I’m sure most of you are familiar with Vega – one of the big players in the vegan market. They currently have 5 different protein powders: “ Vega Sport ”, “Vega One”, “Vega Protein & Greens”, “Clean Protein” and “Vega Protein Smoothie”. Each one of them is marketed to specific audiences and have different formulas.
In this post we are reviewing the product Vega Sport, the one with the highest protein ratio and also BCAAs, which makes it a product aimed for strength athletes and people looking for building muscles.
TASTE & TEXTURE:
This product is offered in 4 flavors: Mocha, Chocolate, Vanilla and Berry. All of them are really sweet and even candy-like, mostly because Vega uses Stevia as a sweetener. This is not one of those chalky old-school protein powders – it’s actually very smooth and almost feels like it was made for children. As most people are really fond of sweets, no wonder the Vega Sport is a best-seller.
On the other hand – if you don’t like the sweetness of Stevia – this product is not for you. Oh, and they’ve added tart cherry for its antioxidant properties and other health benefits, so every flavor does taste a bit like cherry. Again: most people love that, but if you’re not a fan of cherry then stay away!
The powder is very thin, which gives a smooth texture and makes it ideal for smoothies and even recipes like vegan proteic brownies, since it’s not a chumpy, grainy product. In fact it’s so thin that you need to hold your breath as you scoop it out so you don’t make a mess! But in our opinion the smoothness overcompensates for the messiness factor – it’s much better than a thick powder.
VEGAN SOURCES OF PROTEIN:
Some people are worried about not getting all the essential amino acids from a vegan diet – and this product addresses it with a combination of proteins from pea, alfafa, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed, making it a complete source of protein.
You probably noticed that most vegan protein powders just use rice protein and/or pea protein – because, as you probably guessed, they’re the cheapest to produce. That’s why the Vega Sport is a great choice, using protein from legumes (alfafa & pea) and seeds (pumpkin and sunflower) – so it’s a grain-free, gluten-free supplement with a healthy combination of protein sources and a good amino acid profile.
OTHER INGREDIENTS:
Besides the actual sources of proteins and Stevia for sweetness, Vega also adds some other ingredients to pack more benefits on the product. We listed them below along with a brief description of their “superpowers”:
Tart Cherry
- Reduces inflammation and uric acid levels
- Reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and type 2 diabetes
- Has antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties, and some studies suggest it fights cancer cells.
Turmeric Extract
- High amount of antioxidants
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Considered the most effective anti-cancer herb.
Black Pepper Extract
- Increases the properties of Turmeric by 20 times.
Most people don’t know that, but any kind of intense exercising actually triggers an inflammatory process in the muscle tissue. Vega Sport uses those 3 herbs to actively reduce the inflammation and speed up muscle recovery!
And finally, Vega Sport also has Probiotics to aid the digestive process.
COST:
Ok, everybody knows that Vega products are usually pricier than the other less trendy brands. However, the price tag is not important at all – because each product has a different weight, serving size and protein ratio. Try to remember that and NEVER AGAIN compare protein powders just by looking at the price tags.
What you really need to know is the COST PER GRAM OF PROTEIN.
This is the equation to find it:
Product Price ÷ (Weight ÷ Serving Size) ÷ Grams of Protein per Serving = Cost per Gram of Protein.
Not a fan of math? Here’s the cost breakdown:
Product Price: Depending on where you buy it, you can find the Vega Sport for $40.
Weight: The container is 29.2oz (828g).
Serving Size: One scoop is 41g
Protein per Serving: Each serving has 30g of protein.
$40 ÷ (828÷41) × 30g = $0.066 per gram of protein.
See? This formula is the only way to make sure the smartass marketing guys aren’t deceiving you by changing the size of the scoop, using bigger containers or decreasing the protein ratio.
If you can find the Vega Sport priced at $40, you actually pay $0,066 per gram of protein. If you apply that equation to similar products from other brands, you’ll see that Vega Sport is just a tiny bit above the market average. So you’re buying a high-quality best-selling product for a reasonable price.
VEGA SPORT: SHOULD YOU BUY?
Let’s do a quick recap:
Taste: Good, maybe a bit too sweet for some people. Smooth texture is a plus!
Sources: Nice variety, good amino acid profile. Grain-free, gluten-free.
Other Ingredients: The 3 herbs help to speed up muscle recovery.
Cost: About 10% pricier than average.
This is one of the best products in the market right now. The only cases where I wouldn’t recommend the Vega Sport is if you don’t like the sweetness of stevia and/or don’t like the taste of cherries.
But if you have no problems with stevia and cherries, then you should buy the Vega Sport right now! There’s a very strong chance you’ll love it – and a smaller chance you’ll just feel it’s not a perfect match. But in any case you won’t regret it, because this is a high-quality product made by a trustworthy brand.
Need to do more research before buying?
Check out our other detailed reviews on the links below:
SUNWARRIOR WARRIOR BLEND REVIEW
SPROUT LIVING EPIC PROTEIN REVIEW
Or just read our most famous article “THE 5 BEST VEGAN PROTEIN POWDERS” for a brief analysis of all those products!
Thanks for visiting VeganProteinGuide.com, and have a good reading 😉
PS: Check out this new Vegan Cookbook with muscle gaining recipes!
