Battle Ready Fuel Military Whey - Chocolate

Battle Ready Fuel Military Whey is a protein powder available in either chocolate or vanilla flavours. It delivers a decent 23.17g of protein per serving, mixes easily, tastes good and has a very good consistency. This makes it pleasant to drink, and the added enzyme blend means there's no accompanying bloated feeling. However, this does come at a high price – Military Whey is significantly more expensive than powders delivering the same quantity of protein.

A protein drink is a good way of boosting protein intake, and is usually taken immediately after intense rides or gym sessions to start the muscle repair process as soon as possible. In cycling circles there's plenty of debate about whether they're necessary. My personal opinion is that there's a time and a place for them, and I do choose to use them after short races or rides that I have to travel to and from, when it's not convenient to start tucking into a meal.

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As the name suggests, this protein blend is whey based, which, unlike casein blends, is fast acting, making it ideal for gulping down directly after an event or exercise. Battle Ready Fuel (BRF) says using whey isolate and concentrate allows it to create a product that provides the highest protein hit while not compromising on consistency or flavour.

Before we dig in to whether that's true, I should point out that this is a protein shake and differs from 'recovery' shakes, as it contains very few carbs – less than 2g per serving in fact. Compare that to Torq's Recovery Drink which has 83g of carbs, or a For Goodness Shakes 3:1 with 59g and it's quite a stark difference. This is great if you're dieting or trying to lose weight/fat, but less good for topping up glycogen stores that have been depleted during prolonged exercise. Therefore, this shake is going to be best suited for after short but intense exercise, as previously mentioned, when fat loss is a goal, or as supplementary protein intake alongside a meal.

> How to maximise your recovery and build your fitness

The required two scoops of powder can be mixed with 200ml of either water or milk; I usually opt for water as it's more pleasant when warm in a kit bag. Military Whey is one of the best-mixing powders I've ever used. I used a standard shaker without a filter or one of those metal balls and consistently got a lump-free drink within about five seconds of shaking. Also, the drink doesn't take on a gritty consistency like I've found with SiS Whey Protein powder. It does get slightly thicker than water, but is just as smooth and very easy to drink.

Each serving contains 23.17g protein, 1.4g of fat and 117 calories. That's almost identical to the Named Sport Whey Protein Shake that I tested recently, and the very popular SiS Whey Protein shake mentioned above. This is no coincidence, as the typical adult can absorb about 20-25g of protein in a three to four-hour period, so any more than this in a shake would just go to waste.

One of the main selling features of Military Whey is the DigeZyme blend; these enzymes aim to optimise gut health by aiding digestion and maximising absorption. I was pleased with how well the shake both went down and stayed down, with none of the bloating feeling that can accompany protein shakes, though whether this is down to the DigeZyme mix is hard to know. A closer look at the ingredients indicates that this blend is made up of amylase, protease, cellulase, lactase and lipase. Some of these ingredients are common among other brands – protease, for example, is found in most whey shakes as it breaks down proteins making them easier for the body to absorb.

Value

Military Whey costs £24.99 for 15 servings, which works out at £1.67 per serving. This is more expensive than many similar powders, and there's also currently no discount available if you want to purchase larger quantities.

In comparison, the NamedSport shake comes in at about £1.03 per portion and provides a very similar quantity of protein, though I did prefer the taste and consistency of Military Whey.

The very popular MyProtein Impact Whey is about £1.20p per serving, or less if you buy in bulk (we tested its Whey Protein Plus back in 2015), so is much cheaper, although I do find that it doesn't mix as well and leaves me feeling significantly more bloated.

SiS Whey Protein, mentioned earlier in the review, is also cheaper at £1.21p per serving, but again the consistency and flavour aren't as good in my opinion.

Conclusion

Overall, BRF Military Whey is an excellent product that tastes great, mixes very easily, and provides a good protein hit without bloating or stomach discomfort, but it is also significantly more expensive than the competition. If you don't have a problem with the cheaper alternatives then they are the better value option, but if you have found protein shakes hard to get down or keep down, then give this one a go.

Verdict

Easy mixing, great tasting protein powder that's easy to get and keep down, but comes at a premium price