The 10 Best Whey Protein Powders for Men of 2023, According to a Dietitian

Is Whey Protein Beneficial for Men?

Protein is an essential nutrient needed to make enzymes, hormones, build, and repair muscles and bones. Your daily protein needs will vary depending on a number of factors, including age, gender, activity level, and health status. 

The following groups of men have higher protein needs and may benefit from whey protein:

Men who strength train to build muscle: Protein needs for most men who strength train will be between 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. For someone who is 150 pounds, that will be between 95 to 136 grams of protein per day. This amount of protein will help with maintaining and building new muscle when paired with strength training exercises. 

While it is possible to get all protein needs from food, it may be difficult with diet alone. Whey protein can help someone reach their higher protein needs and can be a convenient way to get protein on-the-go. Whey is absorbed fast into the body which is why it is commonly consumed before or after workouts.

It should be noted those who are just starting out with a resistance training program probably don’t need or benefit from supplementing protein. As time, intensity, and duration increases with strength training, taking a protein supplement like whey protein can become helpful to maintain lean muscle. 

Elderly men: As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass and strength more easily than in younger years. To combat age-related muscle loss, experts recommended consuming 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight along with strength training. For example, if you’re 150 pounds, you should consume at least 68 to 82 grams of protein daily. 

Whey protein can be the recommended choice for this age group especially because whey has a fast absorption compared to other types of protein.

Men Who May Not Benefit from Whey Protein

Whey protein is a convenient way to get more protein in the diet, but it may not be beneficial for everyone. The following groups may not benefit from whey protein powders:

Endurance athletes: While protein is an important part of any athletes’ diets, the focus for endurance athletes—especially for nutrition supplements—are usually more on carbohydrates instead of protein. Therefore, an endurance athlete may not benefit from adding whey protein assuming they are getting adequate overall calories and carbohydrates in the diet.

Supplementing with carbohydrates around exercise has shown to be important for endurance athletic performance and muscle recovery. However, when carbohydrate intake is less than 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, protein may be needed to help with glycogen restoration.

Healthy adults eating enough protein: If you’re already eating enough protein and calories in your diet, any additional protein you get most likely won’t be beneficial. 

Medical diseases requiring protein restrictions: Medical diseases, including chronic kidney disease and inherited metabolic disorders like phenylketonuria, homocystinuria, maple syrup urine disease, and tyrosinemia, require lower protein intake. Therefore, taking a protein supplement like whey protein is not recommended for these conditions.

People with dairy allergy: Since whey protein comes from cow milk, people with a milk allergy should also stay away from whey protein. “Whey protein is generally safe, but there are some people who shouldn’t take it. It does come from dairy so if you are allergic to dairy or do not consume animal products for any other reason then you should not take whey,” says Prieto.

People on a vegan diet: Whey protein, like cow’s milk, is not vegan. So, people who are on a vegan diet would benefit from supplementing with a vegan protein powder instead of whey.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here. 

We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest quality products. We prioritize products that are third-party tested and certified by one of three independent, third party certifiers: USP, NSF, or ConsumerLab.com. 

It's important to note that the FDA does not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.

What to Look For in Whey Protein Powders for Men

Third-Party Testing

Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab where they are tested to ensure they contain what they say they contain and are not contaminated with specific high-risk, common contaminants. However, it’s important to note:

• Third party testing does not test to see if a product is effective or safe for everyone, and it does not ensure the supplement will not interact with other supplements or medications.
• Not all third-party testing is created equal. It is not uncommon for supplement companies to pay labs for certificates after conducting minimal to no testing. 
• The third party certifications we can trust are: ConsumerLab.com, NSF, and USP. However, these certifications are difficult to obtain and/or expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested by one of these three organizations. 
• Sometimes products tested by these three companies are more expensive to try to offset the cost they pay for certification.
• Just because a supplement is not tested by one of these three companies, it does not mean it’s a bad product. We recommend doing some research on the reputability of the manufacturer, and calling up the manufacturer and their testing lab to determine their protocols and decide if you feel comfortable consuming the supplement.

Form

It’s important to know what form of whey protein the supplement contains before purchasing, as each has its own uses, purposes, and benefits. “ Whey protein is a dairy protein, which means it is a rich source of all the essential amino acids that your body needs to consume from diet. It’s commonly bought as whey concentrate, whey isolate, and sometimes hydrolyzed whey isolate. The latter two forms tend to have little to no lactose in their mix,” says Nick Snow, BS, NASM-CPT, FNS. 

