Is Muscle Milk Protein Powder Good for You?

Muscle Milk is a protein supplement brand that’s been around for several decades. The brand is under the wing of CytoSport, a California-based manufacturer of nutritional products and a subsidiary of PepsiCo.

Thanks to its corporate clout, Muscle Milk protein powder and shakes are found in almost every big box retail chain. For better or worse, its mainstream presence has made it a popular player, especially among bodybuilders and strength athletes.

Despite its long-standing reign in the nutritional aisles, the real question is: Is Muscle Milk protein powder good? In other words, are the ingredients in Muscle Milk protein powder good for you? And does the product taste good?

I’ve used Muscle Milk protein powder quite a bit in the past. But until now, I haven’t taken the time to inspect all of what’s in it. So let’s digest the real scoop behind this prevalent protein powder brand.

What’s Good About Muscle Milk Protein Powder?

Muscle Milk has several good qualities that make it an appealing protein powder for many people. Some of the benefits of Muscle Milk protein powder include:

• Complete, highly bioavailable protein: In addition to being naturally rich in amino acids, particularly BCAAs, the milk and whey-based protein in Muscle Milk offers high bioavailability, meaning it can be easily absorbed and utilized by the body.^[1]
• A variety of vitamins and nutrients: Most Muscle Milk protein powders, particularly the Pro Series, contain a range of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C, D, calcium, and magnesium. 
• Muscle Milk protein powder is low in sugar: Several of the brand’s products contain just 2g to 3g of sugar per serving. Muscle Milk Zero is an entirely sugar-free option that uses stevia leaf as a natural sweetener.
• Available in several delicious flavors: Muscle Milk protein powder is recognized for its good taste. Its “Genuine” product comes in Vanilla Crème, Chocolate, Cookies ‘N Crème, Banana Crème, and Strawberries ‘N Crème.
• A lot of people like Muscle Milk: Many of the brand’s protein powder products have good Amazon reviews. Muscle Milk has a loyal customer base in many areas of the greater fitness community. 
• Muscle Milk offers low-cost protein powders: Some of the brand’s products, like Muscle Milk Genuine, are relatively cheap protein powders priced just above $20 for a tub. 

There’s no denying the efficacy and potency of Muscle Milk in helping your muscle repair and recover after training. But despite its good qualities, Muscle Milk protein powder has a few flaws worth pointing out. 

What’s Not Good About Muscle Milk Protein Powder?

From a nutritional point of view, Muscle Milk protein powder is less than perfect. I would argue that its price reflects the quality, as you typically get what you pay for, especially in terms of purity. 

But what’s bad about Muscle Milk is also bad in a lot of other protein supplements you see in grocery stores. Premier Protein, Ensure, Core Power Shakes, etc. – these all contain artificial ingredients that are questionable for your health.

Here are some of the not-so-good things about Muscle Milk protein powder worth calling out.

Seed Oils Aren’t Helping Your Muscle Recovery

Most Milk Milk protein powders contain seed oils to varying degrees. If you follow any legends like Tim Kennedy or Mark Sisson (or read T-Nation), then you’re probably already avoiding seed oils like the plague. 

Canola oil and sunflower oil are omega-6 polyunsaturated fats that are associated with having pro-inflammatory effects.^[2] While these seed oils contain vitamin E and other nutrients, they don’t necessarily jive with a muscle recovery supplement.

Simply put, consuming omega-6 fatty acids, and not balancing enough omega-3 fatty acids, contributes to inflammation in the body. Here, the ratio (omega-6:omega-3) is key to optimizing recovery (favoring omega-3).

Thanks to the low cost of seed oils influencing the Western diet, the average ratio is an inflammatory 16:1 (very high in omega-6s). Interestingly, anthropological studies show that 1:1 is a more natural ratio for early humans and that some chronic diseases we see today were virtually non-existent back then.^[3]

Muscle Milk Is Not Bloat-Friendly

Some of the ingredients used in Muscle Milk protein powder can be frequent triggers for bloating, cramping, and gas. Whey protein concentrate is one that’s commonly found in Muscle Milk products.

Maltodextrin is another–an added flavorant, bulking agent, and sugar substitute–notorious for causing bloating and gas, especially when consumed in large amounts. The high glycemic index of maltodextrin can escalate GI symptoms into upset stomachs and diarrhea, making it a hard pass for those with IBS.

While rare, people can experience skin irritations as allergic reactions to maltodextrin-containing foods. As for milk protein and whey protein concentrate, the amount of lactose can warrant concern if you’re remotely intolerant.

Muscle Milk Contains Artificial Sweeteners

Unfortunately, a lot of protein powders today (including Muscle Milk) contain artificial sweeteners, like acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) and sucralose. While people many see these synthetic ingredients as harmless, there’s a lot we don’t know about their health implications.

