Well, they’ve officially done it! The wait is over. The G.O.A.T Mat Fraser, along with the Buttery Bros. (Heber Cannon and Marston Sawyers) recently launched their supplement company Podium Nutrition. The launch includes protein powders, pre-workout and a BCAA and electrolyte blend. So in celebration of the new brand, we bought all three protein powder flavors so we can give you the first Podium Nutrition review.
The hype is real because some of their protein powder flavors have already sold out a few times so we’re excited to give these Podium Nutrition proteins a try!
Podium Nutrition – The Back Story
How It All Started
Mat, Heber and Marston didn’t just go into business with any company. They were sought out by two hardworking entrepreneurs Jeremy Osborne and Paul Haverland. These guys have previous experience creating and building supplement companies and wanted to create something specific for the CrossFit market. Together they all joined forces to test out and generate products based on experience, efficacy, and honesty.
Podium Nutrition’s Current Products
With their initial launch, Podium’s product line includes:
- Podium Whey (protein)
- Podium Fuse (pre-workout)
- Podium Hydro + Salt (BCAAs + Electrolytes)
Podium Nutrition Protein Powders – the Breakdown
While we’re excited to try all the products that Podium has to offer, we decided to start off with their protein powders. Let’s dive into what makes the Podium Whey unique and if it tastes any good!
The Flavors
Manufactured in the United States, Podium started their launch by offering three unique whey protein flavors.
Peanut Butter Crunch
Maple Butter Pancake
Coffee Ice Cream
What’s In It?
Similar to GHOST protein, Podium is committed to fully disclosing what’s in their products. Each product item is printed with a detailed disclosure label that includes the protein breakdown.
Each serving of Podium Whey has a minimum of 25g of whey protein and contains Digezyme®, a unique blend of digestive enzymes.
Specifically for the Maple Butter Pancake flavor, the 25g of protein is broken down into:
- Whey Protein Isolate: 87%, supplying 13.5g protein
- Whey Protein Concentrate: 77%, supplying 11.5g protein
Each flavor of Podium also contains zero added sugar. Two of the three flavors are also gluten and soy free, except for the Peanut Butter Crunch flavor.
What Are Digestive Enzymes?
The main responsibility of digestive enzymes is to break down your food. Each type of enzyme tends to digest certain parts of food.
DigeZyme® is made up of Amylase, Protease, Lactase, Cellulase and Lipase which all serve specific purposes.
- Amylase works on digesting starches
- Protease focuses on digesting proteins
- Lactase is easy to remember because it sounds like what it breaks down, which is lactose
- Cellulase breaks down cellulose into more simple sugars
- Lipase helps the body digest fats
What’s the Difference Between Whey Protein Isolate and Whey Protein Concentrate?
There are some significant differences between Whey Protein Isolate and Whey Protein Concentrate. Whey Protein Isolate spends a lot more time getting processed. That processing time increases the amount of protein while also decreasing the amount of carbs, fat and lactose content. Because of the additional processing time required, Whey Protein Isolate gets to be pretty pricey.
For now, there isn’t much evidence to say that either Whey Protein is better than the other. But for those of us wanting to watch our carb intake or that have more of a lactose intolerance, higher percentages of Whey Protein Isolate may suit better.
Does It Pass the Taste Test?
Here is the part you’ve all been waiting for…how does the Podium Nutrition taste?
In order to get the daily amount of protein for my body, I’m someone who usually drinks at least one protein shake a day. So I was pumped to see that this list of flavors was so different! While I know they’re safe bets for most palettes, the fact that it wasn’t another vanilla or chocolate option was exciting. Other brands have been there, done that and I was ready for something new. And don’t worry. Podium Nutrition delivered when it comes to new flavors.
Maple Butter Pancake
The Maple Butter Pancake flavor is truly that. You can legit taste the sweetness of the maple syrup, mixed with the buttery goodness of a pancake. But be warned. This flavor is SWEET. After the first sip, I went back and added water to it. While it was good on its own, I see myself using this flavor more for baking or overnight oats. It will be great for the nights when I’m craving something sweet!
Coffee Ice Cream
Have you ever had the Super Coffee brand bottled coffee from the grocery store? To me, this tastes exactly like the caramel flavor of Super Coffee, especially the after taste. I’d say as far as all of these protein powders go, there is a very specific after taste to all of them. But this particular flavor I wouldn’t say carries a strong ice cream taste but certainly has a hint of coffee in it. When you look at the powder it actually have flecks of dark roast coffee extract which is a nice touch.
Peanut Butter Crunch
Are you a peanut butter fan like me? Then you will agree that Peanut Butter Crunch is by far the best flavor! Taste tests are hard because it is all based on personal opinion. So you need to know that my love for peanut butter is strong and may sway my decision. I could probably eat a peanut butter sandwich every day (and did for lunch in middle school) and never get tired of it. So take this taste review for what it’s worth. But for me, there is a great creamy peanut flavor. There also seems to be less of the artificial taste at the end of this flavor too. Therefore, to me, the clear taste test winner is the Peanut Butter Crunch flavor.
A Note About the Protein Powder Itself
Introducing us to fun, new flavors in the supplement market has made Podium’s protein powders interesting. But it’s the texture of this protein powder that makes it truly unique. Maybe there are other protein powders out on the market that are like this that I don’t know about. But this protein is almost more like a protein dust than a protein powder. The powder is so fine that it easily leaves a little residue on your fingers when you use the scoop.
To be clear, there is not a thing wrong with the fine powder! It’s just truly fascinating and has me curious if it allows for easier absorption? Something for us to research further, so stay tuned!
Also, everyone needs to take a moment and appreciate the larger protein powder scoop that’s inside each Podium Nutrition protein powder. Two out of three scoops were easy to find in the tubs, which are much better odds for us than usual. I appreciate their attention to detail!
Where to Get Them?
Announced this week, Podium Nutrition just signed an exclusive deal with GNC. GNC is fully stocked in stores and online with all the Podium products. Podium’s own website also sells the products but seems to go out of stock at lot quicker – at least in these first few weeks since the release.
Podium is helping push the supplement company standards and we are here for it. If you’re like me and artificial after tastes don’t bug you, you’ll find that the flavors of each of the Podium Nutrition protein powders are really good. We can’t wait to dive into more of the products that Podium Nutrition has to offer and look forward to giving you the next review!
In the meantime, if you’re looking for more protein powder reviews, check out our favorite GHOST protein powder flavors. Thanks for checking out our little part of the web and let us know your thoughts on the Podium Nutrition supplement line! #notasponsor
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References:
- https://www.321podium.com/
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/digestive-enzymes-101-why-theyre-important/
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320823
- https://morningchalkup.com/2021/08/31/mat-fraser-and-the-buttery-bros-launch-first-podium-nutrition-products-in-the-us-today/
- https://public.ornl.gov/site/gallery/detail.cfm?id=143
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/lactose-intolerance
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/whey-protein-isolate-vs-concentrate
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/podium-nutrition-signs-exclusive-deal-with-gnc-301383887.html
2 Responses
do you have unflavored whey protein powder?
Podium doesn’t sell any unflavored whey protein powder at this time. But I did find the brand Naked Whey has some available on Amazon that has a ton of good reviews. I have not personally tried it, but could be a good option if you’re still looking?