Optimum Nutrition Protein has been on the market for many years. It has become among the most popular brands of protein powder on the market. I would venture to guess that it is the most popular protein supplement on the market.
Most experienced bodybuilders live on Optimum Protein Powder. It is a high quality protein that tastes pretty good. It also mixes very well. Its very easy to drink.
What makes Optimum Protein so popular? Well, as mentioned above, the taste and mixability helps, along with the price. You can often find some great deals on the stuff on the net. Optimum protein powder is a personal favorite of mine that I have used for many years. They have several different types of protein powders. They specialize in it.
The most popular protein is the Gold Standard 100% Whey. You get a lot of bang for you buck with this stuff. It tastes pretty good without a bunch of added filler. There are a couple of flavors that I am not too fond of, but for the most part they are good tasting products.
Optimum Gold Standard 100% Whey contains (per scoop):
120 calories
1 gram of fat
4 grams of carbs
24 grams of protein
5.5 grams of BCAAs
4 grams of glutamine and glutamine precursors
It contains whey isolate (micro filtered whey isolate, ion-exchange whey isolate, and hydrolyzed whey peptides or Hydrowhey) and whey concentrate protein along with digestive enzymes (aminogen).
Another Optimum Nutrition Protein juggernaut is Pro Complex. This another very popular protein. Users like it because it is packed with protein and aminos. It also mixes very well. It doesn’t taste as good as the Gold Standard 100% Whey, but it tastes good enough. I have taken this on several occasions. I actually like to use it while dieting.
Pro Complex contains (2 scoops):
260 calories
.5 grams of fat
4 grams of carbs
1 gram of fiber
60 grams of protein
14 grams of BCAAs
10 grams of glutamine and glutamine precursors
Vitamin/mineral blend
aminogen
Pro Complex contains several sources of protein:
Whey isolates
Egg albumen
Glutamine peptides
BCAAs
Whey peptides
Ion-exchange whey
The newest Optimum protein powder on the market is Hydrowhey. Hydrowhey is hydrolyzed whey protein. I talked about it in an earlier post. It tastes very good for a hydrolyzed whey and it mixes very well.
Hydrowhey is a very fast digesting protein. It would be a good protein to use post workout. I would probably limit it to that time of day. You could always mix it with other ingredients to slow down the digestion.
Hydrowhey contains (per scoop):
140 calories
1 gram of fat
2 grams of carbs
30 grams of protein
8.8 grams of BCAAs
I am a big fan of Optimum’s protein powders. They are a very reputable company. They make high quality products. If I were to rank all the proteins on the market, This brand would be at the top of my list.
Platinum Hydrowhey by Optimum Nutrition will be another popular protein very soon. If it isn’t already. Optimum already dominates the protein powder market and they have for years. Hydrowhey is just another quality addition to their protein line.
Hydrolyzed whey protein is digested very fast, making it perfect for someone doing protein pulse feedings or someone needing protein after their workouts. You also get extra BCAAs and digestive enzymes in Hydrowhey making it even more effective. Speaking of BCAAs, you don’t get a couple grams, you get almost 9 grams PER SCOOP! That is a ton of BCAAs in a serving of protein powder. You get that and 30 grams of protein per scoop. Yes, per scoop.
It is low in carbs, fat, and pretty much everything else…except protein.
How does Platinum Hydrowhey taste? Good, very good. I can only speak for the vanilla, but I love it. It has a vanilla marshmallow kind of taste to it. It mixes about as easy as any protein can mix. In liquid it is very thin so it is easy to drink. All in all it is a great product. It is a quality protein powder that tastes good. You can’t go wrong on this one.
Optimum Nutrition also recommends taking Hydrowhey:
- In the morning when you wake up
- Before workouts with carbs and creatine
- After workouts with carbs and glutamine ( I would forget the glutamine)
Add in casein protein powder at bedtime and you have a great protein stack that will supply your body with aminos all day long and into the night while you are asleep.