Based on what we do know, regular consumption of artificial sweeteners has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.^[4] Likewise, these zero-sugar sweeteners may not be the best solution for preventing elevated blood sugar levels.^[5] 

There are a lot of mixed reviews about these ingredients, so use your own discretion and tread mindfully. But for me, I try to avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs. I’ll take natural sugar all day.

Muscle Milk Protein Powders Are High in Calories

Several Muscle Milk protein powders contain quite a bit of fat and carbohydrates, making them much higher in calories than your typical protein powder. This could be a good or a bad thing, depending on your nutritional goals.

Aside from Muscle Milk 100% Whey and Muscle Milk Zero which are mostly just protein, products like Muscle Milk Genuine Protein Powder have a macronutrient profile of 9g of fat, 22g of carbs, and 32g of protein–together packing 290 calories per serving.

Muscle Milke Pro Series is 320 calories per serving, with a macro profile of 5g of fat, 18g of carbs, and 50g of protein. Unless you’re a heavyweight bodybuilder, your body is not going to utilize all 50g of that protein in one sitting.

Most of these high-calorie powders would be considered “gainers” or meal replacement powders. I get that’s Muscle Milk’s angle–it’s all about the gains. But there’s a big difference between gains from muscle protein synthesis and gains from consuming excess protein and calories being stored as fat. 

Heavy Metals Tested High in Muscle Milk Protein Powder

Although this happened over a decade ago, Consumer Reports found that two of Muscle Milk’s protein powders contained heavy metal levels near or exceeding limits proposed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP). Specifically, arsenic, cadmium, and lead were all found in varying levels of concern.

The report measured the average lead level in Muscle Milk’s chocolate protein powder to be 13.5 µg in three daily servings, surpassing USP’s limit of 10 µg per day. Cadmium levels measured 5.6 µg, exceeding the USP limit of 5 µg per day. The average arsenic level was 12.2 µg, approaching the USP limit of 15 µg per day.

Trace amounts of heavy metals are found in almost everything we eat. It’s just a matter of how much is considered a reasonable amount for concern. This is a real issue in the protein powder space. For more input on this topic, see my post about protein powder and heavy metals.

Bottom Line About Muscle Milke Protein Powder

Muscle Milk is a highly bioavailable, complete protein source that’s rich in muscle-building amino acids and a modest amount of vitamins and minerals. However, it has some pitfalls.

Because Muscle Milk protein powder has several artificial sweeteners, inflammatory seed oils, an enormous amount of calories, and bloat-causing fillers like maltodextrin, it’s not the best protein powder choice.

And given its track record for containing high amounts of heavy metals, Muscle Milk is a mainstream brand that I do not trust and avoid. There are too many other higher-quality whey protein powders (and plant protein powders) that are just as effective in building muscle.

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About The Author

This post was written by Tyler Tafelsky, the lead editor here at VeganProteinPowder.reviews. Tyler is an experienced health, nutrition, and athletic writer. He’s tried hundreds of plant-based nutritional products and writes about his favorites here on this blog. Learn more about Tyler by viewing his full author bio or by following him on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. Also, visit his website to learn more about what he’s up to.

Scientific References:

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2. Masi LN, Martins AR, Rosa Neto JC, do Amaral CL, Crisma AR, Vinolo MA, de Lima Júnior EA, Hirabara SM, Curi R. Sunflower oil supplementation has proinflammatory effects and does not reverse insulin resistance in obesity induced by high-fat diet in C57BL/6 mice. J Biomed Biotechnol. 2012;2012:945131. doi: 10.1155/2012/945131. Epub 2012 Aug 26. PMID: 22988427; PMCID: PMC3441046.
3. Simopoulos AP. Evolutionary aspects of diet, the omega-6/omega-3 ratio and genetic variation: nutritional implications for chronic diseases. Biomed Pharmacother. 2006 Nov;60(9):502-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2006.07.080. Epub 2006 Aug 28. PMID: 17045449.
4. Debras C, Chazelas E, Sellem L, Porcher R, Druesne-Pecollo N, Esseddik Y, de Edelenyi FS, Agaësse C, De Sa A, Lutchia R, Fezeu LK, Julia C, Kesse-Guyot E, Allès B, Galan P, Hercberg S, Deschasaux-Tanguy M, Huybrechts I, Srour B, Touvier M. Artificial sweeteners and risk of cardiovascular diseases: results from the prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort. BMJ. 2022 Sep 7;378:e071204. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2022-071204. PMID: 36638072; PMCID: PMC9449855.
5. Pepino MY, Tiemann CD, Patterson BW, Wice BM, Klein S. Sucralose affects glycemic and hormonal responses to an oral glucose load. Diabetes Care. 2013 Sep;36(9):2530-5. doi: 10.2337/dc12-2221. Epub 2013 Apr 30. PMID: 23633524; PMCID: PMC3747933.