If your goal is to build muscle, burn more fat and get the most out of your training, then above all other supplements you need the best protein powder of 2017 to accomplish those goals. One of the easiest ways to get in optimal amounts of protein to build more muscle is by using protein powder, more specifically whey protein powder. But with so many choices out there, just what is the top protein powder of 2017? This seems like a daunting task to many due to sheer amount of choices out there, but the choice of your protein powder can play a vital role in your muscle building goals.
As fitness professionals, we have been asked this question more times than I’m sure we can even count and for that reason, we have decided to put together a list ranking the best whey protein powder choices on the market today. This is to help you save time, save money, and possibly even more importantly, help you build more muscle faster.
Ultimate Guide To The Top Protein Powder of 2017
| Picture | Name | Servings | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ON Platinum Hydro Whey | 40 | $$$$ | 5 | |
| ON 100% Whey Gold Standard | 74 | $$ | 4.9 | |
| Cellucor COR Whey | 26 | $$$ | 4.8 | |
| Muscle Pharm Combat | 26 | $$$ | 4.5 | |
| Dymatize Nutrition Elite Whey Protein | 62 | $$ | 4.3 |
All Protein Is The Same Right?
Most people assume that all protein powders are the same and it’s just a matter of how much companies are willing to charge. This is something even us fitness professionals have thought at one point as well, but the reality is that this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The reason this is assumed is because most people don’t really know much about protein or, for that matter, where the best whey protein powder actually comes from and how it’s produced.
We won’t bore you with a bunch of “how it’s made” talk here, but what you need to know is that most protein powder comes from whey. Whey is a leftover substance from milk that occurs after there is the formation of curds. It gets a lot more complicated after that when it comes to how the whey is used to create protein powder, but what you do need to know is that many companies will skimp on this process to make things cheaper. By skimping on the process in which the whey is converted into powder, they save some money, but the result is a lackluster protein powder. The top protein powder companies will not skimp on this process and therefore will provide a stellar product.
5 Pounds Is Not Always Five Pounds
The most popular size of protein that is sold is in 5 pound jugs or bags. So when you see two products that are both 5 pounds and one is $50 and the other is $40, most people go with the $40 offering because it’s cheaper. But what you probably don’t know is that in the long run, that cheaper made protein powder will end up costing you more money in the long run.
You’ll remember we already talked about how the whey protein is made is a major part of the quality of the protein powder. Furthermore, the companies that skimp on that process do so not to pass the savings onto you, but so that they can make a larger profit. They will fill their protein powders with fillers and it will have more carbs and fats as a result of this process. Let’s break down how it actually costs you more money in the long run.
To see how this can shake out, let’s look at an example below:
– Protein Powder #1 sells for $40
– Protein Powder #2 sells for $50
You may think protein powder #1 is the better deal right off the bat, but let’s look closer.
– Protein Powder #1 has 50 servings
– Protein Powder #2 has 75 servings
The servings per container should get you thinking a little more about what protein is the better choice, but let’s break it down further by looking at how much it costs per scoop.
– Protein Powder #1 is $.80 per scoop
– Protein Powder #2 is $.66 per scoop
So if we assume that you will use 70 scoops of protein powder a month (pretty average among bodybuilders), we can see how this breaks down on a yearly basis.
– Protein Powder #1 will cost you $672 per year
– Protein Powder #2 will cost you $560 per year (That’s a savings of over $112!)
You can see now how what seems like a good deal when you buy it can actually end up being more expensive in the long run. The top protein powders may be a little more expensive when you compare it to other offerings, but in the long run, you will save money and you’ll also get better results from all your hard work, as you’ll be consuming a high quality product.
Our Top Protein Powders Reviewed
Dymatize Nutrition Elite Whey Protein
Dymatize Elite has been around for many years and it has been a best seller during that time period for good reason. One thing they have always strived to provide is quality protein with an incredible taste that makes it easy to drink. What’s the use of the a protein powder if it doesn’t taste good? On top of the fact that it has a great flavor, this protein also has a blend of whey protein and whey protein isolate, which is one of the fastest absorbing and most efficient proteins available. It has a total 25 grams of protein per scoop, a solid 5 grams of amino acids, 3 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fat. All this together makes a solid protein powder that will help you reach your fitness goals.
Muscle Pharm Combat
It seems that every product from MusclePharm ends up in the top 5 in one way or another. It’s for a good reason – they just make quality supplements that do what they are supposed to do. Their protein powder Combat is no different. Combat is a unique protein powder than most of the other protein powders out on the market today. First and foremost, MusclePharm makes products for athletes, so they use the best ingredients for their products. But what makes Combat unique is that it has a blend of 4 different types of whey protein. It has whey protein concentrate, isolate, hydrolysate and casein protein. Casein is unique in that it breaks down over a longer period of time. So by having it in their blend, your muscles will be getting nutrients for up to 8 hours after training. Each scoop has 24 grams of protein, 5 grams of carbs, and 1.5 grams of fat. Top that off with it’s great taste and you have a quality product that delivers.
Cellucor COR Whey
When Cellucor set out to make a protein powder, they stated they had 3 goals: make a protein powder that delivers pure protein, great tasting flavors, and all at a great price for the customer. We are glad they did because they deliver on all these fronts. They use quality protein sources with whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate, and they also deliver it in a low calorie package, which is great for those dieting also. At 130 calories per scoop, it’s one of the lightest protein powders around, which means in each scoop you’re getting just what you want, more protein. Each scoop has 25 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs, 1.5 grams of fat and 5.5 grams of BCAA’s as well. Did we mention it tastes pretty great also?
ON 100% Whey Gold Standard
When talking about the top protein powder it won’t take long before you hear about the Gold Standard Whey from Optimum Nutrition. That’s because it’s just that, the gold standard for the past decade for protein powders. It has been awarded the top protein powder for over 9 years now and walks the line better than any other protein powder at offering quality ingredients, with great taste all at a great value to the customer. Some companies make a really great tasting protein without quality ingredients, while others go high quality and horrible taste. Gold Standard has the best of both worlds on top of the fact that you get over 72 servings per container which is the most of all the leading brands. Each scoop has 24 grams of protein, 3 grams of carbs, 1 gram of fat, and over 5 grams of amino acids.
ON Platinum Hydro Whey
The only protein powder that can top the Gold Standard Whey is from the same company (sibling rivalry anyone?). The newest and best protein offering from Optimum Nutrition is their Platinum Hydro Whey. This protein utilizes hydrolyzed whey protein, which to save you lots of nerd talk is the fastest digesting protein ever made. This means once consumed, it gets into your bloodstream quicker and gets to the work of helping those muscles recover from those workouts. It’s also almost completely pure protein in a scoop, or as close as you can get to it. Each scoop has a whopping 30 grams of protein, but only 3 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fat. That makes it the leanest protein powder on the market, not to mention the fastest absorbing as well. It also has no lactate for those that are lactose intolerant and over 9 grams of branched chain amino acids per scoop. Definitely the cream of the crop when it comes to the best whey protein powder.
Want A Protein Powder That Tastes Great?
Protein powders work great to help build muscle and recover from intense workouts but if you don’t like how they taste then it’ll be hard for you to use them frequently. Well we have put together a review of the top protein powders based on how they taste. They are still high quality proteins but these are the protein powders that will leave you wanting more and feeling like they are a treat.
