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Is Core Power Protein Bad For You?

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Grade

D+

Short answer

Core Power Protein is not great for you. Although it offers 26 grams of proteins per serving, it also includes 26 grams of sugar—which is a lot.

Grade

D+

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Long answer

On social media and in advertisements, Core Power Protein is represented by elite athletes like Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and New York Rangers Captain Ryan McDonagh. However, despite being promoted by these powerful competitors, Core Power Protein markets the concept of “everyday awesome.” Meaning, while Biles and McDonagh might be amazing now, they started out as normal individuals with goals who found a reason to be “awesome” every single day.

Core Power promises to help support those goals with their pre-mixed protein drinks, stating: “Core Power is a delicious source of high protein nutrition and energy that helps you do more. And be more.”

It’s a nice, inspirational story—but does Core Power Protein really work? Or is it just a marketing gimmick?

First, let’s look at where exactly Core Power Protein comes from. It’s a product of Fairlife, LLC, a group of dairy farmers focused on delivering sustainable, “grass to glass” products. The company was formed with the help of Coca-Cola back in 2012, and launched officially in 2015.

Fairlife’s “ultra-filtered milk” is the base for Core Power Protein drinks. The company’s standard protein milkshake offers 14 grams of essential amino acids, 5 grams of branched chain amino acids and 26 grams of protein. It comes in three flavors (vanilla, chocolate, and banana) consisting of around 240 calories per shake. The company claims that the shakes help shorten your recovery time and reduce overall inflammation.

At face value, Core Power Protein shakes don’t seem too bad: famous athletes, ultra-filtered milk, amino acids and tons of protein. All in a convenient, ready-to-drink bottle. What’s not to love?

However, once you take a look at the ingredients listed, you’ll notice a major red flag. “Cane sugar” is listed as the second primary ingredient of Core Power Protein: there are 26 grams of sugar in every bottle. That’s a lot—the American Heart Association recommends that men limit their sugar intake to 37.5 grams per day, while women should only consume 25 grams per day.

While occasionally going over your daily allotted sugar probably won’t cause any serious problems, frequent excess sugar consumption can lead to serious health conditions. It’s been linked to tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancers and more.

Because of the high sugar content, you should pass on Core Power Protein whenever possible. Try to get your daily recommended protein intake from a healthy diet instead—lean meats, fish, eggs, and legumes are all great natural sources of protein without all the added sugar.