Update 3/4/20. Muscle Milk Pro Series 50 is a different version of this popular protein powder you may see in health food stores. One big difference is it has 50 grams of protein which is more than most protein powders sold today. In this review, you'll learn about the calories, vitamins and other nutrients in this protein powder as well as how it compares to regular Muscle Milk and other protein supplements. Also see the review of the original Muscle Milk too.
What Does Pro Series 50 Mean?
The “pro” in the name may be to give the impression it's supposed to be used by those who want to be like pro-athletes. The “50” in the name is a reference to the 50 grams of protein.
Muscle Milk Pro Series 50 Nutrition Facts
Here are the nutrition facts in the Pro Series 50 formula broken down according to whether you used one scoop or 2 scoops:
| Per 1 Scoop (41.2 g) | Per 2 Scoops (82.4 g) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 150 | 310 | ||
| Calories from fat | 25 | 45 | ||
| Percent Daily Value | Percent Daily Value | |||
| Total Fat | 2.5 g | 4% DV | 5 g | 8% DV |
| Saturated fat | 1.5 g | 8% DV | 2.5 g | 13% DV |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | 0 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0 g | 0 g | ||
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1 g | 2 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 25 mg | 8% DV | 50 mg | 17% DV |
| Sodium | 95 mg | 4% DV | 190 mg | 8% DV |
| Potassium | 370 mg | 11% DV | 740 mg | 21% DV |
| Total Carbohydrate | 8 g | 3% | 17 g | 6% DV |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g | 4% DV | 2 g | 8% DV |
| Sugars | 2 g | 4 g | ||
| Protein | 25 g | 50% DV | 50g | 100% DV |
How Much Protein?
As can be seen from the Nutrition Facts table above, to get 50 grams of protein, you need to use 2 scoops. One scoop has 25 grams. Now, that is not a bad thing because 25 grams is a good amount of protein per scoop.
Pro Series 50 Vitamins and Minerals
Here are the vitamins and minerals in the product broken by one or two scoops.
| Nutrient | Percent Daily (1 scoop) | Percent Daily (2 scoops) |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Vitamin C | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Calcium | 35% DV | 70% DV |
| Iron | 35% DV | 70% DV |
| Vitamin D | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Vitamin E | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Thiamine | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Riboflavin | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Niacin | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Vitamin B6 | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Folate | 15% | 35% DV |
| Vitamin B12 | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Biotin | 15% DV | 35% |
| Pantiothanic Acid | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Phosphorous | 25% DV | 50% DV |
| Iodine | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Magnesium | 15% | 35% DV |
| Zinc | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Copper | 15% DV | 35% DV |
| Chromium | 40% DV | 80% DV |
The supplement has somewhat similar vitamins and minerals to the original Muscle Milk. That's not bad because people who work out, usually get enough of these nutrients. Studies don't usually show vitamins or minerals improve exercise.
The nutrient differences between the Pro Series 50 version and the original Muscle Milk, include:
- calcium (70% DV vs 50% DV)
- iron (70% DV vs. 35%DV )
- phosphorous (50% EV vs 40% DV )
The letters “DV” refer to Daily Value. See my review of the original Muscle Milk for more on that product.
Muscle Milk Pro Series 50 Ingredients
Here, in order as they are listed on the label, are all of the ingredients in the Pro Series 50 protein powder:
| Milk protein isolate | Calcium sodium caseinate | Whey protein concentrate | Whey protein isolate |
| Whey protein hydrolysate | lactoferrin | L-glutamine | Taurine |
| Maltodextrin | Alkalized cocoa powder | Natural and artifical flavors | Sunflower oil |
| Potassium choloride | Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) | Inulin | Canola oil |
| Magnesium oxide | Soluble corn fiber | Potassium bicarbonate | Cellulose gum |
| Xanthan guym | Carrageenan | Acesulfame potassium | Soy lecithin |
| DL alpha tocopherol acetate | Sucralose | Ascorbic acid | Dicalcium phosphate |
| Ferrous fumarate | Vitamin A palmitate | Niacinamide | Zinc oxide |
| Copper gluconate | D-calcium pantothenate | L-carnitine | Cholecalciferol |
| Pyridoxine hydrochloride | Thiamine mononitrate | Riboflavin | Chromium chloride |
| Folic acid | Biotin | Potassium iodide | Cyanocobalamin |
Read the table above from left to right to see the ingredients in descending order. Ingredients listed at the top of the table are present the most. Those farther down the list are present the least.
Red Flag Ingredients
Some may be sensitive or have aversions to the following ingredients:
- Natural /artificial flavors (they don't tell us what they are)
- Carrageenan
- Acesulfame potassium
- Sucralose
Both Acesulfame potassium and sucralose are artificial sweaters. The ingredient called carrageenan comes from seaweed and is used as a thickening agent in foods. Some people have very strong feelings about carrageenan – they don't like it – for many reasons.
While the original Muscle Milk, has fructose, the Pro series does not.
