Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound

As a fitness enthusiast and a Science guy, I am always curious to find the real value of a supplement. What works and what does not work. More importantly, I believe the analysis of a product should be based on strong scientific knowledge base, combined with good old fashion practical use of the product, and only then one should come down to the final conclusion.

This product review and analysis was conducted based on 3 parameters

A. Constituents: What comes in the box, the real value of the product
B. Assimilation: How does this product goes down in your system, how much of it will your body assimilate
C. Usability : Long term usability and and effects.

I believe this is one of the best supplements available in the market today. The Question is Why?

1. The Quality of protein. Since its manufactured by Glanbia (who owns Optimum nutrition), this product is coming straight from the manufacturer. This is a BIG factor, 90% of the protein supplement companies source their raw materials from third parties, often importing them from third world countries.

100 grams of Whey protein isolate from one source is NOT equal to the 100 gram Whey protein isolate from another. Inferior resources usually have high level of Heavy metals and cattle Hormones. This has been elucidated from recent tests and published widely in the consumer reports. ON aced this report with minimum levels of such harmful residues. Reason is simple, they make their own whey in a plant which has to abide all regulations under US law.

Just for the point of reference. I am from India, and therefore know first hand how many poorly regulated cheese plants export their whey to Europe and US. So make sure your Whey protein is coming from Whey extracted in the US!!

The Additives

2. Ideally, I will prefer the protein powder with no artificial sweetener. But lets face it, such a product will be hard to sell. However, Golds whey keep artificial sweeter to minimum. If you check Bodybuilding.com forums, lots of consumer complain that its not sweet enough. I request all such folks to realise that is actually good for them, if you feel this product is not sufficiently sweet for you. Its better you use lesser amount of hydrant (Milk, water, juice etc), or add a tiny bit of Honey.

The Profile- The Myth about Isolate vs a Blend

3. This might be hard for some people to digest. However, the truth is 96% people who use Whey supplements, will have no additional benefits of taking an Isolate vs a Blend. Please note, when I use the word blend, I mean a product lile Golds whey which is well balanced with Whey isolate and Whey Concentrate. (not any junk product form the market). If you take the blend, you might get 1 gram of extra fat or 2 grams of extra carbs which is absolutely nothing. You can burn this by adding 1.5 minute to your jog routine or walking for 2-3 minutes. You will get the same result and effect as the Isolate, so its not worth spending extra refined Isolate. The Isolate rumor is just a Hype created by the supplement industry. I will repeat this again, if your blend is as good as Golds whey i.e you are getting 24 grams per 30 gram scoop, you don’t need an Isolate.

Who all comprise the 4% population who can benefit from an Isolate. First people who are extremely lactose Intolerant. I have used the word extremely since all good products add enzymes to digest the little amount of lactose residue in the supplement. Lactose is not a a bad thing, its simply the milk sugar. So if you are highly allergic to Lactose, Isolate will help (they have negligible levels of lactose)

Second tier of people who can benefit from Isolates are professional athletes who are pepping up for an upcoming competition. This competitive set is consuming 5-8+ scoops of Whey protein daily and therefore will benefit from reduction in additional fat or carbs.

4. Why go for Whey protein blend when you have specialized protein powders with Whey,egg and Casein.

Its simple science, Whey is just better with the best Biological value*. This means that your body will better absorb and use the protein source from Whey more than any other source, therefore no wastage. Egg is also a great resource, which is just behind Whey. However in real world it lags behind Whey substantially, even the delayed absorption rate cannot compensate much. Scientifically it has been proven that Whey is just better, since it doesn’t tax your digestive processes as much as an egg protein.

Question of Casein:
Its true that Casein has an edge when it comes to delayed absorption. Its anti-catabolic properties and slow absorption makes it an ideal night time protein. This said, its best when you take Casein in concentrated from, i.e. if you need Casein, take only Caesin, do not mix it with Whey… Why do I say this, Its a big topic based on metabolism response(will add a different thread later). One last thing 24 grams of Whey protein is NOT equal to 24 grams of Casein as the Biological value of Casein is lower than Whey.However Caesin does have its own benifit of delayed response, provided you actually need it.

*Biological Value: Biological value (BV) is a measure of the proportion of absorbed protein from a food which becomes incorporated into the proteins of the organism’s body.

