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.