Overview
When looking for a protein powder to purchase, one of the biggest things you want to look for is the amount of naturally occurring Leucine, an amino acid which promotes the insulin response and triggers protein synthesis. There are other contributing factors, like overall protein content, as well as protein to carb to fat ratios, but for us crossfitters it’s key to find protein powders that have higher doses of naturally occurring leucine in order to trigger that muscle protein synthesis post workout (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21775557) Ascent claims to have 2.7 grams, per serving of Native Fuel Whey which is marginally (about .05-06g) more than what you would find in a serving of salmon. But at 25 grams of total protein per serving, you really can’t go wrong, especially since it’s got a decent amount of leucine to promote that protein synthesis after your workout before you dig into your post workout meal. We only doc a star due to the fact that the packaging isn’t very clear on BCAA, ratios, but we do like the pictorial reference graphics.
Taste
Let’s just say we really like the taste of this stuff, we bought 2 bags of Native Fuel Whey Lemon Sorbet flavor from Regionals back in May, because the stuff is crack. This stuff literally taste like a lemon sandwich cookie, it also doesn’t have a weird after taste like the churro flavored whey from SFH, we’re guessing it’s partly due to the monk fruit sweetener Ascent uses. Another awesome thing about the taste of Native Whey, is that it mixes easily and isn’t heavy on the stomach, it’s a pretty clean tasting protein in terms of body. And if you leave it in your shaker bottle for a day or more, it actually won’t smell like death when you open your shaker.
Price
This stuff is also pretty decently priced. I’m not sure if this played a factor into their pricing model, but at $41/2lb, it doesn’t feel like you’re selling your soul to make gains, especially when you consider Gold Standard Whey from Optimum Nutrition will run you about $22/2lb and on the extreme end you’ve got Progenex…we won’t go there… But if you’ve got some extra cash, or you don’t want to spend too much on supplement’s but still want good taste it’s a great alternative option to some of the other budget protein powder brands. With the amount that most of us spend on Crossfit gyms here in the bay area it’s nice to see a brand that isn’t out to get our every dollar.
Summary
We really wanted to put together a brief review of our thoughts on using Native Fuel Whey from Ascent over the last few months. And it’s safe to say this is definitely a young brand we are looking to see more from in terms of supplement offerings for crossfitters. It looks like they are trying to sell supplements from a more scientific point of view as opposed to trying to use fancy buzzwords. And we definitely understand that there are some smoke and mirrors when it comes to supplement companies, but when it comes to taste and price point, its a brand we feel comfortable purchasing from. It’s also at a price that doesn’t do too much damage to the wallet and it’s got a taste that keeps us wanting more with just the right amount of ingredients to aid in muscle recovery.