Forza Gro Protein is one of those products that seems to fly under the radar a bit.
One thing is for sure, if you want to up your calorie intake quite significantly and boost your protein and carbohydrate intake for gains in size, this is a product that will help you do it.
But is it healthy? Is this product not only going to help you get bigger, but do it in a beneficial, or at least, not harmful way to your health?
Here’s an in-depth review of Forza Gro Protein.
About Forzaone/ Forzagen
Forza Gro is a product from the company, Forzaone.
To be completely honest with you, aside from this information on the registration of Forzaone in 2011, I can’t find any other information on the actual company.
However, there is a company called Forzagen that now stocks many of the products that used to fall under Forzaone. So it seems they changed their name.
In the Why Forzagen section, there is the promise of supplements that boost your health and help you reach your fitness goals all with safe and healthy ingredients.
Let’s see if this product backs up those claims.
What Is Forza Gro?
Forza Gro is a supplement that helps you gain weight, specifically, muscle mass. The macronutrients are present in beneficial quantities to do this.
A four scoop serving provides a whopping 780 calories. Given the crazy amounts that bodybuilders need to eat to bulk, I can think this supplement would be a welcome addition to the diet.
I know I would prefer to drink some of those calories rather than eating humongous meals and snacks that are potentially very bland.
Forza Gro, Yay or Nay- The Short Version
Overall, this is an okay supplement. It comes in vanilla or chocolate peanut butter flavor.
You get a more than decent amount of protein, carbs, and fat. There are also added vitamins and minerals so this powder can be used as a meal replacement shake if you’re in a bind time-wise.
This supplement contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) which may benefit your exercise endurance and help with fat burn.
I’m also quite impressed with the fiber content at 8g.
If you don’t do well on whey protein, or if you have an egg, soy, or milk allergy, this supplement isn’t for you. The chocolate peanut butter flavor also contains peanuts.
The sodium content is also a bit high, especially if you are going to take it multiple times a day.
Plus, it contains the artificial sweetener, sucralose, which could negatively impact your gut microbiome.
Forza Gro Protein: An In-Depth Look
Let’s dive straight into the pros and cons. Bear in mind that these pros relate specifically to those who want to gain weight. This is definitely not a weight loss powder or the average protein powder.
Pros:
- The high calorie content is helpful for bulking
- The high protein content is beneficial for muscle and strength gains
- The carbs and MCT oil help to boost and/or maintain your athletic performance
- The sugar content is low
- The vitamin and mineral content is 50% and above for the RDA (except for iron, which is at 20%, as this will cause malabsorption)
- The fiber content is decent compared to other products
- It’s easy to use, just mix 4 scoops with water or your choice of milk
Cons:
- Not safe for those with soy, milk, egg, or peanut (if you choose the chocolate peanut butter flavor) allergies
- Sucralose may cause negative changes in the gut microbiome
- The artificial sweetener may leave a chemical after-taste
- Magnesium oxide may cause diarrhea in some people, especially if you take more than one serving a day
A Look at the Key Features of Forza Gro
The High Calorie Content
You should be eating at least 300 calories above maintenance to gain muscle. The number of calories you need is going to increase every month if you’re training hard and making gains.
Eating that much food can be tedious even for the biggest foodies. Especially if the diet consists of a lot of chicken breasts and eggs.
If you want a shake that not only provides plenty of protein but a large calorie bump too, this supplement is what you’re looking for.
Plus, it doesn’t taste too bad. If the artificial flavor that sucralose tends to impart to food and drink is bothering you, there’s no rule that says you can’t add fruit or veggies.
Yip. Veggies. Vanilla actually goes surprisingly well with carrot and cabbage. Heck, here’s a recipe for a savory veggie dish that contains vanilla bean along with broccoli and asparagus too.
A huge calorie bump that’s tasty, yes, please. Plus the fiber content is at 9g, not bad for a shake. You need between 25g and 30g of fiber per day to stay healthy and keep your gut regular.
The High Protein and Carbohydrate Content
A single serving provides you with 45g of protein. You should be consuming between 1.6g and 2.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight.
This supplement goes a long way to up your protein intake.
You also require between 3g and 5g of carbs per kilogram of body weight. The carb content of this shake is 135g.
MCT Oil
MCT oil has become quite popular in the last few years, especially with those on a ketogenic diet.
But it also has benefits for athletes that still include carbs in their diet. This study suggests that it may increase exercise endurance.
It may also have modest, but certainly helpful effects on your body composition.
If you’re looking to grow your muscles, might as well make sure you get rid of the poochy so you can see all your hard work.
The Vitamin and Mineral Content
Although Forza Gro isn’t really marketed as a meal replacement, if you did find that you’re too busy to eat, you could certainly use it as one.
With all the nutrients, except iron, at 50% and over for the recommended daily allowance (RDA- based on 2000 calories a day), you don’t need to take a multivitamin and mineral supplement too.
As long as you’re eating veggies along with your protein sources, you’ll be giving your vitamin and mineral intake a good boost with this supplement.
A Look at the Ingredients List
This is the label from the Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor.
Maltodextrin
While this substance isn’t harmful in and of itself, it can spike your blood sugar. Forza Gro is high in protein and contains fiber which may prevent this.
But if you are concerned about your blood sugar levels, it’s best to steer clear of this supplement.
Sucralose
Artificial sweeteners are weird in that we expect that they would be healthier than sugar.
But did you know that aside from the possible impact on your gut, they may raise your blood sugar levels?
Research is still ongoing regarding this issue, and there is some evidence that shows that this only happens if a person doesn’t regularly consume artificial sweeteners.
But if you are diabetic, it’s something to consider.
A caveat to this is that at least sucralose is listed last on the ingredients list. This likely means Forza Gro doesn’t contain a lot of it. Ingredients are usually listed from the highest quantity to the lowest.
Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar according to the FDA, so it isn’t needed in large quantities.
Soy
Studies show that soy has a lot of health benefits. But processed soy doesn’t have the same benefits. Forza Gro contains soy in the form of soy lecithin.
While soy lecithin isn’t harmful, it’s quite processed and in this case, it isn’t organic either.
Soy is one of those crops that get sprayed quite a bit with pesticides, particularly GMO soy, which is generally what’s used to make lecithin.
In some people, soy may cause a hormonal imbalance. If your hormones feel out of whack when consuming soy, then you may want to avoid Forza Gro.
Artificial Flavors
I didn’t put this as a con, because not all artificial flavors are harmful. In this case, we don’t know what exactly the manufacturers of Froza Gro use to flavor the powders.
But I’m inclined to believe they stick to approved flavorings.
You can find Forzagen’s contact number and email address on the site or alternatively, start a live chat through the site to ask any questions that are niggling you about this product.
The Verdict
I’m not a fan of sucralose and would recommend that you look for a supplement sweetened with sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol or stevia, which is derived from the stevia plant.
These are much healthier sugar substitutes.
But honestly, you could do worse. If you find that you like this product and that your body feels good when you take it, then, by all means, use it.
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