Some protein powder supplements are intended for use only when you are in a supplement rut. Meet Complete Whey protein powder, the shining 
example of an “OK” protein powder supplement that hardly impresses but doesn’t exactly tumble to the floor, either. This Complete Whey review will put on display a protein supplement that’s solidified its placement in the very middle of the herd. Its priced decently, it doesn’t try to be more than it needs to be or more than it markets itself as, and it certainly does work.
Complete Whey has the unfortunate timing of competing at a time when protein powder supplement density is at an all-time high. The market is thriving, consumers are buying up protein powder supplements because they work, so supplement companies are reacting by stocking the shelves with options. This means lower prices for consumers and an ushering out of pretender formulas.
Complete Whey is still on our top protein list, make no mistake about it, however, the disparity is broad when it comes to the difference between the one spot, occupied by Hydro Whey 100, down below the five spot. The harsh disparity is a harsh reality in almost every vertical, heck, look at the auto industry.
When you consider Complete Whey, consider the price, but do yourself a favor and make sure you give a thorough look at our entire top protein powder list.
About Cytosport – The Manufacturer of Complete Whey
Cytosport is most famous for its Muscle Milk formula. Their Muscle Milk label is one of the most recognizable of the past decade. There is no more mainstream a brand than Muscle Milk. They are a California based company that is well-respected and hasn’t been accused of any nefarious behavior. In other words, buying from them is a trustworthy experience.
Their products are commonly found on Amazon. They are currently working on a website rebuild. Canadian government officials made Cytosport change their Muscle Milk label practices out of fear that consumers would confuse their famous product with real, actual milk. We sure hope no one is that dense, but alas, people are often surprising.
They’ve been around since 1998. They were founded by a father and son named Greg and Mike Pickett, respectively. In 2008, they brought in $200 million in revenue. That’s insane.
They’ve had some pretty famous celebrity endorsers, including NFL running back, Adrian Peterson.
Obviously, celebrity endorsements only show that supplement manufacturer has deep pockets, it doesn’t mean their products work. Additionally, Muscle Milk is a pretty well-reviewed supplement and should not be confused with Complete Whey, which is not regarded in the same class.
Complete Whey Ingredients
Complete Whey uses two proteins: whey protein hydrolysate and whey protein concentrate. Whey protein concentrate is filler junk protein used to beef up protein serving sizes. Don’t worry, Complete Whey is far from the only top-level protein powder brand to utilize a concentrate for the sake of enhanced marketing purposes. I’m just pointing it out. Hydro Whey 100 is the only protein powder supplement that contains only whey protein hydrolysate, however, it cost more.
Now, the situation for Complete Whey ingredients gets worse.
Check out my fancy red arrow on Complete Whey’s ingredient label found on the back of the package.
Ingredient labels work from top to bottom. The top listed ingredient is the ingredient that is the most dominant ingredient in the formula. The rest are less prevalent. This is true of food labels as well. In this case, we see that the concentrated protein is the top ingredient, which means it is found most densely in the product overall. Worse more, the vital hydrolysate is found fourth on the list.
So how much of that 20 grams of protein, where my red arrow derives from, is actually hydrolysate? Who knows, but we do know it is less than the concentrate version.
This is a really bad deal, in my opinion.
Now, Complete Whey ingredients redeem themselves somewhat by including BCAAs. It includes glutamine and glutamine precursors. It is low calorie, however, I’m not sure how much that matters. If you are working out hard enough to have a need for a protein powder supplement, your caloric intake for a single serving of a supplement shouldn’t make or break your goals.
This is overall an average ingredient experience. You will save some money, sure, but you aren’t gettting anything great out Complete Whey. It will work and it is better than nothing, however.
Pros
- Has BCAAs
- Created by an extremely reliable and trustworthy brand
- Decent cost
- Has BCAAs
- Has Glutamine
Cons
- This is mostly whey protein concentrate
- Just not competitive with top 5 protein powders
Conclusion
You can do better, that’s my overall conclusion in this Complete Whey review. This is far from a “complete protein,” as the name of the product suggests; instead, this is a mostly concentrate experience. You may spend a little less, but you certainly are not getting the value you could get by forking over a little more money.
It does include some BCAAs, which is nice. I am confident in the company as a whole, so I’m sure you won’t have any issues if you needed to return it.
I’d recommend circling back to our top protein powder list, honestly, and having a second run through. If you are sold that Complete Whey is your best option, I will place a link below for you, or you can scurry over to Amazon and find it there. It is also available on the BodyBuilding.com store if you are a member there or have an online coupon for them.
