High-Quality Protein Bar

93%
Excellent Protein Option

MusclePharm Combat Crunch Bar is one of the best-tasting, easiest-to-eat protein bars I’ve ever tried. The ingredients are stellar, the manufacturer is good, and it just tastes great.

  • Ingredient Quality
  • Safety
  • Price and Availability
  • Taste and Texture

MusclePharm has a new protein bar available: Combat Crunch Bar. This supplement takes the strength of MusclePharm’s popular Combat Powder and made it a convenient bar.

I’m a big fan of the Combat protein powder, so I was excited to see it in a bar version. Of course, the only way to know if something works is to try it yourself and look at the ingredients, and that’s what I did.

How Does It Taste?

MusclePharm has always offered a wide variety of flavors, and Combat Crunch Bar is no different. It’s available in:

• Chocolate brownie
• Chocolate chip cookie dough
• Chocolate peanut butter cup
• Cinnamon twist
• White chocolate raspberry
• Cookies and cream

I’m a sucker for peanut butter cups and cookies and cream ice cream, so I got a few bars in those flavors.

No protein bar is going to eliminate the tell-tale protein aftertaste, but I was very surprised with the flavor. It wasn’t dry, flaky, or overly sweet. It does have a slight crunch, like, well, a Crunch bar.

The bars are baked, gluten free, and low-sugar, which may contribute to the overall flavor and texture. I was very pleased.

How Much Does It Cost?

The downside to buying new products is the cost, and you’re not going to escape that with Combat Crunch bars. The retail price is $41 for a 12-bar box, but I was able to find 2 stores that have it for less than $20.

eSupplements is obviously the best deal, but they only carry 4 flavors, and BodyBuilding.com offers 1 bar as well as boxes.

Personally, I’d pick eSupplements, but that’s because they have the flavors I like, and I’m not interesting in paying shipping, especially for 1 bar.

That’s about $2.40/bar, which puts it in the high-end spectrum of protein bars, similar to Quest.

How Much Protein Is Included?

Each bar contains 20 grams of protein. MusclePharm has chosen to use protein isolate instead of regular concentrate.

Whey Isolate

The purest form of protein, whey isolate is up to 98% pure protein and digests over a 4-hour period. It’s the best protein choice for athletes limiting carb/fat intake and those with lactose intolerance. [1]

I’m glad to see isolate instead of concentrate. If whey concentrate was used, the total protein would be up to 30% lower.

20 grams is similar to other protein bars like Quest or Pure Protein.

Is It Worth It?

I’ve tried dozens, if not hundreds, of different protein bars. At the end of the day, the high-end bar I’m going to keep using is going to be the one I enjoy eating the most.

MusclePharm Combat Crunch Bar is one of the best-tasting, easiest-to-eat protein bars I’ve ever tried. The ingredients are stellar, the manufacturer is good, and it just tastes great.

The only downside is the slightly high price, but I’m willing to pay a little more for a protein bar that tastes great without sacrificing quality. I highly recommend MusclePharm Combat Crunch Bars.

References

[1] Boirie Y, et al. “Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1997 Dec 23;94(26):14930-5.