Best Whey Protein Isolate & The 10 Top Selling in 2024

Benefits of Whey Protein Isolate

Whey is a complete source of protein compared to any other source of vegetable proteins or any protein from animals, and there are three types of whey. That is why whey protein is the most common form of protein powder. All the requirements for amino acids can be completed through whey. It is called a complete protein. If you are doing resistance training, then your protein requirements increase. 

The best alternative: your diet of protein-rich foods should be able to meet your requirements. But when increases in protein requirements have to be supplemented, you have to be aware of your lactose tolerance. 60% of the world’s adults are lactose intolerant. These adults prefer whey protein isolate or some other plant-based protein. 

Based on processing techniques, protein is divided into three forms of whey: hydrolysate, concentrate and isolate. Their processing steps and purifying process differentiate the three. Each form of whey has its properties, advantages, and drawbacks. Whey protein isolate is a type of whey protein refined to extract much of the fat and carbohydrates. (Source: Wikipedia) This product is relatively new to the dietary supplements industry.

By the method of isolating protein from whey, the whey protein isolate is prepared. It is high in protein and a good source of one of the anabolic essential amino acids, leucine. By filtering or centrifuging the liquid that is leftover from cheese making, whey isolate is made.

Isolate is a type of protein that is used in muscle building and muscle fibre development. Bodybuilders favour protein intakes in this form since this high-quality protein is the purest form. It is used around the world by runners, bodybuilders, weight lifters, and other exercise enthusiasts. Some health enthusiasts say their performance during workouts is also improved by consuming Whey Protein Isolate, though I don’t feel so. 

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What are the side effects of whey protein isolate?

Whey protein isolate is a protein from milk that is refined to extract lactose content and fat. Milk protein is called a complete protein because it contains all the necessary muscle-building amino acids. Isolate is a more processed form that can lack any of the other normal milk nutrients. Although it is usually thought to increase protein consumption, eating so much whey protein can contribute to some unexpected side effects. To read more about side effects, please check out the following detailed article about whey.

Whey Protein Isolate vs. Concentrate

The difference between Whey Concentrate and Isolate is that of lactose levels. Whey Protein Concentrate has high levels of lactose, i.e., 3 to 3.5%. Processing of Whey Concentrate by further filtering processes leads to Isolate. 

If you Look at nutritional differences, concentrate has more carbs, fats, and certain vitamins and minerals. Isolate has almost no carbs, fats, or any other minerals or vitamins. 

Most of the health enthusiasts who do whey protein supplementation prefer concentrate as it is less expensive.

Fake or spurious products:

Due to its beneficial effects, though it is expensive, it is very popular among fitness enthusiasts. Due to the high demand and huge margins available in manufacturing spurious products, many are available in the market. It is prevalent in the food industry even though spurious food products are a potential risk to consumers’ health.

Be very cautious and alert when buying one. You can easily recognize fakes if we look closely. The packaging can never match the original product. Their manufacturing date is also very old, usually close to expiry, as an explanation for the difference in packaging. It is to explain to the consumer that the packaging looks as old as it is old. So more discounts are also offered on it. Companies also have various ways to authenticate the product.

The best way is to check with the retailer how he can prove that the product is original. He knows how to prove if it is original. For online purchases, buy from a reputed retailer concerned about his reputation and check the product packaging before opening it. Send it back to the retailer if you are unsure. I even emailed the packaging image of a Muscletech product to the manufacturer in Canada. They replied within 24 hours that it was genuine.

Hydrolysed Whey Protein Isolate

Whey Protein Hydrolysate is whey protein isolate powder in pre-digested form. Whey protein hydrolysate is formed by further processing whey protein, heating it, or treating it with acids or enzymes. It has the smallest chain of amino acids.

It is usually prescribed to patients who have protein digestibility problems. It is said to give the fastest recovery from intense workouts and does the fastest muscle protein synthesis.

As it is treated to such an extent, sometimes consuming it is not considered healthy as there is no other nutrient except protein. It can create an imbalance of nutrients in the body. It is much more costly as compared to the other two types of protein.

Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

It is one of the sources of protein. Grass-fed whey protein, as the name suggests, is obtained from grass-fed cow’s milk only.

Such cows are raised only on grass feeds. But this is not regulated by the FDA, so it is difficult to assume that it is entirely true. 

The difference in the product is in terms of fat. Grass-fed cow’s milk contains more healthy fats and vitamins like A & E along with glutathione. Specifically, it contains Omega-3 fatty acids. There is little or no increase in protein value or decrease in carbohydrates in grass-fed cow’s milk. Nor is there any increase in its amino acid score. 

