Review: I Tried CBD Protein Powder and I Didn’t Turn into Joe Rogan

If you told me that cannabis and wellness—specifically fitness—went hand-in-hand five years ago, I would have been highly skeptical. Cannabis’ past rep as a ‘depressant’ whose users were more likely to be featured on a couch near you than at the local iron pump was firmly in place then, but today it’s creeping more and more into the modern exercise lexicon. 

Thanks to man-centric pundits like Joe Rogan, cannabis and workouts are getting the link they deserve, but the bearer of the message usually either resembles the said flesh-colored ninja turtle, or an overly-aioli yoga princess. Neither fits my vibe, and though I work out regularly, I actually hate it. 

Let’s be honest, sometimes it really just isn’t pleasant to run a mile like a hamster in a brightly colored wheel…but we gotta do what we gotta do.

This is why I’ll try any ole smoothie, tincture, cookie, or vape to banish sore muscles that I make to keep my brain happy, and CBD-infused protein powder sounds pretty promising. 

Vaital Organics was kind enough to send team Emerald some of their new product, Supercharge + CBD, and I was kind enough to funnel it into my bod for the sake of science.

First impression is everything, and because Vaital didn’t use nasty Stevia to sweeten this chocolate flavored drink powder, it didn’t taste like alien sugar, but blessedly just like the real deal. 

It claims to boost energy and post workout recovery, so that is how I consumed it: once as a sub for afternoon coffee (fail) and another time on normal caffeine batteries after an ass-kicking at the gym (great).

The “super” mushroom rich and surprisingly tasty bev went great with my powder go-to— almond milk—and created a chocolatey delight that didn’t taste like gravy, stuffing or pate, but more like a drinkable brownie. Coincidence that it has weed in it via CBD, I think not. 

Overall I didn’t like it to ‘replace’ coffee but found a definite well of energy even without my afternoon cuppa, but it really stood out after my workout where I went extra hard to try to rustle up some soreness to fight. All of the ingredients’ anti inflammatory powers really didn’t let that happen, and even on the second day when the pain is usually pretty annoying, my muscles feel light and tight in a good way. 

While protein shakes may be the purview of human-penis-pump-types like Rogan and the gun/MMA/freedom loving set, if it’s gonna scare off soreness from ruining my day, I’ll drink to that.