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Each 60 g MuscleTech Mission1 protein bar provides your body with 21 g of 100% isolate protein, 22 g of carbohydrates, 7 g of fat, and 210 calories. There’s also an impressive 17 g of fiber, which is 68% of your RDA.
But without any creatine, L-glutamine, or BCAAs, is it better to buy a whey protein powder or RTD (Ready to Drink)?
In this review we’ll compare Mission1 to two other top-rated protein bars; thinkThin High Protein, and MusclePharm Combat Crunch.
Comparisons include the levels of protein, carbs, and fats, as well as the cost per serving, customer feedback, and total calories.
This is to guarantee you only buy the best protein bar for your current diet and fitness routine. Whether that’s weight loss, lean muscle gain, bulking, or simply to boost your daily protein intake.
MuscleTech Mission1 Ingredients
Mission1 protein bars use a high quality blend of milk protein isolate and whey protein isolate, without any of the calcium caseinate or cassein that you find in bars such as PowerBar or thinkThins.
Isolates are a very pure form of protein, typically with a protein content of 90%, compared to around 80% for the equivelant in concentrated form. e.g. Whey protein isolate is a purer form of protein than whey protein concentrate.
While they may not class as a low-carb protein bar, the Mission1 recipe delivers just 22 g of carbs per serving, together with 7 g of fat. This helps to keep the calories much lower than most protein bars, while still delivering an above average level of protein.
For comparison, the MusclePharm Combat Crunch protein bars deliver 20 g of protein, 25 g of carbs, and 7 g of fat, for a total of 210 calories. Combat Crunch bars use the same protein blend, but deliver less dietary fiber per bar (12 g vs. 17 g).
If you’re looking for slightly more protein and calories per bar, MuscleTech have also developed a protein bar version of their bestselling NitroTech protein powder.
NitroTech Crunch bars contain a slightly different protein blend, with whey protein concentrate being added to the two types of isolate. As for the macronutrient profile, each Crunch bar delivers 22 g of protein, 24 g of carbs, 7 g of fat, and 240 calories.
What’s in MuscleTech Mission1?
| Ingredient | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 200 | |
| Total Fat | 6 g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 20 mg | 7 % |
| Sodium | 200 mg | 7 % |
| Total Carbohydrates | 24 g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber | 15 g | 60% |
| Sugars | 1 g | |
| Protein | 21 g | 42% |
Protein Blend
Milk Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate
MuscleTech Mission1 – Product Summary
- 20g to 21g of 100% isolate protein
- 17g to 20g of fiber – only 5g or less of net carbs
- 0g sugar alcohols – sweetened with stevia
- No artificial flavors or colors
Weight loss or weight gain?
MuscleTech Mission1 Clean Protein Bars are designed to assist with the support of lean muscle growth and recovery, as part of a regular exercise and nutrition program.
Based on their low carb content, they’re better for weight loss or maintenance, rather than weight gain.
For weight gain, you’ll need to consume sufficient protein and enough calories from healthy foods to put your body in a daily caloric surplus. MET-Rx Big 100 (30 g protein, 47 g carbs, 400 cals) is arguably the best protein bar on the market for high carbs, high protein, and lots of calories.
Protein bars for weight loss are difficult to find. You’ll need a high protein, low calorie, low carbs protein bar that helps put your body in a caloric deficit each day.
If weight loss is your goal, you may want to check out Quest Protein Bars. They contain just 6 g of fat, 20 g of protein and as few as 170 calories.
Who are they designed for?
Runners, weightlifters, athletes, or anyone looking for a quick and easy way to increase their protein intake.
When is the best time to take it?
CLIF Builder’s Protein Bars are ideal for pre-workout/post-workout nutrition, or as mid-morning/mid-afternoon snacks.
You can also enjoy one as a nutritious snack anytime throughout the day. But as a general guide, whether you’re looking to diet or add lean muscle, carb intake should be drastically reduced after 5-7pm.
Mission1 vs. thinkThin Protein Bars
*Based on buying a box of 12 bars. Price accurate at time of writing.
Mission1 vs. MusclePharm Combat Crunch
*Based on buying a box of 12 bars. Price accurate at time of writing.
What flavors and sizes are available?
With a serving size of 60 g per bar, each box provides you with either 4 or 12 servings.
At the time of writing this review, the best value for money actually comes from the box of 4. Each bar was priced at $1.75 per serving, compared to $2.04 for the box of 12. That’s why we always recommend calculating the average cost per serving, across all flavors and sizes, before making a final buying decision.
Flavors
- Chocolate Brownie
- Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Cookies and Cream
Save money with Amazon
If you’re looking to save money on your monthly supplement order, you might want to consider the Amazon Subscribe & Save program.
Subscribe & Save allows you to unlock savings of up to 15% on a wide range of sports nutrition products, including MuscleTech Mission1 Clean Protein.
You can save 5% with a subscription to 1 product, or save the full 15% by subscribing to 5 products, provided they’re all delivered to the same address. The delivery schedule can be set from monthly, up to once every 6 months.
Although 5 products might sound a lot, if you already supplement with a protein powder, multivitamin, creatine, BCAA, and glutamine, the savings can soon add up. But it’s best to order before you run out of your current supplements, because Amazon set the day of the month each order is sent (same day each month e.g. 14th.).
Who are MuscleTech?
MuscleTech are currently one of the biggest names in fitness and sports nutrition, with products split across their Performance, Essential, SX-7, and Premium Series’.
Performance Series supplements are designed for high intensity workouts and powerful results. This includes many of their biggest names, such as Anabolic Halo, Hydroxycut, Nitro Tech, and Cell Tech. In many cases these supplements are backed by double-blind scientific studies, highlighting the benefits of adding these products to your diet.
With Nitro Tech this can mean significant improvements in lean muscle mass, recovery, performance, and strength. For Hydroxycut, this means CLA stacked with L-Carnitine and Garcinia Indica for advanced weight loss results.
But MuscleTech also have some of the most complex ingredient combinations on the market, making it difficult to decipher exactly what you’re getting. That’s why we recommend taking a look at our MuscleTech supplement guide. This includes a summary of the health benefits, which sizes and flavors are available, and dosages for the main ingredients.
We’ve also added in-depth reviews and comparisons with other top rated nutrition companies, to guarantee you only buy the best supplement for your fitness goals.
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4 / 5
So, are MuscleTech Mission1 Clean Protein Bars worth buying?
40/40/20 is a popular macro split for gaining lean muscle. This is where you consume 40% of your calories from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% from fats each day.
Opti-Bars from Optimum Nutrition have this pretty much nailed, with 20g protein, 20g carbs, and 9g fat per bar. But Mission1 Clean protein bars are a touch higher on carbs and protein. It's not a big difference, and you'll certainly still gain lean muscle when combined with resistance training workouts.
The protein blend is clean, sourced strictly from protein isolates (milk and whey), with no soy. The level of dietary fiber is also the highest we've seen from a protein bar, with the exception of Paleo Thin Protein Bars (23g per bar).
However, MuscleTech supplements do tend to be a little more expensive than other brands, and that's still the case here, with a box of 12 costing $24.49 at time of writing. That's compared to $15.99 for a box of 12 Opti-Bars.
Overall, Mission1 Clean protein bars are a little expensive, and aren't available in many flavors, especially compared to Quest Bars or RXBAR. But the macro split, taste, protein blend, and high-fiber ingredients are exactly what you need from a high quality protein bar.
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