It seems like everyday there's a new thread on reddit about protein powder: whether it's a review, recommendation, or someone asking what's the best protein powder for their personal situation.

So for this post, I've gone through 17 popular threads about protein powder, and compiled reddit's top picks and favorite protein powders.  We've also checked the number of reddit posts that contained a mention of each protein powder (using some technical wizardry) the results are really interesting.

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Product

 

Reddit's Top Pick

ISO 100

Mentioned in 16,400 Reddit threads

  • One of the best tasting protein powders
  • 25g of Hydrolyzed whey per serving
  • 1g of sugar, 5.5g BCAA and 2.7g of L-Leucine for improved muscle recovery and growth
  • Dissolves quickly in milk and water with no lumps or sticking to bottom of a glass
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Best Tasting

Muscle Milk

Mentioned in 4,420 Reddit threads

  • Contains more fats for a creamier taste
  • Recommended as the best tasting protein powder
  • Good price
  • Contains Vitamins, amino acids, and 32g of protein per serving
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Cheapest

Body Fortress

Mentioned in 749 Reddit threads

  • Cheapest protein powder mentioned on reddit
  • 30g of protein and 6g of BCAA per scoop
  • Reddit users were not as pleased with the taste and complained it was lumpy and mixed poorly
  • The protein is not as 'pure' as isolate and hydrolyzed whey protein powders
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Best Plant-Based

Orgain

Mentioned in 1,700 Reddit threads

  • Mix of pea, chia seed, and brown rice plant proteins
  • Lactose free, gluten free
  • Very clean protein that is easy to digest
  • Tastes good, some reddit users mentioned using it in oatmeal and coffee for added chocolaty taste
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Best Protein Powder for Bulking

Serious Mass

Mentioned in 2,180 Reddit threads

  • 625 calories, 125 carbs, and 25g of protein per scoop
  • Contains 25 plus vitamins and minerals plus creatine
  • At 21 cents per ounce it's also one of the cheapest protein powders recommended on reddit
  • Redditors recommended pairing it with fruits, peanut butter, nuts, and other calorific foods for faster weight gain
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Another Reddit Favorite

Optimum Nutrition

Mentioned in 9,020 Reddit threads

  • Another one of reddit's favorite protein powders
  • Recommended as a cheaper alternative to the ISO 100
  • Tastes awesome and there's 10 flavors to choose from
  • Contains 4g of glutamine and 5.5g of BCAA to help with muscle recovery
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Reddit's Protein Powder Benchmarks

In the rest of this post we'll review the above protein powders in depth and share some quotes and reviews from reddit.

Here are some of the things redditors cared about most when they were looking for a protein powder:

  • Taste
  • Nutrition & Effectiveness
  • Price

Let's see how each protein powder measures up for the above benchmarks! Starting with reddit's top pick.

Reddit's Favorite Protein Powder: 

Dymatize ISO 100

Taste

When it comes to taste we couldn't find any complaints about this protein powder.  It comes in 15 different flavors with some of the favorites being fudge brownie, birthday cake, and cinnamon bun.

Nutrition

One thing reddit users loved was the ISO 100's use of hydrolyzed whey protein which is protein that's more broken down so it's easy to digest and reaches the muscles quicker then regular whey protein powder.

Cost

The most common complaint about the ISO-100 was the higher price.  Depending on where you get it, it can range from $60 to $100 for 5 pounds.  Here's one of the cheapest prices we've found online.

The ISO 100 had many reddit comments calling it the best protein powder for maximum growth and recovery.  In addition to 25g of hydrolyzed whey protein per scoop, it includes some other supplements:

  • 5.5g of Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) to help build muscle memory and aid in recovery
  • 2.7g of L-Leucine to support activation of Muscle Protein Synthesis

The Iso 100's Hydrolyzed whey protein is finer and more broken down then other kinds of whey.  This means it dissolves easier in water and milk and is absorbed quicker into the body, digesting its nutrients into your muscles faster then other proteins.  

The fast digesting nature is a huge advantage after a workout because of your anabolic window or 'protein window', which lasts 30- 90 minutes depending on the person.  A time when delivering protein to your muscles as fast as possible is crucial for developing mass.

Another thing a lot of people liked about it the ISO 100 was the taste.  It comes in 15 different flavors and it seemed each one had its own superfan on Reddit.  It's probably best to pick whatever flavor sounds best to you.  With only 1g of sugar it's impressive they can make it both delicious and nutritious with one redditor calling it "THE MOST DELICIOUS PROTEIN POWDER!!!"


Quotes from Reddit About This Protein Powder

"I love ISO-100 when I have spare cash because it tastes great and since it's so refined you don't even need a blender bottle as it mixes effortlessly into water. But, it is expensive. I don't use too much whey anyway as I get most from whole foods or Quest bars (bad habit for my wallet as well, but worth the $$)." 

042187

"It's my go-to post workout protein. On probably my 5th or 6th tub of the gourmet chocolate. Tastes amazing and macros are great.I

 packer27

"i only use one product form dymatize, their cinnamon bun casein protein powder. its the best tasting i've found, but far less viscous than other caseins so i'm sure it absorbs at a much faster rate."

 h713281

"Iso-100 is just pure gold for me since I'm lactose intolerant"

Pirispanen

Overall rating :  5 / 5

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Final Word

If you're looking for a new protein powder, reddit has generated a lot of opinions on which one is the best.  With 16,200 mentions, the Iso 100 brand seems to be the top pick overall, especially since it's generated the most conversation on Reddit.  If you are looking for further reading, we've put together a list of the most popular threads about protein powder on reddit.

Popular Reddit Threads About Protein Powder for Further Reading

The Best Protein Powder

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Ladies who lift, what is your favorite protein powder brand and flavor?

Protein Powders: Are They Worth It? - Joe Rogan

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I need help choosing a new protein powder

What brand of protein powder do you go for and why?

What is the best protein powder?

Whats a good protein powder?