PepsiCo reformulates Muscle Milk with more protein, fewer ingredients

Muscle Milk is getting a sharper edge, and PepsiCo is betting that a cleaner label will matter as much as a bigger protein number. The new formula pushes the legacy shake deeper into the modern protein aisle, where shoppers are comparing ingredient lists with the same intensity they once reserved for protein grams.

PepsiCo’s reformulated Muscle Milk uses ultra-filtered milk and delivers 26 to 42 grams of complete protein per serving, depending on the product. The company says the new version removes artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors and added colors, and cuts the ingredient list to about half of what the previous formula carried. PepsiCo is positioning the shake as the only national ready-to-drink protein shake made with a high-quality real ultra-filtered milk protein source and no added colors or artificial sweeteners or flavors.

The launch is built to feel broader than a formula change. PepsiCo paired it with a nationwide Protein for All campaign and a Brooklyn pop-up in New York City, with rugby medalist Ilona Maher tied to the rollout. That fits the way protein drinks have moved out of the gym bag and into everyday routines, where convenience, taste and a cleaner ingredient deck can be just as important as the nutrition claim on the front label.

PepsiCo is also leaning on consumer confusion as part of the argument for the reset. The company says 73% of Americans recognize protein’s importance beyond the gym, while nearly two-thirds do not know how much protein they should consume each day. In a category where consumers are scanning shelves as carefully as they scan macros, that gives Muscle Milk a clear opening: make the product easier to understand, easier to trust and easier to drink every day.

The timing is no accident. CytoSport, the Muscle Milk maker, was founded in 1998, acquired by Hormel Foods in 2014 and then bought by PepsiCo in 2019, giving PepsiCo a long-held stake in sports nutrition. But the category has become a real fight. BellRing Brands said Premier Protein hit a new ready-to-drink market share high of 30% in March 2025, while Coca-Cola’s Core Power remains a prominent rival. PepsiCo has been widening its protein push across the beverage portfolio too, with products like Propel Protein Water and Starbucks RTD Coffee & Protein. Muscle Milk’s relaunch shows the strategy clearly: in protein drinks, more protein alone is no longer enough.