Which brand of whey protein to choose?

In the space of two decades, the sports nutrition market has exploded. Protein powders long reserved for top-level athletes are now available to the general public. However, with the countless brands of whey and other dietary supplements that have been launched recently, choosing the right whey has become much more difficult.

How do you make the right choice from among the best high-protein food supplements on offer? How can you recognize top-quality whey? Can you rely on a comparison to find exceptional protein powders?

Here are the criteria to consider when choosing your whey and acquiring a product rich in amino acids and BCAAs that will fulfill its promises.

Before you start, please note that this article focuses on choosing your whey from the existing brands, and not on the different types of product. If you're interested, we invite you to read our article on the different types of whey entitled "Whey protein, whey isolate, vegetable proteins... which to choose?".

Can we trust the quality of whey sold on the market?

First and foremost, you need to ask yourself whether you could end up with low-quality whey. 

Generally speaking, protein powder producers use the same process to obtain whey. They use ultra filtration and micro filtration of milk to isolate and recover whey.

This is then dried to obtain protein powder. The brand will then add other components (unprocessed or additives) to give taste and texture to the finished product.

On the market, the production techniques of all whey are relatively common, regardless of the brand, but we will distinguish two categories of whey:

• Whey is particularly attractively priced and produced outside the European Union: the composition of these protein powders reveals significant additions of additives. Additives that also expose them to potential contamination by doping substances.
  This "entry-level" whey is not necessarily "bad" for athletes or short-term bodybuilding enthusiasts. However, the raw materials used are of inferior quality, and the milk used by the brand is often the product of intensive farming.

• Whey sold at a much higher price, produced locally or at least in the EU: from one brand to another, additives will be more or less numerous. On the other hand, whey made in France or produced in Europe rarely comes from intensive farming. In any case, the farming methods used by these brands will be highlighted, and it will be up to you to verify this.
  
  With dairy cows raised in the open air, with lower yields, fed with local forages and GMO-free, protein powders will automatically be healthier for the body and the environment. This "top-of-the-range" whey deserves this appellation.

Our tips for getting your hands on whey or other high-quality proteins

The quality of whey protein is ultimately judged by the product's composition. While brands systematically highlight the quantity of amino acids or BCAAs, we encourage you to take a close look at the list of ingredients.

Protein powders with few, if any, additives are preferred . Whenever possible, avoid whey that has been sweetened, i.e. "falsely" sweetened with a sugar substitute, usually sucralose or aspartame. Attention to sucralose is particularly important if you wish to cook your whey.

Firstly, sucralose, an artificial sweetener, can alter the taste of culinary preparations, giving an unwanted sweet aftertaste.

Secondly, when cooked, sucralose can break down and lose its sweetening power, affecting the final result of the dish.

In addition, give preference to wheys from French brands, and therefore sold on French sites, making sure that the brand is actually domiciled in France. This means checking in the site's legal disclaimer whether the company actually has a physical address in France.

Otherwise, it will not be subject to French regulatory controls specific to nutritional supplements. Even if there are some excellent foreign brands, whey isolate produced in France will in principle be healthier for your body.

These products provide you with the right dose of amino acids and BCAAs to support your mass gain or recovery, without disturbing your body. To find out more, read our article on the ideal whey for mass gain. Have you finished building mass and want to reduce your body fat? Then find out which whey to choose for dry training.

Whether you're looking to improve muscle recovery or optimize mass gain, choose brands that focus on the quality of their products. Today, many of them rely on locally-produced raw materials, while complying with anti-doping standards. Transparent communication is usually a guarantee of quality.

But beware of greenwashing! Find out everything you can about the brand you've chosen. Make sure it's true to its values. To do this, ask the brand about the quality of its protein powders and other issues, via their contact forms for example.

Finally, don't hesitate to consult the reviews shared by athletes and bodybuilding enthusiasts online. They'll tell you which products are best suited to your training program.

Some forums feature discussions listing the best whey protein brands. Internet users share their opinions on the products and try to decipher their composition. Here again, beware of clear-cut opinions, but the exchanges and published reviews may help you to see things more clearly.

Which whey for which price?

Each brand will have its own pricing strategy. Contrary to popular belief, price is not necessarily linked to product quality. On the other hand, price is an important selection criterion, and gives an idea of the brand's positioning.

We estimate that a decent quality whey will cost between €40 and €55 per kg. Above €60 per kg, you'll have to pass; below €30, beware.

If the subject of protein powder pricing interests you, check out our warning about cheap whey. And if your nutrition budget is really low this month, you can even make your own whey at home!

Is it absolutely necessary to buy a quality whey?

All protein powders formulated for sports nutrition genuinely provide the amino acids and BCAAs essential for mass gain and muscle recovery. When determining whey quality, it's important to assess exposure to doping risks, digestive problems and various metabolic disorders.

Although they improve the taste and texture of whey, additives also bring their share of disadvantages. In particular, they can induce digestive and/or metabolic disorders over the long term. Derived from the chemical industry, they may contain traces of the solvents used for their extraction, or be mixed with doping substances.

Finally, certain additives such as sweeteners can also be far more harmful than we thought a few years ago, by, for example, getting our taste buds used to perceiving an excessively sweet taste, and having an impact on the insulin system.

To find out more, check out our article on how to consume your whey (quality whey, of course 😉 )!

Are you a professional athlete? Then find out which whey to choose for top athletes!

Not at that level yet, as you've only recently started taking up the sport in earnest? Don't worry, our articles on how to choose your whey when you're a beginner, why consume whey and how to drink whey foam are just for you. And for the curious: is our whey organic?

To find out more :

• Does whey make you fat?
• What are the different types of protein powder?
• How to choose between whey and casein?
• Which protein powder for cyclists?