Whey Review: Dymatize Elite Whey 5.04lbs (Cafe Mocha)

Was kind of hesitant about trying Dymatize initially, due to some reviews online noting the bloating and artifical flavour of the shake. But I decided to switch things up slightly as I was getting kind of bored with the usually chocolate flavours of the protein shakes. So I took a tiny weeny step outside my comfort-zone and went for the Cafe Mocha flavour.

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (~32.65g)
Servings per Container: 70
Calories: 117
Protein: 24g


Effectiveness
I guess with whey proteins it is kind of hard to gauge effectiveness objectively since it is subject to so many other variables such as rest, diet, training etc. After about 2 weeks of use, I must say that I haven't felt much of a difference as compared to ON's 100% Gold Standard or Mutant Whey performance-wise.



Taste & Mix-abilitys
Decided to try the Cafe Mocha flavour as it seems to be right up there in the online ratings with Chocolate Mint and Butter Cream Toffee.

I usually go with one scoop added to 5 ounces of water which gives a nice coffee flavour with hints of chocolate. However, sometimes when I feel I need a cold beverage just to kill the craving or when I need a double dose of protein, 8 ounces of water with 2 scoops and a couple of ice cubes do the trick. The shake foams up alittle bit to give it a slightly creamy texture which is thicker. Kind of like a cappuccino, but chock full of protein. No signs of artificial taste here at all to me, no bloating or unwanted gas either.This has got to be the best protein shake I've tasted up til' now. Nuff' said.

Mix-ability was great as well. Absolutely no complains here. There was no clumping whatsoever despite simply using a shaker bottle with 5 ounces of water. As mentioned earlier, downing the ratio will give a good thick texture as well with no compromise in the mix-ability.


Value
At SGD$65 this is almost $15 cheaper than ON's 100% Gold Standard. The ingredient profile is about the same as well. Mix-ability is on-par with ON too.


Overall
Great economical protein that is comparable to ON 100% Gold Standard. Those on a tight budget but still need a protein with a good profile and no extra unwanted gas will appreciate this product quite abit. Also, good for those who need a shake that doesn't need too much water to mix up.

I'm thoroughly impressed by Dymatize and sold on them. Will probably try the Butter Toffee flavour the next time round.

Pre-Workout Review: Mutant Mayhem (Green Apple Crush)

Here's the first proper post of the blog and I'll be starting with a review of the pre-workout supplement that I'm using at the moment.

Ok, so I admit it. I bought into the whole Mutant Mayhem hype after watching Big Rich on the Mutant YouTube Channel. Was super excited to see the product being sold by a local online vendor and did not hesistate to switch from ON's Amino Energy to Mutant Mayhem. Here's the breakdown of my thoughts of the product after going through half the bottle.

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (18g)
Servings per Container: 40
Calories: 30


Effectiveness
Considering that I have only used ON's Amino Energy before this as a pre-workout supplement, Mayhem was abit of a disappointment. It does give good clean energy without any banned substances such as DMAA but the focus, energy level and endurance provided with 1 or even 1.5 scoops was just not as intense as when I used 4 scoops of  Amino Energy. An upside though was that despite the warning on the label about tingling sensations due to the Beta-Alanine content, I did not experience any even when using up to 1.5 scoops. No stomach upset or bloating either.

Another thing I noticed was the caffeine content in the product. According to the label, each scoop of Mayhem contains the caffeine content equivalent to 3 strong coffees. This said, CNN quotes the American Dietetic Association in this article that each 8 ounce plain brewed coffee has a caffeine content of 135mg, which works out to be approximately 405mg of caffeine per scoop of Mayhem.

The label advises a "8 weeks on, 4 weeks off" cycle. I, myself follow a "4 weeks on, 4 weeks off" cycle while only using it when I need the extra boost on heavy days.



Taste & Mix-ability
First impression of the Green Apple Crush was that it was way too sweet. It is recommended that 8-12 ounces of water be added per scoop of Mayhem, so I went with the average value of 10 ounces. Switched it up to 12 ounces and the problem was solved rather easily. It might still be too sweet for some of you guys out there who do not have a sweet tooth like me, but nothing alittle extra water can't solve. 12 ounces of cold pre-workout drink that tastes just like a certain convenience store's green apple slushie is just awesome. Thumbs up here.

My only gripe was that occasionally I get tiny grains left at the bottom of the bottle. Not much of a deal breaker but I'm just nitpicking since there's not much to say here. The consistency and taste is good (It should be, considering it's Big Rich's favourite flavour.)


Value
Got this off a local website at SGD$54. One of the cheaper pre-workout supplements in the market available locally. So I would say yeah it's a pretty good deal if you need a little nudge to kickstart your workout if you haven't got enough eye shut the night before.


Overall
At it's price point and amount of servings per container, there's not much to complain about. Will be a suitable product for those on a budget or those who haven't tried pre-workouts and need a cheap alternative first. It would be good if the caffeine content could be lowered with added BCAA's if newer versions of Mayhem were to be formulated.

For a new company in the supplement scene, my guess is that they can only can only get better with new products. Love their marketing effort, especially the YouTube videos. Will definitely be looking forward to new products from Mutant if the prices do not increase too much.

First Post!

Finally, decided to start a blog to share with peeps on this sunny island as well as anyone who happen to trip along this site my thoughts and news I find interesting.

Will probably be looking at more sports and wellness stuff and events along way with random doses of other stuff.