My Current Favorite Products

What it is: A carbonated, zero-sugar energy drink in a 12 oz can. Orange Creamsicle is one of four MAC flavors, alongside Forbidden Green Apple, Proper Punch, and Macberry Lychee.

Why the formula stands out: Most cans stop at caffeine and B vitamins. MAC layers in 2 g of goBHB (a branded beta-hydroxybutyrate ketone salt) and 250 mg of Cognizin, a clinically studied branded citicoline used for focus, on top of 200 mg of PurCaf, a caffeine sourced from green coffee beans.

Who it's for: Anyone who wants a real-dose energy drink with a creamsicle flavor that tastes like a dessert, without the sugar.

What it is: MuscleSport's flagship Lean Whey Iso-Hydro in a limited-edition Monster Cookie flavor. Each 35 g scoop gives you 25 g of protein from a cross-flow micro-filtered whey isolate and hydrolyzed whey blend, at 130 calories.

Why the formula stands out: It's a Supp Chef formulation with real inclusions: actual cookie pieces and white chocolate chips in the scoop, which is why the texture is so different from a standard flavored whey. The added matrix brings Fibersol-2 (a soluble fiber), MCTs, L-carnitine tartrate, and CLA.

Who it's for: Anyone who wants their daily protein to taste like dessert. Heads up: because of the cookie pieces, this flavor contains gluten, plus milk, wheat, soy, and tree nuts.

What it is: A protein-packed hot cereal from MuscleSport's Cream'd Rice line, built to taste like a New York bacon, egg & cheese. Mix one scoop with a cup of water or milk and microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Why it stands out: Cream of rice is a bodybuilding staple carb, but it's almost always sweet. This one goes savory: egg white protein and collagen peptides for 15 g of protein, bacon-flavored bits, cheddar cheese powder, and an everything-style sesame and poppy seed seasoning. 26 g of easy-digesting carbs and zero sugar.

Who it's for: Anyone who runs cream of rice as a pre-workout or breakfast carb and is tired of the sweet flavors. Contains egg, milk, and soy.

What it is: The flagship pre-workout in Dragon Pharma's Derek Lunsford Signature Series, the line built with the two-time Mr. Olympia. Sour Gummy is one of seven Venom flavors.

Why the formula stands out: It's a true fully loaded pre: 400 mg of caffeine, 8 g of L-citrulline for pumps, 3.2 g of beta-alanine, 2.5 g of betaine, and 2 g each of L-tyrosine and D-ribose. It also runs branded ingredients like VasoDrive-AP and elevATP, plus a focus stack with Alpha-GPC and kanna. (Doses are from Venom's published label.)

Who it's for: Experienced, stim-tolerant lifters only. 400 mg of caffeine is a lot; if that's too much, Dragon also makes Venom Essential at 200 mg. Contains milk.

What it is: Unmatched Supps' first bar, 16 months in development and built to extend their Longevity line. Each 60 g bar packs 20 g of protein. It's launching in Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and Apple Cinnamon Danish.

Why it stands out: Most protein bars are built around sugar alcohols and fillers. The Longevity Bar uses gluten-free oats, healthy fats, and prebiotic fiber, then adds functional mushrooms and Yüth, a branded spermidine. It's naturally sweetened, with no sugar alcohols, refined vegetable oils, dyes, or fillers.

Heads up: This one is listed as coming soon on Unmatched's site, so join the VIP list there to get it first. Full nutrition panel to come at launch.

What it is: I-Prevail's second-generation intra-workout, combining carbs, aminos, and hydration in one scoop, so you're not mixing three products into your jug. Mix one scoop in 12-16 oz of water and sip through your session.

Why the formula stands out: 25 g of Carb10, a pea-starch carbohydrate that's easy on the stomach, carries the fuel. 5 g of 4:1:1 BCAAs are paired with the rest of the essential amino acids, 3 g of L-glutamine, 1 g of L-ornithine, and 1 g of creatine. Sodium from pink Himalayan salt plus potassium covers hydration.

Who it's for: Anyone running long or high-volume sessions who wants fuel and hydration during training without caffeine.

What it is: Creatine monohydrate in a sugar-free, pectin-based gummy. Four gummies give you the full 5 g daily dose, with 1.25 g of creatine in every gummy.

Why it stands out: A lot of creatine gummies are underdosed, so you'd need a handful to reach 5 g. Wild Gainz lists the full 5 g per serving on the label, and the Wild Peach flavor is sugar-free, sweetened with sugar alcohols and stevia.

Who it's for: Anyone who forgets their scoop of creatine or hates the gritty texture. Heads up: the sweeteners are sugar alcohols, which can bother some stomachs in larger amounts.