Whey protein concentrate: 104
Whole egg: 100
Cow milk: 91
Beef: 80
Casein: 77
Soy: 74

Last Thoughts:
Always keep a note of how much protein you are consuming from Supplements Vs straight from the food. Ideally one should keep protein sources from supplements under 25%, but if your life style is demanding and you are unable to get hold of good meals rich in protein, you should always keep your protein dependency under 50%. In layman terms, for most of us who are looking for fitness, keep it not more than 2 scoops/day. For those who really pump some heavy Iron keep it upto than 3 scoops/day. (let me know if you wish to know the science behind this)

In the end Supplements are only Supplements. The word Supplement has a lot of Drama attached to it, as if, if you don’t take a protein shake within 30 minutes of your work out.. you will never make good gain. Total Crap. This is not a make or break factor(its just beneficial). Baring few exceptions. Supplements adds up only 20 percent of your fitness equation.

In the real world, for over 90% of us. The fitness equation is something like this.

A Intensity and Regularity of Workout: 30- 35%
B Lifestyle and Nutritional Choices: 40- 50%
C Supplements : 0 – 20%

So the most important thing is to focus on A%B. Once you have maximized A and B, think about C

I like this product. Let me first start by saying that I do not think this is “the BEST” protein product ever. However, I’ve tried many protein products and this comes rather close.

In my honest opinion, “the BEST” protein product out there would have to be “Profect” by Protica Research. It’s actually the stuff used by gastric bypass patients. It’s 25 grams of high-absorb protein in only 2.7 fluid oz that literally tastes like fruit candy. But, it’s way too expensive and a two-months supply can set you back a couple of hundred bucks easily. Because of this, it’s better suited strictly toward its medical purposes.

This product is also not the “most cost-effective”. There are plenty of other whey products out there that are much much cheaper and have just as much protein content, but they all pretty much taste like doo doo. What’s the point in torturing yourself to save a few bucks? Cost is definitely an important factor, but not the most important.

Apart from all of the hype and apart from all of the hate, I would say that I really do like this product. It tasted a bit gross with just plain water, but when I added it to a cup of enriched soymilk, I couldn’t tell the difference between it and a regular kid’s chocolate milk shake. That is amazing. And this product did mix pretty well. I usually have problems with that when it comes to powdered shakes and it’s always great when you can get a shake that doesn’t just sit on the bottom of the cup and cement while everything else just floats to the top. I even added a serving of Benefiber fiber supplement, and it still didn’t clump up.

One problem that I have with this product is that it does use artificial sweeteners, but I’ll let that slide for now, since I don’t intake too many products with them anyway. Still, it is a cause for concern for those you who want to avoid such things in your diet entirely.

Overall, 4 of of 5 stars. I’m pleased but not impressed. This product is definitely one of the superior brands out there but most definitely not a “gold standard”. A lot could be done to improve it.

When it comes to a no non-sense protein powder, one that has extras such as glutamine and BCAA’s, and at the same time has a minimal amount of fat and carbs…this is the protein to get. This isn’t a meal replacement or should be used as one, if that’s what your looking for try muscle milk which is high in protein but also other calories as well.

This is your post-workout protein shake plain and simple. I always add one banana either in the blender or just eat it separately, and when I’m in bulking phase I’ll also add one tablespoon of peanut butter and bam, you have yourself a meal replacement too if that’s what you prefer. Not to mention, its freaking delicious with the peanut butter!

One simple thing I have been adding to each shake is Citrulline Malate and Beta Alanine, Primaforce Citrulline Malate 200 Grams + FREE Beta Alanine Powder 250 Grams. My recovery time has literally been cut in half since adding this to the mix, also worth looking into if you are involved in intense training of any kind.

Here are my ratings for the flavors that I’ve tried so far.

Extreme Milk Chocolate: 5/5 stars
French Vanilla: 4/5 stars
Double Rich Chocolate: 4/5 stars
Vanilla Ice Cream: 4/5 stars
Cookies N’ Cream: 3/5 stars
Chocolate Mint: 0/5 stars

I’m a chocoholic, and Extreme Milk Chocolate is by far my favorite; I love the taste. Coming in 2nd place is Double Rich Chocolate, Vanilla Ice Cream, and French Vanilla; they are all very good. Cookies N’ Cream comes in 3rd place because the “cream” flavor can be a bit too strong; I find it helps when you mix it half and half with one of the other flavors. And Chocolate Mint is last because it has an absolutely horrid bitter aftertaste; avoid it at all costs.

If you are looking for an inexpensive source of protein to meet your daily requirements that tastes good, then I highly recommend this product.

I have been a user of Optimum Nutrition’s protein powders for many years. They usually have a good flavor, and mix well. I used to really like the dutch chocolate flavor of their “pro complex” formulation, since the early 90′s or so.

Well, lately have been trying some new flavors to see how it goes, you get tired of just chocolate and vanilla. Well, just tried this Chocolate Malt, it is good! It tastes like the Whoppers candy does. Good taste, and not aftertaste.

Also very good is the extreme milk chocolate. I like these 2 chocolates better than the “double rich” chocolate, maybe am just getting tired of that one after several years.

