Complete Whey is probably something you have heard of before. Muscle Milk, by the same company, has been around for a long time, and they somewhat recently came out with Complete Whey for people really trying to put on some muscle. In this Complete Whey review, we will explain why it does NOT rank amongst our Top Protein Powders.
Company Profile
Cytosport has never really done anything too impressive if you ask me. Is Muscle Milk popular? Yes. But does that mean it’s a great product? Not necessarily. But Complete Whey is certainly a step up, and that’s why it made this top 10 list.
Complete Whey Ingredients
With only 110 calories, Complete Whey immediately caught my eye. It also only has 2 grams of carbs in every serving, which is very solid. The cholesterol level is unfortunately fairly high at 65 mg per serving. This protein powder also contains a good variety of BCAAs, which I was pretty happy with after reading the nutrition label.
The protein blend consists of only whey protein hydrolysate (which is the purest form of protein in existence) and whey protein concentrate (not so good). Overall, one of the best protein blends I have seen thus far. As a general rule, you want the list of ingredients in the protein blend to be as short as possible. The less ingredients, the higher the purity. With only whey protein concentrate and whey protein hydrolysate, this blend is very pure.
However, the rest of the label is just okay. It has 20 grams of protein in every serving, which is a little low compared to the standard 24-25. Sodium is rather high at 85 mg per serving, which is nearly 3 times that of the number one ranked protein powder. It also contains 2 grams of fat per serving…it doesn’t sound high, but that can add up after you drink this on a regular basis for a while! Just remember, nutrition labels NEVER lie so take a look!
Effectiveness
This product, now speaking from personal experience, is just average. Protein powders should contain more protein per serving than this one does, and that is probably a good part of the reason why it is likely not as effective as it could be.
However, muscle recovery was rather quick, most likely due to the variety of BCAAs contained in every serving including glutamine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. I read a few more reviews on this product just to see if anyone had different opinions, and everyone seemed to be in agreement all across the board. A fairly effective product.
Taste
This product tastes great. Taste is one thing that Cytosport has always done right. Complete Whey tastes great, and Muscle Milk tastes awesome too. They are actually very similar tasting. Texture is great, very thick and smooth. I would personally recommend the chocolate flavor, because every other flavor I have tried was only average.
The Pros
- Contains variety of BCAAs
- Low calorie
The Cons
- Lower protein
- Often only mildly effective
- High sodium
Summary
To sum it up, Complete Whey would have ranked higher if it contained more protein per serving, and less fat. It is overall a great product, and I would recommend it based off of personal experience. However, there are several products on this site that I would recommend before this one. It contains a lot of fat, which after an extended period of time can begin to pile up and hinder results.
I’m not just a supplement analyst. I’m an extremely qualified one! I am a Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) and actually received my certification directly from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I am also a Nutrition & Wellness Consultant, certified by the American Fitness Professionals Association (AFPA).