The interesting part is that during the processing of protein isolate, mostly all carbs and fats are removed. So the healthy part or all the nutritional benefits of grass-fed cow’s milk is removed before serving it to you. 

Best Whey Protein Isolates

You can complete your protein intake goals with the following brands of Best Whey Protein Isolates. It is perfect for giving you a toned body if consumed along with proper and regular workouts. It can be difficult to say which is the best of all these, given all the possibilities out there. That’s why we have assembled this list of the top 10 labels.

As isolate requires a different, more efficient filtering process, the prices are higher than most concentrates and blended powders.

Being premium protein powders, all have good to excellent mixability.

Each of these is available in numerous flavours, but more than 50% of them are usually out of stock.

In my personal opinion, the best isolate protein is the unflavored one, which has nothing else except isolate protein in it, so 100% of the calories are from protein.

Isopure Zero Carb 100% Whey Isolate

It is a very good quality isolate protein. Being unflavored, 100% of the calories are protein calories.

A common whey protein supplement is Isopure Zero Carb 100 percent. It’s manufactured by Nature’s Finest, a major protein supplement maker. The powder is a complete extract with virtually no fats or carbohydrates.

It does not contain any chemical sweeteners, colors, or spices. It’s lactose-free and gluten-free.

Price: As it is flavorless, the price is less compared to several others.

Flavours: This one does not have any flavour. 

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 with 8,664 reviews.

NutraBio 100% Whey Protein Isolate

NutraBio as a company is very highly regarded for its quality products. Nutrabio 100% Whey Protein Isolate is also one of their finest. Being an isolate is fast-acting for repair and recovery. It has zero soy, gluten, or hormones. By weight, it has 84% protein, which is 91% in terms of calories.

Price -It is expensive compared to others, as the company feels they provide the purest form of protein.

Flavours – It comes in 11 different flavours though I have never seen more than six. 

Amazon Rating: 4.5/5 with 3,363 reviews.

Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

Transparent Lab’s 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate is one of the cleanest proteins on the market. It is made from naturally fed, hormone-free whey. This product is free of artificial sweeteners, food dyes, gluten, and preservatives.

It is a highly bioavailable protein that is easy on the stomach.

It supports recovery, promotes muscle growth, and enhances overall health and longevity.

It contains a balanced ratio of all nine essential amino acids to support muscle protein synthesis.

Price– It is slightly pricier than some other whey isolates. But it has its advantages.

Flavors – It comes in five flavors: chocolate peanut butter, vanilla peanut butter, milk chocolate, oatmeal chocolate chip, and peanut butter.

Amazon Rating: 4.4/5 with 102 reviews.

Legion Athletics Whey+ Protein Powder

This protein powder is made from 100% whey protein isolate, sourced from small dairy farms in Ireland where cows are grass-fed and free of hormones and antibiotics. It is non-GMO, lactose-free, and sugar-free, ensuring natural and healthy ingredients without unwanted additives.

It is packed with essential amino acids, including BCAAs, to promote muscle growth and repair. Each serving contains 22g of protein and approximately 100 calories, making it ideal for building and maintaining muscle mass.

It is free from hormones, artificial ingredients, and added sugars, providing a tasty and convenient way to achieve fitness goals. Mix a scoop with water or milk for a delicious protein boost.

Price- It’s slightly more expensive than other options. Still, its clean ingredients and third-party certification make it a popular choice among fitness enthusiasts.

Flavors- It offers a lot of flavors, including banana bread, apple pie, and many more.

Amazon Rating: 4.3/5 with 5,185 reviews.

Muscle Feast Whey Protein Isolate

It is a pasture-raised, grass-fed protein. It does not contain soy, gluten, added sugars, artificial colours, artificial flavours, or sweeteners. It has 85% protein in it. It has zero fats and almost zero carbs and is a certified vegetarian product by the American Vegetarian Association.

Price – Being a pasture-raised and grass-fed protein, it is expensive comparatively.

Flavour – It is available in 6 flavours, and an unflavored variant is also available.

Amazon Rating: 4.3/5 with 4,046 reviews.

Now whey protein Isolate

Now is another brand of isolate, which is fast-digesting, inexpensive, and comes in five flavours and one unflavored variant. Its main claim to fame is its price.

Every scoop has 75% protein which is 83% in calories.

Amazon Rating: 4.3/5 with 1,623 reviews.