Pro Series Protein Breakdown
The protein in Pro Series 50 is provided byby a blend of these ingredients:
- Calcium sodium caseinate
- Milk protein isolate
- Whey protein isolate
- Whey protein hydrolysate
- Whey protein concentrate
- Lactoferrin
- Glutamine
- Taurine
In the list above, ingredients at the top make up most of the protein blend while those at the bottom of the list make up the least. As can be seen, casein and whey make up most of this blend.
Pro Series 50 vs. Original Muscle Milk
Here are the nutrition facts for both versions side-by-side.
| Pro Series 50 (1 scoop) | Pro Series 50 (2 scoops) | Muscle Milk (1 scoop) | Muscle Milk (2 scoops) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 150 | 310 | 150 | 310 |
| Calories Fat | 25 | 45 | 50 | 110 |
| Total Fat | 2.5g | 5g | 6g | 12g |
| Saturated Fat | 1.5g | 2.5g | 2g | 4g |
| Trans Fat | 0g | 0g | 0g | 0g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0g | 0.5g | 1g | 1.5g |
| Cholesterol | 25mg | 50mg | 10mg | 20mg |
| Sodium | 95mg | 190mg | 80mg | 160mg |
| Potassium | 370mg | 740mg | 300mg | 610mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 8g | 17g | 9g | 19g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g | 2g | 2g | 5g |
| Sugars | 2g | 4g | 2g | 5g |
| Protein | 25g | 50 | 16g | 32g |
If you just look at the protein content (the last item listed in the table), two scoops of original Muscle Milk powder provide 32 grams of protein compared to 50 grams in two scoops of the Pro Series 50 formula. In other words, the Pro Series 50 formula provides 18 grams more protein than the original version per two scoops. That's about 1/2 ounce more.
Both protein powders have slightly different colors as can be seen in the picture. The Pro Series 50 powder has a slightly lighter color than the original version. The color difference does not affect the taste.
The Calories
Both versions of Muscle Milk powder have almost the same number of calories. Whether one scoop or two scoops were used, the calories are 150 calories and 310 respectively for each of them.
This may have been achieved by reducing the total fat and saturated fat in the Pro Series 50 version. Two scoops of the Pro Series powder has only 5 grams of total fat vs. 12 grams for the original Muscle Milk.
How Many Medium Chain Triglycerides?
Muscle Milk has a bit more saturated fat than other protein powders I've seen. Some say this is ok because the fat comes from Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs). The body processes MCTs differently and some research notes that MCTs may help weight loss.
MCTs may also be found in ketogenic supplements.
1 scoop (41.2 g) of Pro Series 50 powder has 340 mg of MCTs while 1 scoop (35 g) of original Muscle Milk has 1200 mg of MCTs.
| MCTs (1 scoop) | MCTs (2 scoops) | |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle Milk Pro Series 50 | 340 mg | 680 mg |
| Original Muscle Milk | 1200 mg | 2400 mg |
Who Makes Muscle Milk?
CytoSport is the name of the company listed on the container, although after I called them, I learned they are now owned by Hormel Foods.
To contact CytoSport call their customer service number: 888-298-6629. To contact Hormel, call 800-523-4635.
Muscle Milk vs. IsoPure
As I mentioned above, my first thought when I saw the Pro Series 50 version of Muscle Milk was that it was created to compete with Isopure protein powder. Here is a rundown of how their Nutrition Facts labels compare to each other. I used Low Carb Dutch chocolate Isopure for this comparison:
| Muscle Milk Pro Series 50 (2 scoops / 82.4 grams) | Isopure Low Carb Dutch Chocolate ( 2 scoops / 65 grams) | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 310 | 220 |
| Calories from fat | 45 | 10 |
| Total fat | 5 grams | 1 gram |
| Saturated fat | 2.5 grams | 0.5 gram |
| Trans fat | 0 grams | 0 grams |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0 grams | amount not given |
| Monounsaturated fat | 2 grams | amount not given |
| Cholesterol | 50 milligrams | 5 milligrams |
| Sodium | 190 milligrams | 320 milligrams |
| Potassium | 740 milligrams | 750 milligrams |
| Total carbohydrate | 17 grams | 3 grams |
| Dietary fiber | 2 grams | 2 grams |
| Sugars | 4 grams | 0 grams |
| Protein | 50 grams | 50 grams |
One difference is that Isopure has more sodium than Muscle Milk (320 mg vs. 190 mg).
Does Muscle Milk Contain Milk?
No. Neither the original version of the protein powder has any milk. For those with allergies, the labels of both products do state that they were created in a facility that also processes, milk, soy, wheat, and eggs.
Is Muscle Milk Pro Series 50 Better?
If you like the idea of getting more protein, then maybe you might like the Pro Series 50 version. Just remember, to consider the calories that come with it. The Pro Series 50 version might also cost more than the original version too.
Here it is on Amazon if you want to see what others are saying