Whey protein is a mixture of amino acids isolated from whey, the liquid by-product of cheese production i.e. curds - the solid part which makes the cheese; and whey - the liquid part. Whey protein is a dietary supplement which is often used by sportsmen who use it to aid the building of lean muscle and to decrease recovery time.

Body fortress whey protein is sold at Holland and Barrett, and is priced at £24.99 for a 908g tub. It comes in 5 different flavours; chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, banana, and natural. The strawberry flavour is also available in a 2608g tub for £49.99. It is quite cheap as far as whey protein goes, but you need to remember that you get what you pay for. The composition of amino acids in the whey are key to its effectiveness at aiding recovery and building muscle, and I have read that some nutritionists think body fortress whey protein is not very good. I only ever buy this stuff when its half price so I pay £12.50 for it, and as such I know that for that price, the quality isn't going to be very good.

In the tub you are provided with a scoop which measures out a 25g serving which should be mixed with 125ml of water, milk, juice or yoghurt. Each 25g scoop provides:

- 98kcal
- 17.6g of protein
- 1.97g of carbohydrate
- 2.2g of fat (of which saturates - 0.82)
- 0.53g of fibre
- 0.04g of sodium

Also 100g provides:

- 372mg of calcium (47% RDA)
- 94.5mg of magnesium (32% RDA)
- 414mg of phosphorous (52% RDA)
- 844mg of potassium (no RDA established)

I first used a blender to mix my milkshake, which worked very well. However I was getting rather peeved at having to wash up the blender every time I wanted a milkshake (us students have a phobia of washing up!). So I tried slowly mixing the powder into a glass of milk whilst stirring with a spoon. This is almost as effective as using a blender and now this is my method of choice.

I have only ever tried the chocolate flavour, and I'm pleased to report that it tastes very nice when mixed with semi-skimmed milk. I have never tried mixing it with water, juice or yoghurt so I cannot comment on how that tastes. Similarly I have not tried any of the other flavours so I cannot comment on their flavour. I do find however that the chocolate flavour is very sickly, probably due to the high amount of sweeteners present.

Some people I know who have used this product in the past have reported that it contributes to very bad smells coming from ones rear end. I can confirm that upon researching this phenomenon that this is indeed the case. This is likely due to the high amount of protein present, and the composition of the amino acids.

In terms of the effectiveness of this product in aiding recovery it is not possible to accurately measure its effects. It is true however that a high protein diet will indeed aid recovery and the building of muscle and therefore body fortress whey protein is highly likely to contribute to this.

I think this is a good product for the price (and at least its manufactured in the UK). However if you are serious about bodybuilding or power-lifting etc. then you are better off with a more expensive product such as 'USN muscle fuel'.