Naked Whey Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate

Naked whey contains only 100% grass-fed pure whey protein with zero additives. It is sourced from small dairy farms in California, ensuring a non-denatured whey rich in essential amino acids, clean protein, and glutathione.
Each serving of naked whey provides 25g of protein, 2g of sugar, 3g of carbs, 120 calories, and 5.9g of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids). Unlike most whey protein powders, naked whey is cold processed to eliminate contamination from chemical detergents or synthetic additives, preserving naturally occurring growth factors.
It is an excellent protein powder option for creating pre- and post-workout shakes, smoothies, and recipes to enhance muscle gains and accelerate recovery.

Price– It is in the middle range compared to other options.

Flavors— It comes in many flavors, including chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, strawberry, double chocolate, and vanilla. It also has an unflavored option.

Amazon Rating: 4.1/5 with 15,334 reviews.

Dymatize ISO 100% Whey Protein Isolate

Dymatize Nutrition Elite 100 percent is a product of Dymatize Nutrition, an organization that has been in operation since 1987.

Yeah, Dymatize whey protein isolate could be the finest you could buy for the bulging muscles you love. It’s one of the best whey proteins in USA, with a consistency like no other.

Price-Due to its high price, we have put it in the seventh position. It offers only 78% protein in a 32 gm scoop which is only 83% in calories. 

Flavours – It comes in 12 different flavours, though all are rarely available. My favourite is gourmet chocolate.

This product contains everything you’ll hear about in any recommendations about protein powder, making it one of the best quality protein powders currently on the market. It is an ultra-premium whey isolate powder and has an ultra-fast absorption composition.

Amazon Rating: 4.1/5 with 5,043 reviews.

Muscletech Performance Series Whey Isolate

A unique blend of whey protein is Muscletech’s new Nitrotech powder. It is not a whey powder that is concentrated, isolated, or hydrolyzed. Instead, it’s a blend of three distinct whey protein forms, and it’s been processed to speed up the vitamin absorption it provides to your muscles. To help with intense work and fast regeneration, Nitrotech is engineered to provide the fuel your body requires. Proteins are only 65% in one scoop, which is 75% of calories. The rest of the calories are from carbs and fats.

It contains peptides in whey protein, which are amino acid chains that have been broken down into small parts that are more readily ingested. To eliminate still more calories, it is a low-fat whey protein that has been further broken down. This powder also involves hydrolysate of whey protein.

Price – It is not in the ultra-premium category, and you can get this one at a good discount.

Flavours – This also comes in various flavours, but my favourite is milk chocolate.

Amazon Rating: 4.1/5 with 5,043 reviews.

BSN SYNTHA-6 Isolate Whey Protein Powder

BSN SYNTHA-6 Isolate Whey Protein Powder is an innovative protein powder produced by BSN, a market pioneer for decades. It is not a complete whey protein isolate but a 50/50 mixture of whey and milk protein isolates. It offers both rapid and slow-release protein sources for your body, making it a perfect choice for a supplement for post-workout recovery.  

Compared to other isolates, it has a high proportion of carbohydrates and fats in it. It has only 66% protein in it which is 71% in terms of calories.

Price-Due to its unique formulation, the company has kept the prices at a premium.

Flavour: There are various flavours in it, but they are mostly out of stock.

Amazon Rating: 3.8/5 with 18,213 reviews.

Reviews

Please also check reviews of the product that you plan to buy. Most products will have both good and bad reviews. But if the good reviews are more. Check the date of reviews. If the reviews are old, check a couple of more sites for the latest reviews. Some companies will add reviews by their customers in other countries by supplying a similar but slightly different product. Buy the product that has your country’s reviews, as sometimes the product specifications also differ from country to country.

Conclusion

Some companies don’t give complete information on the packaging. They will give only the information deemed mandatory by the government. Then others will not respond if the product we purchased is original or spurious. That is irresponsible behaviour towards the consumer.

Though I keep changing and checking my protein powder, my favourite is the Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey Protein Powder. It has unbeatable quality and taste. The company is very open about the product it offers, and you can get complete information on the packaging. You get immediate replies to any queries raised.

FAQs

1) What differentiates whey protein isolate from other whey protein forms?

– Pure, premium-grade whey protein isolate is made from cow’s milk. It is carefully processed to eliminate fats and contaminants, leaving it with a protein level of at least 90%. Because it contains fewer carbohydrates and lipids, it’s great for quick absorption and muscle regeneration after exercise.

2) What is the nutritional difference between whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate?

3) What are the advantages of using hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, and who should use it?

Since hydrolyzed whey protein has already been broken down, it is less difficult to digest and perfect for those with sensitive stomachs. It improves muscle protein synthesis quickly and helps replenish glycogen after strenuous exercise.