Whey Review: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey (Banana Cream)

Here's the review of the supplement which has set the benchmark for whey protein in the industry for years - Optimum Nutrition's Gold Standard 100% Whey. Most people who start off lifting weights would have started with this protein due to Optimum's reputation as one of the leading companies in the market. Word of mouth recommending this product is simply crazy. Just ask any lifter in the gym about ON's Gold Standard and I reckon (a conservative estimate) about a good 70% of them would have good things to say about it. It is also the reason why this product has had the Award of Excellence presented by BodyBuilding.com for 8 years now.

That said, after sticking to the "safer" flavours like chocolate for a long time now, I decided to give other more "exotic" flavours a try. Acne has been a problem for me while using protein, so I thought of experimenting with non-chocolate flavours to see if it helped. So here's the review for the Banana Cream flavour.

You guys know how the ON Gold Standard 100% Whey looks like. No need for more photos of that. Note that the serving size and calorie content differs for different flavours.

Serving Size: 1 Scoop (31g)
Servings per Container: 73
Calories: 120
Protein: 24g


Effectiveness
As with the Dymatize Elite Whey review, there are far too many factors that may affect the effectiveness of the product. Hence, I feel it is not fair to comment in this section besides the fact that I do feel a difference in growth and performance compared to when I am off whey protein.


Taste & Mix-ability
This is where Optimum Nutrition traditionally gets good reviews compared to the other brands in the market. Taste and mix-ability are top notch. Absolutely no complains here.

Anti-clockwise from top left: 10oz skim milk, 1 scoop of banana cream, 1.5 scoops of banana cream unshaken

For this review, I used skim milk as I wanted a thicker, denser shake instead of the usual 8oz of water I use for the same 1.5 scoops. The banana cream whey is tends to be thinner and milder than other flavours such as "Extreme Milk Chocolate". As such, I would advise using less water for your shake or use milk if you desire a thicker and frothier shake.The smell of both the whey powder and shake is awesome and absolutely fragrant. 

Mix-ability was practically perfect as there were no sediments or clumps even when using a regular shaker bottle. Mix-ability was the same in both skim milk and plain water.

From left: 1.5 scoops of banana cream in skim milk (unshaken), finished product.

Value
The cost of SGD$79 may be a slight put off for the more budget-conscious. However, I personally feel that the price is well worth for this quality product. Me myself, I like to alternate between a 5lb tub of ON whey and a more budget-friendly 5lb tub of whey to save cost.

For those for have extra space at home, there is also the larger 10lb bag at a slightly lower cost than 2 tubs of 5lb ON Whey.


Overall
The product I my opinion, brings to the table everything it promises. The "Gold Standard" in the product name is well-deserved. With so many people swearing by the Gold Standard 100% Whey, there is no harm trying it out if you haven't done so already. Coming from a reputable company like Optimum Nutrition, I feel assured of the quality and safety of the product, unlike some supplement firms that falsely report the ingredient list and all. This is the extra premium I am willing to pay for peace of mind, since whey unlike pre-workouts is taken multiple times daily.

Pre-Workout Review: Gaspari Nutrition Vasotropin

So after going through a few tubs of different pre-workouts, I wanted to try something new. Something along the lines of nitric oxide. Seeing all the different nitric oxide supplements on the market, each promising vein-popping and sleeve-ripping pumps, I was sold on trying it out for myself.

Doing some homework, I found that most nitric oxide supplements were best used continuously on both training and non-training days. They were also best consumed on an empty stomach. Both "pre-requisites" brought about various problems for me. First, consuming nitric oxide daily would be rather costly and I wasn't sure if it would be worth it in the end. Secondly, as I mentioned before in earlier reviews, being an ectomorph I can't really afford to skip or postpone my meals to fulfill the empty-stomach criteria.

Having said that, Vasotropin fits the bill perfectly as a pump-inducing agent which does not require daily consumption or consumption on an empty stomach.

Serving Size: 3 Tablets
Servings Per Container: 40


Effectiveness
Truth be told, I had high hopes for Vasotropin and all other nitric oxide supplements. I mean how can anyone not be convinced these products work when they are being marketed and raved about by insanely vascular 300 pound behemoths with 20 inch arms? Adding the fact that Vasotropin was manufactured by Gaspari Nutrition, I expected a top-notch no-nonsense product.

Here's how I used Vasotropin. Since I usually workout in the mornings directly after a light breakfast of oats and some fruits, I would take 3 to 6 tablets of Vasotropin together with my pre-workout supplement. This produced less than desirable results. Put plainly, it was downright disappointing. The pumps were no more noticeable than usual and  vascularity was sub-par as well.

After a week or so of less than satisfactory workouts with Vasotropin, I did even more research on Vasotropin and found that it was best used in conjunction with quick carbs. Tried this theory out (with 20g of dextrose) and the pumps were alot better. Shoulder and bicep pumps were more intense than usual but vascularity was not as pronounced.

Then again, I'm pretty new with pump products so I'm not too sure what to expect from them. As such my expectations may be a tad unrealistic due to the crazy marketing in the industry.


Taste & Mix-ability
As with the ON ZMA review, this section is not exactly applicable. But it's probably good to note that the tablets have a pretty weird smell to it but are easy to swallow. It wasn't really an issue trying to down 2 servings of Vasotropin at a go with water.

Left to right: Front profile and one sample serving size.

Value
Can't really remember how much I got this for but it was on sale so I think it was a pretty good deal. I probably wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't on sale since it's not really a part of my core supplement stack.

I've seen Vasotropin go on a "1 for 1" promo on an online store for afew months now. This works out to be about USD$17.50 per bottle before shipping. Pretty affordable in my opinion, especially if you share a bottle with a friend.


Overall
I would have to say the product gives pretty decent results when used correctly. Otherwise, it's an utter waste of money. If you happen to see it on sale or have spare cash to spend, you could probably grab a bottle or two to see if it works for you. I've heard good reviews from my friends on this product, intense chest and lat pumps and all. However, it doesn't seem to work all that good for me.

On the side note, I kind of like how Vasotropin is free of caffeine and stimulants (I think?). This allows me to use it for late afternoon and night workouts without worrying about it screwing up my sleep cycle. Also, this lets provides me with a slight boost when I'm off my usual pre-workouts which contain stimulants.