Protein is undoubtedly crucial to building, maintaining, and repairing muscle. And the best way to meet your requirements is by consuming protein-dense foods.
However, protein powders come in handy when you’re short on time or unable to stomach another round of chicken, broccoli, and rice.
But there are simply too many protein powders to choose from, so we created this list to guide your protein powder shopping this year.
Let’s dive in.
In a Rush? Here’s Our Top Pick!
Swolverine’s Whey Protein Isolate Powder
- Protein-dense as it contains 26 grams of protein for every 30-gram serving
- Mixes easy in water with little to no lumps and is great with baked foods and beverages
- Tastes great with flavors like vanilla, chocolate, honey cinnamon peanut butter, and mint chocolate chip
- No proprietary blends
- Made in a GMP-certified facility
5 Best Protein Powders for Getting Ripped
- Best Overall Protein Powder: Swolverine Whey Protein Isolate Powder
- Best Casein Protein Powder: HTLT’s Casein + Whey Protein Powder
- Best Whey Protein Powder: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
- Best Organic Protein Powder: Garden of Life’s SPORT Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder
- Best Minimalist Protein Powder: Naked Whey Protein Powder
1. Swolverine’s Whey Protein Isolate Powder
At the top of our list is Swolverine’s Whey Protein Isolate Powder. It earned this spot for being one of the most protein-dense powders out there, as it packs 26 grams of protein in every 30-gram scoop.
The great thing is that Swolverine uses whey protein isolate which provides more protein with less carbohydrate, fat, and lactose compared to whey protein concentrate.
After processing, whey concentrate yields about 80% protein, while whey isolate reaches a staggering 90% protein content.
Here’s a breakdown of the caloric difference between whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate:
| Whey Concentrate | Whey Isolate | |
| Protein | 18 grams | 23 grams |
| Carbs | 3.5 grams | 1 gram |
| Fat | 1.5 grams | 0 grams |
| Lactose | Up to 3.5 gram | 1 gram |
It also contains papain and protease which are digestive enzymes meant to maximize the absorption rate of the protein powder.
Overall, Swolverine’s whey protein isolate powder is great for bodybuilding and it fits well into low-carb diets as it contains only 1 gram of carbohydrates per serving.
Also, if you’re the type that makes cake or ice cream with protein powder, then you’ll be glad to hear that Swolverine’s whey protein isolate powder blends smoothly and comes in common flavors like chocolate and vanilla.
In terms of price, Swolvervine whey isolate powder starts at $62.99 for 2lbs which is significantly more expensive than many competitors (although it boasts a higher protein content).
If you want to try out this protein powder, then you can purchase it directly from their website. But you can also find this bottle from a few other places like Amazon as well as online retailers like bodybuilding.com and mucsleandstrenght.com.
Pros:
- Protein-dense as it contains 26 grams of protein for every 30-gram serving
- Mixes easy in water with little to no lumps and is great with baked foods and beverages
- Tastes great with flavors like vanilla, chocolate, honey cinnamon peanut butter, and mint chocolate chip
- No proprietary blends
- Made in a GMP-certified facility
Cons:
- At 62.99 for 2lbs, Swolverine’s Whey Protein isolate is the most expensive protein powder on this list
- Still contains some lactose
2. HTLT’s Casein + Whey Protein Powder.
Greg Doucette is back again to help us go harder than last time with HTLT’s Casein + Whey Protein Powder. Anyone looking for a protein supplement to aid muscle recovery while holding back their appetite can’t go wrong with this casein and whey combo.
A 35.6-gram serving contains 25 grams of protein and uses micellar casein and whey protein concentrate as its main ingredients. Together these milk proteins bring the best of both worlds in terms of slow and quick digesting proteins.
The body breaks down casein slower than whey which causes amino acid levels to stay elevated in your blood for up to 4-5 hours compared to 90 minutes for whey.
This slow and steady release of amino acids makes casein ideal for fasting situations like when you sleep. Plus eating casein can make you feel full and eat less during the day (thus helping you stay lean and ripped).
While the quick digesting nature of the added whey protein concentrate and its higher levels of BCAA makes whey better than casein for bodybuilding.
But at $39.99 for a 2lbs bottle, HTLT gives us the benefits of both proteins in the same powder and it can be purchased directly from their website.
Pros:
- Combining casein and whey offers the benefits of a slow and fast-digesting protein.
- HTLT’s casein + whey protein powder comes in nice flavors like chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
- The slow-digesting nature of casein protein helps to fight hunger, causing you to eat less and stay lean (which is essential to looking ripped and building ripped biceps).
