MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate review: A great alternative to milky protein shakes
If you want a quick and tasty way to add protein to your diet, MyProtein’s Clear Whey is a very tempting option
Pros
- Light, fruity flavour
- Mixes well
- Low in carbs and fat
Cons
- Pricey
- Nothing else of note
Ask someone to describe home-mixed protein shakes and they might say something along the lines of “thick”, “milky” or “lumpy”, but MyProtein’s Clear Whey Isolate is none of those things. As the name suggests, it mixes to make a relatively clear, smooth drink that’s both light and fruity. If you struggle to drink traditional whey protein shakes, MyProtein’s fruity Clear Whey shakes are a compelling and remarkably palatable alternative.
MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate review: What do you get for the money?
A 914g tub of Clear Whey (which contains 35 servings) will set you back £45; on a per-shake basis, that means Clear Whey will cost you around £1.30. That’s not cheap and, sadly, at the time of writing this review Clear Whey is excluded from MyProtein’s 45% off when you spend over £45 promotion. It’s worth pointing out, however, that you can save up to 50% by subscribing and having a tub delivered every one or two months.
As for what each shake contains, there’s 20g of whey protein isolate in each 26g serving. Whey isolate has a different filtration process to regular whey concentrate, and it typically results in a higher proportion of protein relative to carbs when compared with regular protein shakes. Indeed, Clear Whey has very little fat and sugar, with just 0.1g of the former and 0.3g of the latter, while MyProtein’s Impact Whey has 1.9g of fat and 1g of carbs to every 21g of protein (per 25g serving). Clear Whey has fewer calories overall, too, with just 90 in each shake compared to 103 calories in Impact whey.
Having said that, whey isolate such as Clear Whey is also more expensive; a 1kg bag of MyProtein’s popular Impact Whey will cost you just £21 at the time of writing (thanks to a 40% off when you spend over £25 promotion), which is less than half the price.
Each serving also contains 4g of branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and 3g of glutamine.
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MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate review: What did we like?
MyProtein suggests mixing one scoop with around 300-400ml of cold water before shaking and then waiting around 15 seconds for the mixture to settle as a translucent protein drink. I was a little apprehensive about tasting the brightly coloured, foamy Orange Mango sample in front of me, but I needn’t have been.
The drink mixed surprisingly well and tasted better still. To be clear, there’s no milky taste as you get with other protein powders, and the sharp, fruity flavour is powerful enough that it’s something akin to drinking a juice drink. With almost no sugar, Clear Whey relies on sweeteners, and although I’m quick to criticise sweeteners in soft drinks, I had no such complaints when it comes to Clear Whey – it really does taste great.
Indeed, perhaps the best thing about Clear Whey is just how drinkable and refreshing it is. I’ve drunk many a protein shake after a workout that’s felt like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience, but with MyProtein’s Clear Whey I didn’t ever feel like I was fighting my way through powdery lumps to finish my drink. On the contrary, I would have happily gone back for more when the shaker was empty.
MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate review: How can it be improved?
Although Clear Whey mixes very well, it wasn’t perfect in this respect. There was a small amount of powder that hadn’t completely dissolved towards the bottom of the drink, but these were much more palatable than the lumps you normally find in whey protein drinks. If you leave these in situ on the shaker’s sidewalls, they can also be rather stubborn when it comes to washing up.
Although I really liked the Orange Mango flavour, it’s possible that some might find this strong fruity flavour a little too sharp on the tongue. The good news is that Clear Whey is available in a further 17 flavours at the time of writing, including Peach Tea, Yuzu Green Tea and Mojito, so if orange isn’t your thing, you can probably find something more to your liking.
Otherwise, my main criticism of Clear Whey is that price. At £1.30 per shake, it costs a similar amount to what you might pay for some protein drinks in a supermarket, and that feels too steep. As I’ve already touched on, however, you can bring the cost down by 45% on your first order and 50% on subsequent orders by subscribing to one tub every one or two months.
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MyProtein Clear Whey Isolate review: Should I buy it?
However, in spite of that high price, I’d strongly recommend trying Clear Whey because it’s so remarkably tasty that you’ll likely only believe me if you try it for yourself. If you struggle to take on enough protein in your diet and don’t get on with regular milk protein shakes, this light, refreshing drink could be revolutionary for you.
If you’re not fussed about drinking something more like squash than a shake, you can pick up 1kg of MyProtein regular Whey Isolate for as little as £27. It’s worth bearing in mind, then, that you are paying something of a premium for what is essentially just a better-tasting drink.