Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey Protein Powder, 100% Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate Powder, Flavor: Turbo Chocolate, 40 Servings, 3.61 Pounds (Packaging May Vary)

So glad I found this brand and hydrolyzed whey - no more joint pain that I used to get from whey protein isolate. Scoop in my morning coffee makes for a delicious start to the day. Highly recommend if you are trying to make sure you get enough protein in your diet. The quality is fantastic - I’m on my 5th canister and it has consistently been easy to mix and digest (no bloating).

When I was setting up an "Insanity" workout schedule back in the late summer (which I had to leave off once allergy season started), I researched and bought a number of different health-shake related products. The short version of this review is that I tried ON's Platinum Hydro Whey first, as a supplement to the P90X formula; eventually ran out of it; tried the other things I bought; and am now giving them away to go back to this! Being somewhat lactose intolerant, I worried that a pure milk product would be a problem, but decided to risk it due to the hydrolyzed state. Perhaps because of that I never once had a problem with this product. (And I see some other reviewers didn't either, although some have in fact had stomach cramps, so apparently it depends on the personal biochemistry. Buyer be warned. UPDATED TO ADD: as of early September 2012, the product now contains a slight amount of lactose. Not enough to bother me, but could be problematic for other people.) I bought the vanilla version (also in other products) specifically for the purpose of adding some protein and now-missing vanilla flavor back to the new version of the P90X Recovery Formula drink. As many people here will be aware, this was a very popular drink in its original incarnation, largely due to its strong mixture of vanilla and orange flavors. The new version tastes more like Tang, but lacks the sugar and vanilla flavor to hide the vitamin/mineral aftertaste. ON Platinum Hydro Whey added that vanilla flavor back to the P90 mix; and also beefed up the protein to carb ratio. (The P90 has a lot more carbs than proteins.) To this I added a bit of real Tang. As other people have reported, the Hydro Whey mixes very easily and thoroughly (even moreso than the P90 mix, by the way, which is no slouch in this department!) On the other hand, I probably wouldn't try to drink this as a straight milk supplement or alone with water, as I doubt the taste, although very good, would be strong enough for me. On yet another hand, the taste has no mineralish bite or aftertaste to it (because there aren't any added vitamins and minerals, duh!) Buyers should keep in mind the report of other reviewers, that ON is being rather misleading about the supposedly superior amount of protein compared to their normal Gold Standard whey products. Mathematically speaking, there is practically no difference. I can't testify to any other differences, although technically I suppose the hydrolyzed state should metabolize much faster (and maybe mixes better). On the other hand, some people don't actually want so quick a metabolization, and would rather have the material digest over time. I don't know enough to opine on the merits of either theory, but as someone who has trouble digesting milk products I appreciate any quicker digestion! Anyway, I'm buying it again and getting rid of the other things I test-bought, as they don't mix as well or taste as good (although the latter is subjective and they do have advantages this doesn't. But of course I'm mixing this with something that has those other advantages already, so...)