- Easy to mix which makes it perfect for baked foods and beverages
- Compared to competitors, the price of HTLT’s casein + whey protein powder is fair at $39.99 for 2lbs
Cons:
- Both casein and whey are milk proteins that aren’t suitable for people who are lactose intolerant.
- Sometimes your body can treat casein protein as a threat, which causes an allergy called casein allergy.
- Not the most protein-dense at 25 g of protein in 35.6 g serving.
3. Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
If you’ve ever gone protein powder shopping then you may have come across Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder.
It’s the go-to protein powder for many gym rats looking to aid post-workout muscle synthesis and recovery. Optimum Nutrition gives us three types of whey (isolates, concentrates, and hydrolysate) as the main ingredients in this powder.
Overall, a serving of this whey protein powder provides 24 grams of protein which is ideal for muscle-building purposes. Plus there’s an additional 5.5 grams of BCAAs in every serving to aid your muscle recovery and support endurance. But that’s not all.
Optimum Nutrition’s whey protein powder certainly overwhelms us with over 20 different varieties and flavors to choose from. Oh, if you’re among the few people looking for coffee protein, then Optimum Nutrition has got you covered.
This is a very popular protein powder and you can find it in a lot of places besides their website like Walmart, Amazon, and many other popular online supplement retailers.
Pros:
- Optimum nutrition’s whey protein powder boasts over 20 different flavors to choose from (some are all-natural).
- Compared to other competitors on this list, the price of Optimum nutrition’s whey protein powder is the lowest at $37.99 for 2lbs.
- It contains digestive enzymes to give your stomach a helping hand if you experience gas or bloating when taking protein powders.
- It has been third-party tested by Informed Choice to ensure the product doesn’t contain banned substances.
- No artificial colors were added
Cons:
- A scoop of optimum nutrition’s whey protein powder contains 3 grams of carbohydrates which may not be suitable for very low-carb diets.
- Contains milk and soy which may not be suitable for everyone.
4. Garden of Life’s SPORT Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder
A best protein powder list wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t add something for vegans or people who are allergic to dairy products. So, next is Garden of life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder.
It contains 30 grams of protein with 5.5 grams of BCAA , plus 5 grams of glutamine in every 44-gram serving.
And it uses multiple sources of organic plant protein to ensure you get all your essential amino acids.
This protein powder also features an organic muscle recovery blend that includes tart cherries, apples, turmeric, Gogi berries, and blueberries, which contain antioxidants that are thought to promote faster recovery.
Due to its competitive pricing, Garden of Life’s sport organic protein powder may be a worthy opponent to other protein varieties. You can find a bottle of this vegan protein powder on their website, Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other online supplement sellers.
Pros:
- This protein powder is vegan certified as it’s made completely from plant protein without any animal or dairy products
- The price isn’t too bad.
- It’s Vegan.org certified, USDA organic certified, Non-GMO verified, Informed choice for Sport Certified, and NSF-certified for sport.
- No added sugars or artificial sweeteners
- Gluten-free certified
Cons:
- At 30 grams per 42-gram serving, Garden of Life’s Sport Organic protein powder contains a little less protein per serving than other competitors on this list.
5. Naked Whey Protein Powder
And the final entry on our list is Naked Whey Protein Powder because of its minimalistic ingredient profile. Naked Whey contains only one ingredient which is whey protein concentrate (no additives) sourced from grass-fed cows at California Dairy Farms in the USA.
It’s important to know that many cows grown in colder climates are fed with grain when pasture isn’t available. But the grain affects the overall quality of milk (and whey) the cow produces.
However, Naked Nutrition took care of this and created a protein-dense powder with 25 grams of protein, plus 5.9 grams of BCAA in every 30-gram scoop.
So If you’re not lactose intolerant, then Naked Nutrition’s whey protein powder makes a fantastic dietary supplement or post-workout muscle recovery aid. Note that Naked Whey protein powder tends to produce more foam than other protein powders due to its lack of lectin (but it’s not a problem).
The smallest bottle of Naked Nutrition’s whey protein powder comes in 5lbs and you can order it on their website, Amazon, eBay, or from other online stores.
Pros:
- Naked Whey protein powder contains only one ingredient (whey protein concentrate) and is completely free from additives or artificial sweeteners
- High protein to serving ratio as it contains 25 grams of protein with 5 grams of BCAA in every 30-gram serving
- Zero sugar
- Third-party tested by Informed Choice Trusted By Sport and is suitable for athletes.
- Certified gluten-free
Cons:
- Made with milk
- The smallest size currently available in 5lb
What to Consider When Buying Protein Powder
Selecting a protein powder should be relatively easy, but there are a few things to look out for so you can make the right decision.
