About
Ration is a blended protein made by Redcon1. It is designed to repair muscle damage from exercise, to help increase muscle growth and prevent muscle wastage.
The product is a blend of whey hydrolysate and whey concentrate. It contains 24g of protein, 2g of sugar, 4g of total fat, 55mg of cholesterol and 150 calories.
According to the Redcon1 website, you can users Ration for cooking due to its increased mixability.
Ration is – or has been – available in four flavors: “Chocolate”, “Cookies N’ Cream”, “Peanut Butter Chocolate” and “Vanilla”.
DaSlaya –
A Decent Addition to your Daily Rations!!
—-Introduction—-
38 years old and I lift 4 days a week. I have been on a quest to try out as many products as I can from REDCON1, so when Ration became available I could not pass it up. Thank you to SR and REDCON1 for making this review happen. I always keep some form of a protein powder in my stack, and lately have been leaning more towards these protein blends to fit in extra calories and protein post workout. Lets see how this ration measured up.
—-Ingredient Profile—-
As with all REDCON1 products this is a fully transparent profile. Each scoop is 35g and includes 150 calories (36 from fat), 4g total fat (1.5g saturated), 55mg Cholestorol, 4.5g Carbs, 2g sugar, and 24g Protein. The protein sources used are Whey Protein Hydrolysate and Whey Protein Concentrate. Hydrolysates have been partially broken down by exposing the protein to heat, acid or enzymes that break apart the bonds linking amino acids, which makes it taste more bitter but allows it to absorb quicker than a concentrate or isolate. Now this comes down to semantics when talking about how much quicker a hydrolysate actually absorbs, so bear in mind if the bitter taste bothers you then stay away from it. Concentrates is basically a more economical version of Whey Protein, but not as pure as an Isolate or Hydrolysate. I wish they would breakdown how much of each Protein source you are getting per scoop, but with the low carbs, and moderate calories, I believe this could fit into most peoples daily macros with no real issues.
—-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
[u]Taste:[/u] I recieved the Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor and did enjoy it. It did not taste like a Reese’s PB cup or anything like that, but you got some good chocolate notes in there and some slight peanut butter. Whether I mixed this with water or milk, I always enjoyed the flavor and never experienced any of the bitter taste a Hydrolysate could bring to the table. [u]Mixability:[/u] One of the claims of Ration is that this mixes extremely well. Granted the picture is of a blender so it makes sense. When I mixed this at 1 or 2 scoops in a blender it was good to go. However, when mixing 1 or 2 scoops with a Shaker bottle, I had some big mixing issues. In a shaker this would remain clumpy no matter how many times I shook it, and would clump up on the bottom and the sides of the shaker, making clean up a pain. This also was a waste of some protein. I recommend using a blender at all times with Ration. [u]Dosing:[/u] I took two scoops with Milk post workout, and 1 scoop with water on rest days. Obviously this is up to you and your daily macro needs on how you dose this. I like to take enough protein and calories in to keep me full for a couple hours after a workout, and then first thing in the mornings on my rest days to get something in my system if I do not want food early in the morning. There is no right or wrong way to dose a protein powder, just remember its to supplement your real food intake, not replace it.
—-Effectiveness—-
The best ways I can judge the effectiveness of a Protein Powder is on digestibility and how it fills me up. I had no problems digesting this no matter if I took one scoop or two scoops at a time. This seemed to hit my system and absorb fairly quickly, and would not cause me to have to visit the bathroom afterwards, which is a good sign. With two scoops I would stay full for close to 2 hours, which is what I try to achieve, so that worked out well. One scoop would keep me full for close to an hour. Bear in mind I always mixed two scoops with Milk, and 1 scoop with water, so the milk will add a little more to your macros. The big claims of Ration are to repair muscle damage, mixes extremely well (covered under mixability), and hydrolysate/concentrate sources. I cannot say for sure that this did aid in repairing muscles with its Amino profile, but it did not hurt either. I had no real serious case of DOMS while using this, but was also supplementing a separate BCAA product. You can see the Amino Acid Profile per serving on the label, which I include in a picture below. The other claim is that this is excellent cooking protein. Unfortunately I never cook with Protein Powder so did not give this a try, and was traveling a lot of the time on this product so did not get a chance. At no point did this ever cause any extra gas, bloating or stomach aches, so this protein did its job and kept me full until my next meal. That is why I take a protein powder, so I was happy with running Ration.
—-Value—-
You can pick this up from Amazon, Muscle & Strength or REDCON1 themselves for $64.99 for 65 servings. That comes out to about 1 dollar per serving. Overall I say this price is average and fair. However, if we find out that this has lets say 90% Concentrate and 10% Hydrolysate for the Whey, then this would change my opinion. Without knowing the true breakdown, its not that bad, like anything else there is better and worse deals out there. REDCON1 also offers discounts for Military and first responders, further sweetening the pot. I enjoyed my run on this, so I would have no issue paying 1 dollar a scoop. All things considered I workout 4 days a week, so I average 11 scoops a week, so for 65 bucks I have protein for close to 6 weeks, not so bad when you look at it that way. For this run I was trying out a lot of different options and would average 3 scoops a day on workout days, but I still managed over 40 days on this one tub!
—-Side Effects—-
None.
—-Conclusion—-
I have tried REDCON1’s Whey Isolate (ISOTOPE) and did not enjoy it. After trying Ration though I think REDCON1 has gotten the Protein game figured out, as I enjoyed everything from the taste to digestibility, to the effectiveness of keeping me full. If you are looking for a simple blended protein to help you hit your daily macro’s then I recommend you give Ration a try.
shinndigg –
A Protein That You Won’t Want to Ration…
Shout out to the folks at Redcon1 for hooking up this product to the troops. —-Dosage—- One scoop taken either first thing in the morning, or post workout. —-Ingredient Profile (7.5/10)—- Ration is a protein blend consisting of one of the fastest absorbing proteins, whey hydrolsate with a rather moderate absorbing whey concentrate. The result is a protein that’s ideal for a morning shake or a post workout product. With 24 grams of protein per 35 gram scoop, you end up with about 69% (giggity) protein ratio, not too bad. —-Mixability (8/10)—- As standard fare for most proteins now, this product mixed well. A few shakes in a standard shaker yielded a nice smooth shake with no unpleasant lumps. —-Taste (9/10)—- I sampled cookies and cream, which had always been my favorite flavor of protein, and this did not dissapoint. This was one of my favorite versions of cookies and cream I have tasted. Very delightful flavor, and not over powering and no lingering after tastes. A well done recipe by Redcon with this one. —-Effectiveness (7/10)—- As any good protein should be, this was a good foundation for my recovery and nutrition. With a decent protein ratio and blend, this product hit the spot for post workout nutrition, or as a way to start the day off well. —-Value (8/10)—- The best price I found was on Amazon for 68 bucks for a tub of 65 servings, or 96 cents a serving. This is a solid value for a hydrolsate based protein. —-Conclusion and Verdict—- Ration is a quality protein product that mixes well and tastes great. It hits you with fast and moderate absorbing proteins making it a versitile product. It comes at a reasonable price tag per serving for what you get and will last you awhile. I give it a solid thumbs up and Shinndigg Seal of Approval!