Introduction:
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard is one of the most popular whey protein supplements on the planet! In fact, it is ranked the number one, best selling supplements at BodyBuilding.com. But, is this supplement even worth all of the hype surrounding it, and is the price really fair when there are many competitors out there that offer the same things (ideally), for a lower price? Well, that is why I am here to review my experience with three different 5 lb. tubs of this product. I have tried the Extreme Milk Chocolate, Cake Batter, and Strawberry Banana flavors. Read on to see how they rank against each other and against other protein powder supplements!
Price:
At more than $50 for a 5 lb. tub of Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, it is one of the more expensive protein powders out there, especially for a basic one that doesn’t include anything other than protein powder. Some other protein supplements cost much more because they aren’t just protein, and contain things like creatine, extra glutamine, simple carbohydrates, etc.
Taste:
Dare I say Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard is one of the best tasting protein powders out! The Cake Batter flavor is completely delicious, but I did find that the texture of it in a shake wasn’t as good as expected (more on that in the Texture section). The Extreme Milk Chocolate flavor is definitely the best flavor for just shakes. Cake Batter is better if you want to make homemade protein bars (I made an awesome protein bar that tasted like yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting using the Cake Batter flavor and some chocolate pudding mix!). The Strawberry Banana flavor is good all around, just not as good as the others. If you are worried about the flavor of your protein, Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard is by far in the top 3 of any kind I have tried!
Quality of Ingredients:
The high price of this product basically relates to the quality of its ingredients (as well as how in demand it is!). The quality of the ingredients is excellent, containing more whey protein isolate than whey protein concentrate, meaning the protein is more bioavailable for use in the body. The larger amount of whey protein isolates is also good if you are looking for a post-workout protein shake, as they digest a bit faster. However, if you are just looking for a protein shake to have at random times, you can look elsewhere for a cheaper protein supplement that will do just fine.
Texture:
The texture is definitely great with Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard. The Extreme Milk Chocolate and Strawberry Banana flavors are awesome to just mix with some milk. I am more of a milk man when it comes to protein shakes because it adds some extra whey protein, as well as casein protein from the milk. I have tried all three flavors in water as well, and it does combine much better than other protein products I have tried. However, the Cake Batter flavor foams up way too much for me to enjoy in a shake. I decided to order another tub (Strawberry Banana flavor) to use for shakes and just use the Cake Batter flavor for protein bars.
Effectiveness:
The thing about protein powder supplements is that you don’t really tell the difference because it only makes minor changes. When using them, you will recover a little bit quicker, gain a litter more strength, reduce catabolism, etc., but these things do not change much on a day-to-day basis, so the effectiveness is hard to judge, unless you take the product for a year, and then compare it to a different product you take for a year, etc. However, this product does have a reputation of working great, and it did for me as well.
Recommended Usage:
I wouldn’t use Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard for anything other than a post-workout protein shake. It tastes great, mixes great, and has great ingredients, but it is pretty expensive. If you were to just take a few scoops a day throughout the day, you would go through it pretty quickly and need to order more, adding to the expense more and more every time. If you want a protein shake supplement to use throughout the day, just buy a cheaper one and only use Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard post-workout. I would recommend all three flavors: Extreme Milk Chocolate, Strawberry Banana, and Cake Batter, to everyone. However, be warned that the Cake Batter flavor does create quite a bit of foam and isn’t the best for a shake. Instead, just make some awesome tasting protein bars!
Overall:
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard is one of the best protein powders out there. Can you get close to the same quality for a lower price by going for a different brand? Sure. However, you can’t really beat the taste, texture, and variety of flavors that Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard offers. Out of 5 stars, Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard gets a 4.5 from me!
