milk to list ingredients “derived from milk” on its packaging. Even though fat and lactose are filtered away, it still contains several dairy-based whey proteins. It is considered nondairy because the lactose is said to be screened during processing.
Here, we will discuss more about Muscle Milk and its lactose-free nature, the side effects of Muscle Milk, and much more that will provide essential information for people drinking this protein shake. So, let’s dive right in.
Muscle Milk: Is It Lactose and Gluten-Free?
Yes, the ingredients in Muscle Milk are regarded as both lactose-free and gluten-free. So even though Muscle Milk contains whey protein (proteins derived from milk), it is still lactose-free. This is good news for lactose-intolerant people since they won’t have to go ahead and switch to plant-based protein shakes.
Before and after exercising, Muscle Milk is supposed to be taken 30 minutes within the workout start or end time. That way, the body can effectively utilize it and help repair your muscles and contribute to growth.
Is Whey Protein Lactose-Free?
For people who experience lactose intolerance, Whey Protein Isolate is a good choice. However, Whey Protein Powder is an ingredient of the cheese manufacturing process, which naturally means lactose.
However, not all but some variants of whey protein are lactose-free. Whey Protein Isolate contains limited amounts of lactose and can be consumed by lactose-intolerant people.
Remember that whey protein is a generic dietary protein supplement that can be bought from any brand. Additionally, Muscle Milk is a protein supplement that consists of whey proteins and casein.
Muscle Milk is a preferable choice to gain muscle mass and build lean muscle mass; Whey protein isolate is the way to go. Let us take a look at the protein ingredients that Muscle Milk contains.
Does Muscle Milk Taste Good if It’s Lactose-Free?
The muscle milk taste review is a common concern among lactose-intolerant individuals. Luckily, Muscle Milk offers a lactose-free option that is equally delicious. Many users have found this product to have a pleasant, creamy taste with no lingering artificial aftertaste. So, if you’re wondering if muscle milk taste good without lactose, rest assured that it does!
Muscle Milk Proteins and Lactose Intolerance
Muscle Milk is a protein powder that allows people to gain muscle mass or work for lean muscles. This beverage contains proteins derived from milk and other essential proteins. These proteins include:
- Whey Protein Concentrate
- Calcium Caseinate
- Milk Protein Isolate
- Sodium Caseinate
These proteins are ingredients derived from milk like the milk of animals. Now, to the surprise, each type of the mentioned proteins consists of different amounts of lactose, which brings us to state that the composition of Muscle Milk protein shakes is not entirely free of lactose.
So, again, though Muscle Milk does claim itself as nondairy because the lactose might not affect all lactose-sensitive people, it does have its side effects. This means that many people might not properly digest the lactose it has, even in minimal amounts.
Side Effects of Muscle Milk
As mentioned previously, even though Muscle Milk is nondairy as claimed, it has ingredients derived from milk like whey and casein proteins; thus, drinking Muscle Milk might influence allergies in gluten/lactose intolerant or food sensitive people in general.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the beverage does not necessarily have pure milk in it but rather derivatives. We have listed a few of its effects down below:
High-Fat Content
Muscle Milk is rich in high calories, fats, and carbohydrates; people who might end up taking it in the wrong proportions might become subject to accidental weight gain.
Whey Protein’s Side Effects
Muscle Milk consists of whey protein, a product of the cheese-making process; this means that many people will face problems digesting whey protein powder as they cannot properly digest lactose.
Lactose Intolerance
After taking the protein shake, lactose-intolerant people might experience discomfort in their digestive tracks; they are likely to feel weird inside their bodies within 2 hours of consumption.
The aftereffects include cramps in the abdomen, bloating, gastric, diarrhea, and nausea. It is recommended that you consult a dietician or doctor to learn more and follow prescriptions.
Kidney Issues and Muscle Protein Milk
People who are subject to kidney issues, especially those in stage 4 of kidney deterioration and above, are needed to follow a specific diet, particularly one that prioritizes their protein count.