Read on as we discuss some of them below:
Reason for consumption
Are you using protein powder as a dietary supplement to help you fight off hunger and aid fat loss? Then you may prefer casein over whey.
Or are you using this protein powder to help with muscle synthesis and post-workout recovery? Then whey might be a better option than casein.
In theory, a faster-digesting protein should yield faster recovery times, which is why whey protein is very popular among athletes and bodybuilders.
Special Dietary Needs
Whey and casein are some of the most popular types of protein, but not everyone can consume milk or is comfortable consuming animal-based products. So alternatives exist like vegan protein, egg protein, or even meat protein powder.
Price
Protein type can determine the overall price of the protein powder. For example, casein tends to be a little more expensive than whey. And whey isolate is usually more expensive than whey concentrate (while whey hydrolysate is even more expensive).
Plant-based protein may be slightly cheaper than milk and meat-based varieties (but plant protein powders usually contain more ingredients to provide a complete amino acid profile).
Third-Party Testing
Third-party testing is especially important to athletes who need to ensure the supplements they consume don’t contain banned substances.
Check the bottle of protein powder for any certifications that say “NSF certified” or “Informed-Choice Trusted By Sport” or from any credible third-party tester.
Amino Spiking
Amino spiking is a dirty trick supplement companies use to inflate the real value of the protein content in the powder.
Amino spiking works because protein powders are tested based on nitrogen content (which is used to determine the protein density in the powder).
So companies add cheap and non-essential amino acids (that our body creates) like glycine, glutamine, and arginine to spike the nitrogen content.
So watch out for nutritional labels that list non-essential amino acids among “Other ingredients”.
Also, check the product’s amino acids profile to see the ones included and how much was added.
Proprietary Blends
Proprietary blends are bad because they don’t allow you to see the full details of the ingredients and nutritional facts. Without nutritional transparency, you’ll never know exactly how much of a certain substance you’re getting.
Proprietary blends look us in the face and say “Hey, here are the ingredients we added, but we won’t tell you how much we added because of business reasons. Sorry!”
Protein Density
Last but not the least, check for the protein density. obviously!
Since it’s the protein you’re looking for, you should know how much protein you’re getting in a bottle and for how much money.
Reasons Why You May Need Protein Powder
In case you’re wondering why you may need protein powder, here are a couple of reasons:
Time
As mentioned before, a good diet plan will contain all the protein you’ll need. However, cooking daily can squeeze a fair amount of time from you.
And bodybuilders who need to eat a lot of protein daily may enjoy the convenience of making a protein shake.
Also, if you’re looking to take protein around your workouts, then you probably won’t be excited by cooking right before or after intense training.
Can aid weight loss
One of the best ways to aid weight loss is a caloric deficit and protein can help you eat less by satiating your hunger. But protein powders take this to the next level by giving you lots of protein without the extra sugar, carbs, and fats in regular protein-dense foods.
Some studies [2008, 2011] even suggest that protein supplementation can help you lose weight while retaining muscle.
Ideal for vegetarians
Vegetarians find it slightly harder to meet their protein requirements because most plant proteins don’t contain all the essential amino acids.
These people usually have to eat more plants to compensate, but a vegan protein powder can help them meet their requirements without chewing on too many greens.
Good for muscle building and post-workout recovery
Consuming protein powders like whey after a workout can promote muscle protein synthesis and help with repair.
Easy to Store
An undeniable benefit of protein powder is that it’s easier to store than fresh foods. You can store protein powder for 9 to 19 months without a freezer or anything that consumes energy.
All you need to do is keep the lid closed (air tight), then store the bottle in a cool and dry place.
Now compare that to either buying lots of food and storing it in the freezer, or buying food in small quantities but more frequently.
The Best Protein Powder to Get Ripped Summary
Swolverine’s Whey Protein Isolate Powder
- Protein-dense as it contains 26 grams of protein for every 30-gram serving
- Mixes easy in water with little to no lumps and is great with baked foods and beverages
- Tastes great with flavors like vanilla, chocolate, honey cinnamon peanut butter, and mint chocolate chip
- No proprietary blends
- Made in a GMP-certified facility
Here’s a recap of our best protein powders this year:
- Swolverine’s Whey Isolate Powder
- HTLT Casein + Whey Protein Powder
- Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein Powder
- Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Protein Powder
- Naked Whey Protein Powder
All these powders are packed full of protein, but it’s no surprise that Swolverine’s Whey Protein Isolate Powder is our number one pick.
With 26g of the good stuff (protein) in every 30g serving, 0.5 grams of fat, and only 1 gram of carbs and sugar, we can say Swolverine’s Whey Isolate powder is perfect for supporting your muscle-building efforts.
