Product Review: BSN Syntha-6
Type: whey/casein protein blend
Price on Allstarhealth.com: $24.50 for 2.91 lbs./30 servings
IMHO: Normally I’d be a bit reluctant to endorse a protein that has 200 calories per serving, but I’d have to say in general I would recommend BSN Syntha-6 to anyone looking for a high quality blend. Now when I say “high quality” I’m not just talking about taste or results but also the price that goes along with it, and at about a dollar a serving when you include shipping, I’d say Syntha is one of the more luxurious type products out there. Having said this, I’ve definitely enjoyed my tub of Banana Creme. First thing to be said of course is that the taste is extremely good, right up there with Muscle Milk (though I still think Muscle Milk is king). Mix in with some milk and you do have that milkshake taste as advertised; you’ll never be reluctant to take your protein with this product.
As I said before I was a bit reluctant in taking Syntha-6 because of the high caloric content per serving, but when I did take this (which was usually in the morning or before bed) I never noticed an increase in my bodyfat and I did feel like I was increasing lean mass though I can’t really prove it. In all, I’d say if you got the money, go for it and see how it works for you. If you can afford to take Syntha-6 as directed I have no doubt you’ll make good gains while enjoying your protein shakes throughout the day.
Now for a couple caveats, which by the end’ll make it sound like I’m opposed to Syntha-6 which I’m actually not but take what you will. First off, I only actually took a full serving of Syntha-6 a couple of times – the rest of the time I’d take only half a scoop and mix it with milk. Obviously this is no way to take a supplement. If you expect results you should probably take it as directed. So why didn’t I? In a word – expense. The directions actually say you should take 2 to 4 servings per day. Hoooly crap that’s a lot of money spent goin’ down your gullot. If you’re a pro and you need upwards of 300+ grams of protein a day then this is fine, but if you’re a hobbyist strength trainer like myself and you’re downing 2-4 full scoops of Syntha-6 a day, beyond your normal intake of whey before and after your workout, then you’re either lazy or rich. Ideally you should be getting your protein from food sources whenever possible and to take that much of this product daily is ridiculous.
I also don’t like the fact that the first ingredient in this “sustained release protein powder” is whey. For the money you’re paying ($45.99 if you go to GNC) I think casein should be the first ingredient and then whey. Granted this is no dis on BSN; I’m not actually sure if there is a protein blend out there where casein is listed first, but if there isn’t there oughta be. Given this as well as the fact that BSN doesn’t tell you the exact ratio of what’s what in the ingredient list (for all you know you could be getting 90% whey and then some casein and egg thrown in the mix)…well you get my point.
So there’s my lackluster somewhat spastic endorsement. Again if you got the money go for it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, but I’ve gotta say I’ve started to stray from protein blends altogether. For my money I just buy whey anymore and then get my slow digesting proteins from the sources themselves like eggs and cottage cheese. But go with your pocketbook.
Addendum: Since posting this review I did find that my old tub of Cytosport EvoPro blend actually did have casein listed before whey, which is awesome and I did have a good experience with that particular product. Too bad it’s been discontinued. There’s still a few tubs out there for sale on the net though.
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