Gold Standard Whey is one of the most popular supplements sold by Optimum Nutrition. This protein is available in nearly every major retailer in the US, and the brand claims it’s “The World’s Best-Selling Whey Protein Powder.”
But does Gold Standard Whey contain an effective protein dose? Does it have any unhealthy ingredients? Is it cheaper than similar products? And is Gold Standard Whey better or worse than popular protein brands like Ryse Protein?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Gold Standard Whey to give our take on whether or not it provides an effective protein dose, and whether or not it’s healthy.
We'll also compare its per-protein-gram price to other popular brands, discuss the brand's third-party test results, and compare Gold Standard Whey to other popular brands in terms of formulation quality to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains flavoring ingredients we consider to be unhealthy
- Effective protein dose for muscle-building
- We don't currently recommend Gold Standard Whey
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the Banana Cream flavor of Gold Standard Whey are shown below:
Protein Blend is the most important ingredient, and Gold Standard Whey provides 24 (g) of protein per serving.
A medical review on protein supplementation for muscle growth concludes that:
“...20-25 g of a high-quality protein maximizes the response of [muscle protein synthesis] following resistance exercise,” so we consider Gold Standard to provide an effective protein dose.
Beyond the active ingredient (protein), this supplement contains a surprising number of additives that may be questionable from a health perspective.
Natural and artificial flavor is included, and artificial flavorings were shown to be toxic (at least to animals) in a clinical trial published in the Toxicology and Industrial Health journal.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that’s clinically shown to have negative effects on inulin function, as we documented in our Body Fortress Whey Protein reviews article.
Acesulfame potassium is another artificial sweetener that was shown in animal studies to disrupt gut function.
Yellow 5 is an artificial colorant, and a 2012 medical review found that some synthetic food dyes could cause cancer and could damage DNA.
Overall, we consider Gold Standard Whey Protein likely to support muscle growth due to its effective protein dose, but we do not currently recommend this brand due to the myriad questionable additives it contains.
We do not currently recommend Gold Standard Whey, and consider it to be one of the least healthy protein powders we’ve reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.
Does Gold Standard Whey Win on Price?
Protein powders are sold at a wide variety of different serving sizes and protein doses.
To simplify our comparison, we’ll break down the cost per-gram of protein from Gold Standard and other popular brands, at the time of updating this article:
Ghost Protein Powder: $0.16
Vega Protein Powder: $0.14
Orgain Protein Powder: $0.09
Gold Standard Whey: $0.05
Gold Standard Whey outperforms on price, which is one of the reasons it’s so popular.
This product is available for purchase in large tubs, and buying in bulk typically allows for cost savings.
Gold Standard Whey vs. Popular Protein Powders
Here's how Gold Standard Whey compares to other popular protein powder brands in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
Truvani
This vegan protein brand contains entirely organic ingredients including organic vanilla powder, which is clinically shown to have anti-inflammatory effects.
Truvani is significantly healthier than Gold Standard Whey Protein.
Winner: Truvani
Ryse Protein
Contains many inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy, as we documented in our Ryse Protein review article.
However, Ryse Protein is free of artificial dye, giving the brand the (slight) edge in terms of healthiness.
Winner: Ryse Protein
Six Star Whey Protein
Contains unhealthy inactive ingredients, but fewer than exist in Gold Standard Whey.
Winner: Six Star Whey Protein
Impressive Third-Party Test Results
One major plus of Gold Standard Whey is that this protein brand has passed independent tests for label accuracy and purity, which is uncommon in protein supplements.
This whey protein powder has been Informed Choice Certified for nearly 10 years, and this testing process ensures that the finished product contains no banned substances (like steroids).
As we documented in our 310 Nutrition reviews article, some popular protein supplements have been found to be high in lead, so all things being equal, a tested and certified product in this category is safer than an untested product.
While we don’t recommend Gold Standard for regular consumers, these test results may make the brand a good choice for elite athletes or any group that gets professionally drug-tested for steroids.
Our Clean Protein Picks
MBG Whey Protein Isolate+ is our top overall protein powder.
Whey protein is a "complete" protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids.
Anthony's Organic Hemp Protein is our top vegan protein pick.
It's extremely nutrient-dense, providing 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron and 8% of the DV of potassium.
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
Gold Standard Whey Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Effective protein dose
- Great price
- Third-party tested
- May be good choice for athletes who are steroid-tested
Cons:
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
- Contains artificial sweeteners
- Some flavors contain artificial color
- Contains artificial flavor
- Less healthy than competitors
