Body Fortress Whey Protein Review (Chocolate)
At the time of this edit, the 5 lb (2.3 kg) tub of Body Fortress is out of stock, but you can grab a 1.78 lb (.8 kg) tub using the links.
Protein powder is a pillar supplement in the diets of many different people. It has become particularly synonymous with the fitness world and people who participate in workout regimens of all kinds.
This is because protein, and the essential amino acids that we get from it, is a huge part of what helps us recover from our training sessions and come back bigger, stronger, and better over time.
Protein powder isn’t just for the gym dwellers and bodybuilders out there. As humans, we are required to take in a minimum amount of protein per day, and while we can absolutely get that from food sources, protein powder offers a fast and easy way to get that into our diet as an alternative.
Choosing the right protein powder can be tough considering the endless amount of flavors, brands and types of protein that are out there.
In this article we are going to talk about a very popular protein powder, BodyFortress Super Advanced Whey Protein.
This protein powder is a Whey protein and comes in a variety of flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, chocolate peanut butter and cookies & cream.
In this article, we are going to review the chocolate flavor.
If you decide to purchase this protein powder using any of the links in this article, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Disclaimer: None of the information in this article is intended to be medical or health advice. Always consult with a qualified physician before taking part in any exercise or fitness regimen, as well as any type of supplement intake.
These are also my opinions. You and others’ tastes and preferences may vary.
For those of you that want the main takeaways upfront, I will lay them out for you right now. Keep on reading below this table for more in-depth information regarding this protein powder.
| Key Takeaways |
| Mixes incredibly well. In all of the ways it was used, Body Fortress whey protein powder dissolved seamlessly and smoothly. |
| Formulated with a whey concentrate. and whey isolate blend. |
| Fairly mild chocolate flavor and not overpoweringly sweet. |
| As a stand-alone ingredient, the strength of the chocolate flavor may not be enough depending on your own personal tastes and preference. Adding my own sweetener did enhance the chocolate flavor for me. |
Main Criteria & Details
There are a few key elements we are going to focus on as we cover this protein powder, and those are:
- Ingredients & Nutritional content
- Taste
- Mixability
- Price
When it comes to ingredients and nutritional content, we are going to focus on the amount of protein per serving, protein blend, as well as certain other ingredients that might show up on the label.
Taste, mixability, and price are pretty straightforward. We will see just how chocolatey this flavor is, how well it mixes in a few different scenarios, and at what price point this protein powder comes in.
Ingredients & Nutritional Content
Each single scoop serving is 50 grams and supplies us with 30 grams of protein. That single serving also comes with 4 grams of fat and 8 grams of carbs, for a total of 200 calories per scoop.
As you can see here, an evenly topped-off scoop is actually about 56 grams. This isn’t a big deal for most people but might be worth noting for someone who meticulously tracks their macros.
This 5 lb (2.3 kg) tub contains approximately 45 scoops.
Im around a 1 scoop per day guy, so this whole tub lasts me around a month and a half.
The type of whey protein found in BodyFortress chocolate is a blend of whey concentrate and whey isolate.
Most whey protein powders will come in this blend unless specifically stated that it is 100% whey isolate.
Let’s break down some of the differences between these two types of proteins.
Whey protein concentrate – after processing, whey protein concentrate is usually up to and around 80% protein, with the remaining 20% carbs and fat.
Whey protein isolate – after processing, whey protein isolate contains at least 90% protein and 10% carbs and fats. Whey protein isolate is processed even further than concentrate, and has nearly all of the lactose removed which makes it great for people who are lactose intolerant or sensitive to lactose. It is also a bit more pricey.
Since whey protein isolate contains less fat and carbs, it also may be a better choice for someone who wants less carbs and fats in their protein powder for whatever their reasons may be
Based on the order of ingredients on the list, as well as the slightly higher fat and carb content per serving, it is safe to assume that this contains higher amounts of concentrate versus isolate in this blend.
Fortunately, as far as all of the benefits that we are looking for from using a whey protein powder in regards to building our bodies and supplementing our diet, we get from both types of proteins so this blend should work just fine for most people.
Body Fortress whey also contains all 9 of the essential amino acids which our bodies can not produce on our own, therefore we must get them from outside sources.
At the bottom of the label you can see that this whey protein includes what they call a Super Recovery Blend containing creatine monohydrate, L-Glutamine and Taurine.
Creatine is stored by the body in our muscles where it can be used for energy. This energy may help us be able to perform better and do more work over time in our chosen form of exercise, which could lead to more imporovements. The common reccommendation is to supplement with 5 grams of creatine per day, at whichever time is convenient for you.
This protein powder supplies 1.5 grams per serving, so keep that in mind if you already supplement with a separate creatine product.
Check out https://examine.com/supplements/creatine/ for an in-depth look at this ingredient.
L-Glutamine (also referred to as simply Glutamine) is one of the amino acids that make up the 20 amino acids in protein. It is a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning that it is only essential during certain circumstances such as illness or pregnancy. Its usefulness in muscle building and athletic performance has not been shown reliably.
