Optimum Nutrition 100 Whey Protein

100 Whey protein is made by Optimum Nutrition. They are a highly reputable company that’s been around since 1987 so you can trust their products. I’ve become a huge fan of this company over the years and have been impressed with every one of their products that I’ve tried. They are definitely a favorite company among those who use nutritional supplements. Enough about the company, let's talk about the product!

100% Whey protein is a pharmaceutical grade protein blend of whey protein isolates, whey protein concentrate and hydrolyzed whey. This makes for a powerful combination of the best whey proteins with a superb balance of essential and non-essential amino acids, along with a high concentration of branch chain amino acids.

The best part about this product is the taste. Unlike the majority of whey protein supplements, 100 Whey protein has a smooth, clean taste. 100 Whey protein has seven flavors including chocolate mint, chocolate (my favorite), cookies and cream, rocky road, strawberry, tropical punch, and vanilla.

The chocolate is so good that it tastes like the Nestle Nesquik chocolate mix I drank when I was a kid. It tastes great with milk or water. If you've tried whey protein supplements in the past and didn't care for the taste and texture, I promise you, you're going to love this product!

Another nice thing about 100 Whey protein is that it is an instantized formula, which is a fancy way of saying it mixes easily. Unlike other whey protein supplements, you don't have to shake this product until your arms fall off. A couple swirls of the spoon and you have a fully mixed, ready-to-drink protein shake - without any clumps. There's nothing more disgusting than drinking a protein shake with clumps!

Optimum Nutrition has recently made changes to the formula of 100 Whey protein and has changed the name to 100% Whey Gold Standard. You can still buy the old formula under the old name, 100 Whey, but I suspect sooner or later they'll phase it out completely - and why wouldn't they?

The new formula has the same great taste but has become an even higher quality protein supplement. The best part is Optimum Nutrition hasn't increased the price and they say they won't in the foreseeable future. That's good news for us who love this product!

So what's the difference between the old and new formulas? Well, the good news is the new formula has the same great, smooth, clean taste and the same incredibly affordable price as the old formula! The only changes that have been made have been "under the hood" so to speak.

The new formula now provides more whey protein isolates, which is one of the highest quality whey proteins. The addition of more whey protein isolates has decreased the overall fat content of the new formula, which makes sense since whey isolates have virtually no fat.  The old formula had 1.5 grams of total fat per serving, while the new formula only has 1 gram of total fat per serving. 

As the label clearly says, 100% Whey protein it is a fast-acting, or fast-digesting protein supplement.  This is because it has whey protein isolates and hydrolyzed whey protein, which are digested relatively quickly in the body.  100 Whey protein should only be used immediately after a workout or as a snack in between meals.  This is not a slow-burning, or slow-digesting protein like casein.  As a result, this is not a product you would want to take in the morning with the assumption it would give you an energy boost "throughout the day." 

The overall protein content of the product has been increased as well. 100% Whey protein had 23 grams of protein per one-ounce serving. The new 100% Whey Gold Standard now has 24 grams of protein per one-ounce serving. The added protein, however, has raised the calorie content slightly to 120 calories per serving (up from 110 calories) but I wouldn't be too concerned about this. The extra ten calories isn't going to ruin your diet!

Optimum Nutrition also claims that they have included more "HydroWhey strategically hydrolyzed, low molecular weight whey peptides" to make the new 100 Whey Gold Standard even faster acting. I'm not sure what this means exactly and I wasn't able to find any details on their website, but I suspect that what they mean is they've simply added more hydrolyzed whey protein to the product.

Hydrolyzed whey protein is digested faster than any other whey protein, sometimes as fast as ten minutes! They may have done something "scientific" with the hydrolyzed whey itself, but I doubt it. Most likely, they've simply added more of it but like all supplement companies, they have to make it sound so much more impressive to make the product more appealing.

The new formula also has one more gram of glutamine per serving. 100 Whey protein had 3 grams of glutamine, while the new formula has 4 grams per serving. Like the old formula, 100% Whey Gold Standard protein also has glutamine precursors and branch chain amino acids. It also has lactase to make the product more friendly to lactose intolerant individuals, and aminogen digestive enzymes, which enhances absorption of proteins in the body. Here is a detailed look at the ingredients and the complete amino acid profile per serving:


100 Whey protein ingredients:

Amount Per Serving:
Total Calories 120
Calories From Fat 10
Total Fat 1 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Cholesterol 30 mg
Sodium 60 mg
Potassium 220 mg
Total Carbohydrates 3 g
Sugars 1 g
Protein 23 g
Calcium 140 mg
Enzyme Blend (aminogen and lactase): 25mg


Amino Acid Profile:
L-Leucine 2470 mg
L-Isoleucine 1520 mg
L-Valine 1440 mg
L-Lysine 2120 mg
L-Methionine 440 mg
L-Phenylalanine 670 mg
L-Threonine 1720 mg
L-Tryptophan 240 mg
L-Alanine 1380 mg
L-Arginine 480 mg
L-Aspartic Acid 2490 mg
L-Cystine 440 mg
L-Glycine 530 mg
L-Histidine 400 mg
L-Proline 1540 mg
L-Serine 1240 mg
L-Tyrosine 590 mg
Glutamine 3870 mg

Other Ingredients:
Protein blend (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey peptides), cocoa (processed with alkali), artificial flavor, lecithin, acesulfame potassium.

Aside from its great taste and high quality ingredients – is the price! If you’re supplementing with protein on a regular basis (which you should for optimum health), you’re better off buying it in “bulk” for the greatest savings. 100 Whey Protein comes in 10 lb bags with 155 servings for just $55.59 – that’s only $.36 per serving. That’s a terrific price for a high quality whey protein supplement.

You may find cheaper whey protein supplements but they won’t have the quality or the taste this product has. View my price comparison chart to see how 100% Whey protein stacks up against the competition.

You can’t go wrong with 100 Whey protein and it should be the first protein supplement on your list. You can order 100% Whey protein dirt cheap at BodyBuilding.com. They have some of the best prices on supplements and their shipping charges are the cheapest I’ve found on the Internet. Plus, they get their products to you fast – usually in 2-3 days.

What is Whey Protein?
Whey Protein Concentrate
Whey Protein Isolate
Hydrolyzed Whey Protein
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Whey Protein Side Effects
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