The ON platinum may be more expensive than other brands, but just remember, you get what you pay for. After bariatric (GB) surgery, my doctor said I needed 60 grams of protein a day. A lack of protein after GB results in hair loss, fatigue and muscle wasting. I only rarely ate meat pre- GB, and even less now. I began to have the classic symptoms, with the hair loss and fatigue being the worst. With GB restricting meal size to itty bitty portions, and not being a huge meat-eater, I was desperate to find a way to get enough protein daily. I tried just about every other brand of protein powder on the market with unpleasant results. They were impossible to dissolve in liquids, stayed lumpy, had an off-taste, were gritty in the mouth, and were low in the amount of protein per serving. After reading a magazine article about any contaminants or heavy metals found in commercial protein powders, it looked like ON was one of the safest, so I ordered the platinum hydro-whey in vanilla. Wow. No off-taste, it's whey (the best source), and one serving (one scoop) is a whopping 30 grams of protein. When you first add it to liquid, it appears that while it mostly dissolves (hydrolyzed?), there are a few small lumps. Just do a very little stirring. Even so, I can't detect any lumps or grit when drinking it. I hope this helps fellow GB-ers in need of protein sources. GB is life changing, and finding adequate protein has been a real challenge for me. I'm not a morning person and can't handle a big breakfast. A morning drink made with ON works for me and supplies me with half of the protein I need all day. But you can have them any time you want. Yes, my hair loss started stabilizing and is getting better. My fatigue is improving. I had really gotten myself down a hole 6-9 months after GB surgery, and I don't expect miracles overnight, but I'm really seeing my health improve after getting more protein in my diet. I'll give my basic recipe for a ON protein drink, but you can try many variations on it. Good luck to you all in your weight loss and health journey. In an 8 to 16 oz. mug or glass, add 1/2 cup more or less of water. Add a teaspoon or two of instant coffee crystals (I use Folger's classic roast) and stir. Add 2 to 4 squirts of Torani sugar free syrup. Add one scoop of ON and stir. Add more liquid to taste. This can be more water, milk (low fat for less calories), coffee and milk, coffee, or? I then like to add a couple of ice cubes, but that's optional. The variations on this can be endless. Use coffee or not. Use milk or not. Use Torani or not. Try different Torani flavor combinations (1/2 caramel and 1/2 vanilla is good). Vary the amounts/portions of any of the ingredients to taste. I don't use any measuring cups or spoons now for this. Less dirty things to wash and the measurements don't need to be exact. Whatever glass or cup is handy, a spoon out of the silverware drawer and available ingredients, and a scoop of ON. I haven't tried fruit juice yet, but was thinking that OJ and low fat milk (no coffee) might be creme-sicle-ish. GB-ers be careful to check the grams of sugars in juice servings. Not sure if Torani makes sugar free OJ syrup, but I know they make some sugar free fruit flavors. After running out using the small ON container size, I now order the 3.5 pound size and keep a spare on hand. ON doesn't seem to be available at many retail stores, so Amazon is the best source I've found for speed and best price. When I occasionally run out of ON and fill in with something else in a pinch - Yuck!

Optimum Nutrition is not new to the scene and they certainly produce great-value products, like their Gold Standard protein Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard, Double Rich Chocolate, 5 Pound and multivitamins Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men Multivitamins, 180-Count However, Hydro Whey is expensive and a lesser value, but why is it worth it? First off, for all the hard gainers like myself out there, the increased content of BCAA's is important for protein anabolism. You can only create as much as the weakest link and without a single amino acid or fuel to create the essential ones, you are falling short. Secondly, this stuff mixes like a champ! We've all been there with the proteins that fail to mix well, leaving clumps to swallow and dry powder to lick out of our cups and shaker bottles. I highly recommend a shaker bottle Blender Bottle W/Wire Ball-Large 28 Oz. Colors Vary for all mixing purposes, for its convenience as well as efficiency. However, this is the ONLY protein I've ever been able to mix in a cup when a mixer/blender was not available and there are no clumps at all. It does produce a more frothy, lighter shake than does Gold Standard or even Platinum Hydrobuilder, making it easier to consume and break down. The taste is much smoother than its thicker Gold Standard counterpart. It will curb your appetite slightly (characteristic of all proteins), but not as bad as other protein shakes do which can be important when you need to consume that post-workout meal. Now, as to whether "hydrolyzed" whey is better than the regular stuff, that's for you to decide. It has worked for me, and I'm not going back to Gold Standard anytime soon for all the reasons above, but remember scientific 'philosophies' or lab work does not all translate to the same benefits in real-life applications like the human body (where everyone reacts differently). Hydro-Whey has been a winner for me, and I've tried many, many proteins before: Muscletech, BSN, Optimum, etc. Please do your research as different proteins have different applications and this stuff is reserved for primarily upon waking and immediately post-workout. If you're looking for meal replacement or anabolic longevity, look elsewhere. Hydro-whey provides instant fuel when your body needs it most, and to maximize muscle gains, I'm willing to pay a premium after working hard in the gym day in, day out.