Check out https://examine.com/supplements/glutamine/ for an in-depth look at this ingredient.
Taurine is considered a conditionally essential nutrient because it can be produced by the body, therefore the average healthy adult does usually not need to be concerned with being deficient. Taurines main benefits have been seen in those with cardiovascular risk factors as well as treating patients with heart failure. In regards to athletic performance, it is unclear whether or not Taurine improves strength, but may show a small benefit in reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (D.O.M.S.) and improving strength recovery after exercise.
Check out https://examine.com/supplements/taurine/ for an in-depth look at this ingredient.
For me, having this included doesn’t make or break my decision on buying this protein powder. I would still buy it even if it weren’t in there, but I suppose it’s a nice bonus for what it’s worth.
One final note for anyone with certain allergies, this protein powder is produced in a facility that also produces peanuts, tree nuts, egg, wheat, soy, sesame, shellfish and fish.
Taste and Mixability
Taste and mixability are two factors that are important to consider when choosing a protein powder.
We want it to taste as authentic as possible to the flavor advertised as well as mix in smoothly to whatever we are adding it to. I can’t imagine many people like drinking a clumpy protein shake or eating gritty oatmeal.
Instead of just trying it in protein shake form, I went and tasted this protein powder in the 3 most commons ways that I use it; in a shake, in oatmeal, and in greek yogurt.
What I was paying most attention to was the texture as well as the strength and sweetness of the chocolate flavor.
Shake:
For the shake, I used water as my base, and used a ratio of 8 ounces of water to 1 scoop as per the directions.
I found that it mixed in really well after shaking it vigorously two or three times, with no visible clumps floating around. The shake went down smoothly with no feeling of grit or undissolved protein particles whatsoever.
The chocolate flavor for me was pretty mild. It didn’t hit me like a chocolate milk would.
With that being said, it definitely wasn’t overpoweringly sweet which I’m happy about, since for me, that makes a protein powder tough to enjoy.
However, I did add a bit of artificial sweetener halfway through, and that did bring out a bit more sweetness and chocolate flavor which upped the taste and enjoyment for me.
Me personally, whenever I do make a shake I often add other ingredients such as peanut butter, banana, honey etc. which does end up creating a delicious chocolatey shake.
Oatmeal:
In my oatmeal, I used a single serving (40g) of old fashioned oats cooked with water as per the directions, and 1 scoop of protein powder mixed in after.
When I first started mixing, I thought that I was going to need more water as the mixture didn’t seem to be coming together and stayed clumpy. But with continued mixing it all came together just fine and dissolved nicely.
Aside from the pieces of whole oats remaining, which I like, the texture was smooth and the protein powder blended in perfectly with no traces of clumps or grit.
I can describe the taste here in a similar way as the shake we spoke about earlier.
The chocolate flavor was fairly mild and didn’t burst out at me but was not overly or chemically sweet.
I did add a little artificial sweetener halfway through and like the shake, it increased the sweetness and brought out the chocolatey flavor more in my opinion.
It’s worth mentioning that whenever I have oatmeal, I always add a little artificial sweetener at the very least, if not something more like peanut butter and the occasional banana.
In this way, for me, it becomes very enjoyable, and the chocolate flavor does come out very well in relation.
Greek Yogurt:
My greek yogurt turned out very similarly to the oatmeal and shake in regards to taste and mixability.
I used one serving of whole milk greek yogurt and one scoop of protein powder.
The protein mixed in seamlessly which resulted in a creamy smooth texture with no sandiness or clumps at all.
Once again, with just the protein alone, the taste was that of a mild chocolate pudding. It reminded me of a chocolate pudding pack, though just a bit less sweet.
As before, I went and added a bit of artificial sweetener halfway through and that did kick up the chocolate flavor.
When I make this for myself on almost a daily basis, I will add sweetener and some sort of mix of banana, honey, peanut butter and granola which once again really goes well with the chocolate and makes a great snack I keep as a staple in my diet.
Price:
At the time of this edit, the 5 lb (2.3 kg) tub is currently unavailable, but you can grab a 1.78 lb (.8 kg) tub for $22.98, which is an excellent price even for a tub that is slightly under 2 lbs (.91 kg).
Pretty much every 2 lb (.91 kg) tub I’ve come across has been at least $30 with most being more expensive than that, so .
So as far as price is concerned, this does seem to fall in range with the typical price of a tub this size.
Conclusion
So is Body Fortress chocolate whey protein powder a “buy”?
For me, it absolutely is when you consider the price point that it comes in at. This is a great option for any of us who are supplementing on a budget, allowing us to have a protein powder and all of the benefits it brings without hurting our wallets too much.
And while I have had some chocolate protein powders that offer more of a “pop” of chocolate in the flavoring, this more than gets the job done for me as someone who likes to add other ingredients into their shakes, yogurts and oats.
