How do you compare protein powder on the label?

Protein powder is protein you mix into water or milk as a shake, and every tub on this page is sold as a whey protein. To compare tubs, look at two numbers on the tub: the grams of protein per serving and the weight of one scoop. A big scoop can hide a small share of protein. Divide the first number by the second, and the brands line up fairly.

• Limitless Alpha Whey Protein Concentrate: 25 g of protein in a 30 g scoop
• Red Rex Hydro Big: 25 g in a 32 g scoop
• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey: 24 g of protein per serving, which Optimum Nutrition puts at over 81 percent protein by weight
• Red Rex Big Whey: 24 g in a 35 g scoop
• Muscle Add Whey Add (4.5 kg tub): 23 g in a 34 g scoop

That puts Limitless at about 83 percent protein per scoop, and Optimum Nutrition says Gold Standard is over 81 percent protein by weight. Big Whey and Whey Add sit near 68 to 69 percent. The rest of each scoop is flavour, carbs, fat and extras.

Concentrate, isolate or hydro: what does the name tell you?

The name on the front is not the whole story, so read the ingredient line too. Limitless Alpha and NOVOGEN both sell a whey concentrate. Red Rex Big Whey is a blend of concentrate and isolate. Optimum Nutrition lists whey isolate as the main ingredient in Gold Standard. Hydro means hydrolysed whey, as in Red Rex Hydro Big and Optimum Nutrition Platinum HydroWhey.

Some blends push the share higher. Muscle Add Iso Add Plus mixes hydrolysed whey with hydrolysed beef protein and lists 30 g of protein in a 34 g scoop, about 88 percent. For tubs built on isolate, see the whey protein isolate page.

Where should a first-time buyer start?

Start with a 30-serving whey concentrate, such as Limitless Alpha or NOVOGEN Whey Protein Concentrate, in a flavour you already like. If you want less fat and fewer carbs with your protein after that first tub, move up to an isolate. For creatine, vitamins and the rest of the range, browse all sports supplements.