Prolab Lean Mass Complex Meal Replacement Shake Review!
Note: Lean Mass Complex has been discontinued.
Prolab’s Lean Mass Complex (formerly called Lean Mass Matrix) is one of the more comprehensively-formulated meal replacement products (MRPs) on the market today. While I am a fan of the convenience offered by MRPs, many lower cost brands are chock-full of cheap, high glycemic fillers. Not so with this product; there does appear to have been a real effort to develop a quality product here, and kudos to Prolab for that.
Lean Mass Complex delivers a precise 40/40/20 ratio of protein to carbs to fats—perhaps a little too many carbs for some, but I’ll explain why this is less of an issue with Lean Mass Complex than other meal replacement supplements.
Lean Mass Complex contains 40 grams of protein per serving from whey (concentrate and isolate), caseinate, and milk protein concentrate, but that’s not what makes this product stand apart from others.
No, what I like the most about Lean Mass Complex is the fact that it derives its carbohydrate content from barley, brown rice and oat flour, as opposed to the usual suspects; sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltodextrin and corn syrup solids.
Maltodextrin is found in most meal replacement supplements, and despite its misleading name, is nothing more than hydrolyzed corn starch.
Maltodextrin can further be described as “glucose polymers”; a blend of glucose, maltose and a few other saccharides. Worst of all, it has a glycemic index equivalent to glucose. Maltodextrin is cheap, plentiful, and often used to improve “mouth feel”. As far as delivering any real nutritional value, maltodextrin doesn’t accomplish anything much, although it’s fine for a post-workout carb.
By developing a comprehensive, low-to-moderate glycemic index carb formula (containing 4 grams of fiber per serving), I found Lean Mass Complex to be one of the few meal replacement shakes I can consume without a piece of fibrous fruit to maintain stabilized blood sugar levels. Being moderately hypoglycemic, this is a big issue for me. Since stabilized blood sugar levels are critical for weight loss (and weight maintenance/management), Lean Mass Complex is an ideal meal replacement shake for dieters.
And of course, no MRP is complete without a comprehensive vitamin blend… and Lean Mass Complex has that.
As you’d imagine with a meal replacement shake formulated without maltodextrin and various other sugars, Prolab’s Lean Mass Complex is nowhere near as rich tasting, nor as thick as the leader in this category—EAS’ Myoplex Plus.
That notwithstanding, this is not a bad tasting shake. It tastes significantly better than Cytodyne’s now discontinued Cytoplex, and is very similar to SportPharma’s Nutriplex. Flavors are limited (chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon-oatmeal), and I experimented with the chocolate.
One thing to keep in mind though; when mixed with low fat milk, a full shake will top the scales at slightly over 550 calories. Throw a tablespoon of your favorite friendly-fat blend, and you are way over 600 calories.
Depending on your size and your activity level, this may be appropriate for you. Women and smaller, less active individuals will probably want to consume this shake in two portions (making your supplement dollar go further), or investigate Prolab’s low-calorie MRP option, Naturally Lean Complex.
Of course, a superior meal replacement shake also means an elevated price — you can expect to pay a few extra dollars for Lean Mass Complex — well worth it, in my opinion, especially if weight management is of prime concern. Last I checked, BodyBuilding.com sold a 20-packet box for 43.99—which boils down to a very reasonable $2.20 per meal. Try spending that on your drive-thru meal!
If you’re in the market for a decent meal replacement product, this is definitely worth experimenting with!