Which one you choose depends on your own preferences and goals. Whey protein powder can be from a whey concentrate or isolate. Whey protein isolate has more protein and less carbohydrates (lactose) than whey protein concentrate, while the concentrated form has slightly more carbohydrates and less protein. 

Whey protein isolate could be more beneficial for people looking for higher protein options, such as people who want to gain muscle mass or people engaging in intense exercise. Whey protein concentrate could be beneficial for anyone who wants a more whole food source of protein, as this option contains more of the natural carbs and fats found in milk. 

Typically, whey protein concentrate contains up to 80% of protein by weight, so it has more carbohydrates (lactose) and less protein than whey protein isolate. Isolate, on the other hand, is 90% (or more) protein by weight, so it is higher in protein and has fewer carbohydrates than concentrate.

A few of the supplements in our list also contain whey protein hydrolysate, a form of whey protein isolate that has been hydrolyzed (predigested), and is the easiest of the three to digest and absorb. This might be the most beneficial to anyone with digestive issues and athletes who need a very fast digesting protein around their workouts/exercise sessions.

Ingredients & Potential Interactions

It is essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please bring the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

In whey protein supplements, it's common to see flavors, binders, sweeteners, and emulsifiers used. These are generally used to improve taste, texture, and shelf life. Some of these include acacia gum, natural flavors, artificial flavors, erythritol, stevia, aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sugar. 

Aspartame may need to be avoided for anyone with gut issues, as it can cause or worsen microbiome imbalance in the gut. Lecithin is also a common ingredient used as an emulsifier. Most products use sunflower lecithin, but it can also be derived from soy, so anyone with a soy allergy should double check to make sure the lecithin is not soy-derived. 

Whey Protein Dosage

When choosing protein supplements, it's important to be aware of how much protein the supplement provides. This will ensure you meet your protein needs and do not consume too much. Whey protein supplements typically provide 15-30 grams of protein per serving. 

Those who require more protein, such as those trying to build muscle or preserve muscle mass while losing weight, might consider a slightly higher protein product or closer to 30 grams. If you have kidney disease, aim for a lower protein option, or closer to 15 grams, and should be supervised by a nephrologist, a kidney specialist, and a registered dietitian while taking a protein supplement.

How Much is Too Much?

Despite all the benefits of protein, it is possible to get too much protein in your diet. Generally, long-term consumption of up to 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day (140 grams for a 70-kilogram adult) is safe for most healthy adults. However, the exact amount of protein best for you will vary based on gender, body weight, activity level, and other factors. 

Although the tolerable upper limit is 3.5 grams per kg body weight per day, this is only for people who are well-adapted to a high-protein diet. Consuming more than two grams per kg of body weight per day may cause digestive, renal, and vascular abnormalities.

To decide if you are getting too much protein from whey supplements, total the amount of protein you consume from other food sources (animal and plant). Then determine if adding whey protein will cause an excessive amount of protein intake. A dietitian can further help you determine how much protein you are getting from your diet and if you are getting too much.

The exact amount of protein that people require will vary, and those looking to build muscle with resistance training or those looking to preserve lean mass while losing weight might benefit most from a higher end of the recommended protein intake spectrum.

If you have kidney disease, you should aim closer to 0.6 - 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (42 - 56 grams per day for a 70-kilogram adult). People with kidney disease should also consult a nephrologist and registered dietitian before taking any protein supplements. 

Taste

Finally, the taste is an important thing to consider when purchasing a protein supplement. It's important to research and read product reviews, as this can give you more insight into the different products and help you make a decision. 

Great-tasting protein powders can have a moderately strong flavor or aftertaste. Individual preference for flavor and taste can vary. One thing to keep in mind is that if you purchase an unflavored whey protein, it may taste bland and need to be added to something (like a fruit smoothie or a healthy protein-based dessert) in order to taste good.  

We picked a variety of whey protein powders to reach all desired taste preferences and included unflavored, sweetened naturally, and some protein powders that had non-nutritive sweeteners.

Why Trust Verywell Fit

Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT has been a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified personal trainer for eight years. He has also been on the nutrition and fitness medical review board for VeryWell Fit since 2019 and is an avid runner and tennis player.

When examining the best whey protein powders for men, Jon looks at the type of whey used, protein amount, other ingredients, and third-party testing. Then he looks at the flavor profile because if it doesn't taste good, he isn't going to drink it. 

His favorite product is Garden of Life Sport Whey Protein Chocolate Flavor  because of its overall nutrient profile, breakdown of protein content, use of whey isolate, and best of all satisfying chocolatey flavor.