Thus, when consuming any protein powders or packaged protein drinks, they must keep a count to eliminate any extra proteins consumed.
This case does not apply to people with healthier kidneys since the high-quality proteins would not affect most older patients as long as their kidney is good.
On the contrary, for people who are subject to kidney disorders, the Muscle Milk-shake can be of danger. Kidneys are made to function under pressure when the body intakes excess protein.
Animal-derived proteins are rich in Muscle shakes that can prove hazardous for kidney patients. Therefore, it is advised that kidney patients follow diets low in protein and opt for a more plant-rich diet. Kidney patients need to contact their doctors regularly and follow strict nutrition diet plans.
Artificial Sweeteners
Lastly, this packaged milk powder also contains healthy fats, as they advertise. While some people would love the shake, lactose-intolerant people might have their allergies triggered due to the presence of artificial sweeteners contained in the milk protein.
However, Muscle Milk powder has its benefits; it can deliver nutrients, provide sustained energy and help gain Muscle with saturated fat.
Benefits of Muscle Milk
The beverage contains proteins derived from milk like whey protein powder. The Muscle Milk protein powder can be used in a typical protein shake diet to substitute for at least two meals of the day.
Even though protein supplements might not be the best meal replacement for people with gluten or lactose restrictions, it comes with essential benefits for people who drink protein shakes regularly, are more tolerant to lactose, and have kidneys in good condition.
Muscle Milk’s protein shake contains high-quality protein essentials that can aid people in several ways. It can help in:
- Improving the strength of bones
- Speed up workout recovery for weight loss
- Restrain or reduce hunger drive in people
- Aid in gaining and building muscles
Muscle milk also has a versatile composition of many nutrients and Vitamins (A, B, C, D, and E) comprising 15. On top of it, it has chromium taking up 40 percent of its composition with added magnesium, zinc, potassium, iodine, and copper comprising twelve to fifteen percent of intake.
Overall, Muscle Milk helps the body with its protein needs by providing positive protein balance and promoting exercise recovery from workouts. It offers more energy and works to make muscles lean. The powder comprises good-quality proteins and nutrients that make the perfect meal replacement.
Flavors of Muscle Milk
Apart from the benefits, you can consume delicious shakes of different flavors with Muscle Milk. For starters, there is Strawberries’N Creme for those who prefer fruity flavors.
Cake Batter and Chocolate are mentionable as well. It is recommended that you try out the flavors available and pick the one that makes you feel best both taste and health-wise.
The flavors are generally mild and taste like dairy in whey protein. Some mentionable added flavors are Plain, Vanilla, and Chocolate flavors. You can also consider making your customized delicious shake with fruits or other toppings as long as they are healthy for you.
How to Make Muscle Milk Protein Shake?
Generally, you can look up the procedures from the primary manufacturing website, but here’s a quick step-by-step process of preparing the shake for your convenience.
Step 1
Always take two tablespoons or scoops of the protein powder at first.
Step 2
Take ten ounces of water to blend, and use fat-free milk if you want the shake to have a thicker texture. Instead of a blender, you can consider hand-mix protein powder with the water and keep stirring until it smoothens down.
Step 3
Make sure you make the shake within your workout time. The first time you take Muscle Milk should be during exercise time. This is because your body will most optimally utilize the nutrients of the protein shake that way. Try sipping the shake with water when you work out.
Step 4
Now, after having the first serving, go ahead and have another right after your workout ends according to manufacture instructions. You can also opt to consume ready-to-drink Muscle Milk shakes if you have less time and preparation seems troublesome.
The Bottom Line
Is Muscle Milk lactose free? We hope now you have the answer. Just remember that, while it is advertised as lactose free, it does have whey protein and casein contents that come from milk. Please avoid the product in case you are extremely sensitive to lactose or have other milk allergies.
However, we cannot deny the good sides of Muscle milk with its rich vitamins and minerals that provide sustained energy.