Cookies and cream sounds good but is not. Good at first, but odd aftertaste. Same thing with Rocky Road, I just didn’t like the taste.

Vanilla ice cream is very good. I like to add protein to some milk and take it with me in my lunch. Also good is the “Cake Batter” – funny name, but tastes good.

My wife says the Caramel Toffee is a good choice too, it smells very good at least.

The strawberry I’ve tried in the past, that was a good flavor too. Have not tried banana, coconut, etc.

So in summary there are some good flavors Optimum makes, and it is cheaper to order online vs. the retail store. Oh yes – and get a good shaker or too. My favorite is the smaller sized (16 oz?) “Blenderbottle” – it is sturdy, mixes things smoothly, and is easy to wash out. And here on Amazon it is around $6. Order a couple so you have a backup. Also great to take when you travel. Also like the Tupperware shaker bottle, that is around $10.

So I hope this is helpful info to the reader. My newer policy is to try a new flavor in as small a container as you can order. Then if it is crap, you can try to give it away, or throw it away, and you are not out so much $$.

People often say in reviews of protein powders and other health and fitness dietary products that the product is delicious. I try it and am underwhelmed. The people who rave over protein powder are clearly unaquainted with good food (that’s what comes of living on egg whites and skinless chicken breasts), or they’re comparing it to some of the really horrible stuff out there. The best I can say about the flavor of any of these products is that it’s uninteresting. So let me say that the flavor of this whey protein is uninteresting. It certainly isn’t bad. It could certainly be made better by the addition of ice cream, but that sort of seems opposed to the spirit of drinking protein powder.

I’m sold on this stuff because it passes the kid test. My kids like it. Like most kids, they aren’t into interesting flavors, and they aren’t into eating the delicious and nourishing food we put in front of them every night. Also like most kids, they like chocolate. The double rich chocolate version is convincingly chocolatey to anyone who doesn’t know better (like my kids). I put this powder in a Nestle’s Quick can and tell them it’s chocolate milk (note: I don’t actually lie and say that it’s Nestle’s Quick, but my equivocation puts me on shakey moral ground and I’m sure I’ll someday pay for it), and they’re quite happy with it. I, alas, am something of a chocolate connoisseur and can’t be so easily fooled as my kids, but still I find the flavor entirely okay. I suspect that when my children first taste real Nestle’s Quick at a friend’s house, they’ll wonder what Dad’s been feeding them and there will have to be some sort of a reckoning, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, they’re getting a pretty decent protein supplement to make up for the meat and fish that they won’t eat at dinner.

On the technical side, this powder stirs into milk fairly easily, though I find it works best if I make a thick paste by adding a little milk to the powder and then adding more milk. If you try stirring the powder into a glass of milk, you’ll never get rid of the lumps. (I haven’t tried mixing it with water and don’t intend to – that sounds revolting – but if I were going to go that route, I’d put it in the blender with some ice-cubes, a banana, a little vanilla, and a shot of chocolate syrup.) (Okay, curiosity got the best of me; I just went in the kitchen and tried that recipe and it was sort of okay; I tried it again with some blackberries and it was actually almost good.) I can’t say anything about the quality of this product relative to other protein powders (that would require a large scale study), and I have no basis on which to say that it’s a worthwhile product for body builders or for people who are simply physically active. On the basis of no apparent malnutrition in my family, it seems to do no harm. Accepting the label for amino acid composition as accurate, it should be nutritious. On the basis of price and flavor, this is a solid product.

I’m an average-skinny build 22 year old. I was looking to gain some muscle mass and build more all around body definition. Purchased the Double Rich Chocolate flavor about 6 months ago. I started to commit myself and seriously work out about 45 mins. every Other day. within 3 weeks I noticed more definition in my arms and in a little over a month and a half my stomach was getting more toned. Now after about 6 months, I’m starting to form what looks like a six pack. I’m amazed at how well this stuff works for me. I mix two scoops with 16 oz. of skim milk every morning and on workout days I have 1 serving with milk before my workout, and one after. My first 5lb. Tub lasted me about 3-4 months.

How can I complain.

The pros:

Taste: better with milk than water. try to find whey that tastes better than this. There is not much else out there.

Results: They were quick for me. But this was the fist time I used whey protein and stuck to a solid workout schedule.

Quality: Mixes easy. Low calorie, Low carb, Low fat. 24 whopping grams of protein per serving(that’s a lot!)

The Cons:

Price: All Whey protein is expensive right now but It is still well worth the money.

so…all that being said, If your a skinny boy/girl trying to build some lean muscle or If you just want to turn some excess fat into muscle, try this stuff out. Get a routine going and it should help out.