Our ReviewGarden of LifeSPORT
It might surprise you that Garden of Life which boasts that they are fanatical about what goes into their products is actually now owned by Nestle. So how does Garden of Life Sport which claims to be All-natural and Organic stack up? Find out more in this review.
Ingredients
Garden of Life Sport contains a protein blend made up of Organic Pea Protein, Organic Sprouted Navy Bean, Organic Sprouted Lentil Bean, Organic Sprouted Garbanzo Bean and Organic Cranberry Protein (seed). The largest and most significant protein contribution is made by the pea protein.
To this, they have added an Organic Flavor Blend which includes Cacao, Carob, Chocolate Flavors, Vanilla Flavor, Sea Salt and Stevia Extract. These make up the chocolate flavor and sweetness of the product. We like that it doesn’t just include cacao as this tends to provide a bitter dark chocolate taste, but this product also includes chocolate flavoring and carob for a more rounded chocolate taste.
They have also added a natural Organic Muscle Recovery Blend which includes Apple Fruit Pulp, Tart Cherry, Turmeric, Blueberry, and Goji Berry Fruit. Apple contains ursolic acid which has been shown to enhance muscle growth. This comes from the skin of the apple, but we are not sure if this is included as part of the apple pulp. Tart cherry has been found to reduce muscle soreness and breakdown. Turmeric has been found to reduce muscle damage and inflammation. Blueberry has also demonstrated an ability to reduce muscle cell damage and helps minimize soreness and reduce muscle fatigue.
The last nice addition to this powder is a dose of the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis in the amount of approximately 2 million good bacteria. This should aid with digestion and prevent any discomfort or potential issues with gas and bloating.
Effectiveness
Sport provides 30 grams of protein in a 44gram serve, which makes this product 68.2% protein pure.
That’s a decent protein hit with pretty low carbs for a plant-based product. However, for those seeking weight loss, this probably isn’t the most ideal product, but for athletes, this will be quite effective for the development of lean muscle and should also assist with muscle soreness and fatigue.
Taste
Sport mixed up very well into both milk and water. We were surprised that it even gave a nice creamy texture in water and with a mild but pleasant milk chocolate taste, without being overly sweet.
We do understand there is possibly some inconsistency in flavor between batches. This is likely due to the nature of the wholly organic ingredients which tend to vary somewhat in composition. Without the addition of artificial’s, this is the expected nature of the product. We tend to soup up our flavors anyway with ingredients of our own choosing.
Value
Garden of Life Sport is a surprisingly great value at times but its price tends to fluctuate a fair bit. We have seen it as low as around $20 or as high as $50 for 5 pounds. In general, though it comes out at pretty good value if you shop around. We tended to find the best prices on Amazon.
The average product price tended to provide better value than alternative vegan products. However, it also packs a great protein punch with added nutrients for muscle recovery as well as a probiotic. We think that makes for fantastic value. This ingredient list is one we would expect from a company like PlantFusion, though from PlantFusion we would expect a higher price tag. We think this product is an exceptional value choice for those that demand naturally sourced vegan products but care about costs.
Conclusion
For a plant-based product, Sport offers good protein density with a mild but creamy flavor and at a pretty great price. We especially like the muscle recovery blend and the probiotic they have added. While this product comes at a below-average cost, it offers above-average natural ingredients with some clever purpose.
Where to buy?
The protein matrix includes the primary protein components included in this product. These protein sources are listed in order of volume from greatest to least in the product.
This diagram provides the digestion profile for the protein types contained within this product. The chart plots the digestion of the included protein types over an hourly timeframe. All profiles have their advantages depending on your goals. More information regarding digestion and timing can be found in our guides.
The cost indicators provide a relative cost comparison with all protein products. The lower the score the better!
The "Product Cost Indicator" provides the comparative product cost, as a whole.
The "Protein Cost Indicator" provides a comparative cost based on only the protein component. While this can be useful for comparing products excluding fillers, many additional ingredients can provide additional benefits and value.
Note: Products that serve a dual purpose, such as mass gainers and ketogenic powders don't include the "Protein Cost Indicator".
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