This is a very big category in sports nutrition and one that should certainly be used if gaining maximum muscle without adding fat is your goal. Meal replacements basically provide a “perfect-meal” without all the bad things like fat, cholesterol, and sugar that come with eating whole food.
In reality, a good MRP really is not a meal replacement because you could not structure a whole food meal that would contain all the nutrients in just one packet. They contain a special blend of different proteins to regulate the rate of nitrogen delivery to your muscles. A good MRP should also contain approximately 25 – 30 grams of slow release complex carbohydrates for optimum insulin release for enhanced nutrient uptake.
MRPs also allow you to be very precise with your nutritional intake. On average, each packet with 16 ounces of skim milk provides about 60 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 40 grams of carbohydrates (EAS, AST are the best). These really are perfect meals for maximizing muscle growth.