This is my ultimate protein powder for when I really need a protein boost. It blends well with both milk and water, which is a relief! It's very smooth, very creamy and almost like a super rich chocolate milkshake without the ice cream finish. I mostly really love the nutrition I get from this though - regardless of the taste (which is great!) this is simply the best protein-per-gram I've found.

Short review: This products works well, tastes great, and is easy on the stomach. I would recommend it. Longer review: I'll start off by briefly informing you that I use this product specifically to supplement my protein intake after a workout. Previously, I used Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard Whey for the past ~2 years. Before that, I've used a few others and concluded that ON seems to deliver the best overall protein. That being said, I tried ON's Hydrowhey because hydrolyzed whey is absorbed very quickly after consumption. Taste (Turbo Chocolate): 9/10 Vanilla soymilk is my preferred base liquid, and this flavor tastes great with it. ...Probably even better than their Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate flavor. Mixability: 8/10 I've used the same blender bottle for about two years as well, and this Hydrowhey seemed to clump up slightly more than their Gold Standard and stick to the lid of the bottle. Not a huge deal, but worth noting. Ingredients: 9.5/10 Lots of protein and not a whole lot of other garbage that a lot of commercial proteins contain. People will complain about artificial ingredients in their protein, but I'm not from that camp. Personally, I'd be upset if they started dumping sugar into it. It's also noteworthy that this protein powder (like other ON protein powders) has BCAAs, which is convenient, so that I don't have to order another product or even risk forgetting to take it. Digestability: 8/10 I include this because there's a common talking point about hydro whey being tough on your stomach. For this reason, I procrastinated in trying this, but I'm glad that I did. Personally, this maybe had an effect on my stomach about 5% of the time (maybe 2 or 3 days out of the first month that I used it). All in all, I'd recommend ON's hydrowhey. I only tried their Turbo Chocolate flavor, and it's definitely a winner. It's a little pricey, but the quality of ingredients and taste make it worth it. I paid full price for my whey and my opinions are my own. If you found this review to be helpful in any way, feel free to tap the "Yes" button to indicate this was helpful to you. Thanks!

Normally I sit on the sideline and just read reviews but it bothers me when people give misinformed reviews possibly swaying people away from a perfectly good product. First of all this isn't your run of the mill protein powder. This product contains hydrolyzed whey protein which your body metabolizes much better than other forms of whey, especially whey concentrate (check the labels of most protein powders and see what the first protein listed is, it's probably concentrate). Concentrate is easy to produce and is one of the least efficient forms of whey. It's not that it doesn't work but an awful lot of it get converted into waste. Also, since hydrolyzed whey is metabolized better an added benefit is that it is easier on your stomach (protein shakes don't always agree with everyone). The reason hydrolyzed whey is more expensive is because the refining process is much more involved and the yield is much less at the end of the process. The biggest negative to hydrolyzed whey is the taste. Hydrolyzed proteins typically are very bitter. The ON Platinum Whey tastes phenomenal for a hydrolyzed whey product. If all you want is a great tasting milk shake and don't care about the quality of protein then look elsewhere. This brings me to my biggest gripe with a lot of reviewers. Please stop comparing apples and oranges. Yes it is more expensive than ON Gold Whey but for the reasons I mentioned above there are additional costs in manufacturing and as a result there are added benefits to the consumer. 1 gram of whey concentrate is not equal to 1 gram of hydrolyzed whey. So stop comparing it to the Whey gold gram for gram. It's not just marketing hype, they market it as platinum because it is a better product. I've been using this product for over a year and I've tried a plethora of other brands but this by far is the best tasting hydrolyzed whey formula in my experience. There might be more pure hydrolyzed whey out there but the bitterness is nauseating. This is a great product by a reputable company. It isn't magic and it's not perfect, nothing is. Hydrolyzed whey isn't for everyone either. I agree with other reviewers, do your research. Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples, the nutrition info doesn't tell the whole story. Read the ingredients.

The chocolate hydro whey protein tastes really good and dissolves easily in water or milk. It helps me recover after workouts and doesn’t upset my stomach. It’s a good option if you’re looking for a quality protein with great flavor.