Free tool · GLP-1 nutrition

Concentrate, isolate or clear? Compare protein powders

Protein powder is one of the easiest ways to get protein in when your appetite is small, but the tubs all look alike. Pick a type to see what it is, then compare what is actually on each label: protein, calories, sugar and sweetener, per scoop.

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What the words on the tub mean

All three start as the same milk protein

Whey is the liquid left when milk is made into cheese. It is filtered and dried into a powder, and how far it is filtered decides what it is called. Concentrate, isolate and clear are all whey. The difference is how much of the fat, lactose and other milk solids stays in.

Concentrate keeps more of the milk

Whey protein concentrate is at least 34% protein by weight, and can be filtered up into the high 80s. Most tubs sold as protein powder use the 80% grade, so a scoop carries a little more fat, carbohydrate and lactose than an isolate, and tends to taste creamier.

Isolate is filtered further

Whey protein isolate is at least 90% protein, with most of the fat and lactose removed. That means more protein for the same calories, and many people who find regular dairy hard going do better with it. Hydrolyzed on the label means the protein has been partly broken down ahead of time. It is still isolate or concentrate.

Clear is isolate made to drink like juice

Clear whey is isolate that has been acidified so it mixes thin and see-through, more like a fruit drink than a milkshake. Some people find it easier to get down when thick, creamy shakes sound like too much. It is usually fruit flavored and close to fat free.

Blends are the most common tub

Many of the best known powders mix concentrate and isolate. The ingredient list names them in order of weight, so the first one listed is the one there is most of.

Why protein per 100 calories is the number to watch

When you are eating a little, you want as much of each scoop as possible to be protein. Protein per 100 calories shows how much of a scoop is protein rather than everything else, and it lets you compare scoops that are different sizes. In this list the isolates and clears mostly sit at 20 to 25 grams per 100 calories, and the concentrates and blends at 18 to 21.

Sources

28 references

Every product number comes from the brand’s own nutrition facts panel for the flavor named on its card, and each card links to that page.

U.S. Dairy Export Council, Reference Manual for U.S. Whey and Lactose Products, sections 3 and 4.5/4.9 (PDF pp. 23-33). www.thinkusadairy.org/assets/documents/Customer%20Site/C3-Using%20Dairy/C3.7-Resources%20and%20Insights/02-Product%20Resources/ReferenceManualForWheyAndLactose_English1.pdf. Source for: Whey protein concentrate is whey with enough non-protein parts removed that the dry product is at least 34% protein (WPC34). The common WPC80 grade is at least 80% protein, typically 80-82% protein, 4-8% lactose and 4-8% fat. Membrane processes make WPCs from 34 to 90% protein.
U.S. Dairy Export Council, Reference Manual for U.S. Whey and Lactose Products, section 4.10 (PDF p. 33). www.thinkusadairy.org/assets/documents/Customer%20Site/C3-Using%20Dairy/C3.7-Resources%20and%20Insights/02-Product%20Resources/ReferenceManualForWheyAndLactose_English1.pdf. Source for: Whey protein isolate has enough non-protein parts removed that the dry product is at least 90% protein. Its typical composition is 90-92% protein, 0.5-1.0% lactose and 0.5-1.0% fat.
American Dairy Products Institute (ADPI), Whey and Whey Products: Human Food Definitions. www.adpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Whey-and-Whey-Products_Human-Food-Definitions.pdf. Source for: US definitions: whey protein concentrate is at least 25% protein (21 CFR 184.1979c). Whey protein isolate is at least 90% protein on a dry basis.
Hoffman JR, Falvo MJ. Protein - Which is Best? J Sports Sci Med. 2004;3(3):118-130. PMID 24482589, PMC3905294. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3905294. Source for: Whey concentrate ranges from 25 to 89% protein, 10 to 55% lactose and 2 to 10% milk fat. Isolates are 90%+ protein with about 0.5% lactose and 0.5% fat (Table 2, adapted from Geiser 2003).
U.S. Dairy Export Council, Reference Manual for U.S. Whey and Lactose Products, sections 3.4 and Hydrolysis (PDF pp. 23, 26). www.thinkusadairy.org/assets/documents/Customer%20Site/C3-Using%20Dairy/C3.7-Resources%20and%20Insights/02-Product%20Resources/ReferenceManualForWheyAndLactose_English1.pdf. Source for: Hydrolyzed whey is made by adding protease enzymes that cut whey proteins into smaller peptides. Hydrolysis lowers viscosity and raises solubility, which helps in acidic beverages where intact proteins can cause precipitation and cloudiness.
LaClair CE, Etzel MR. Ingredients and pH are Key to Clear Beverages that Contain Whey Protein. J Food Sci. 2010;75(1). DOI 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01400.x (PMID 20492145). doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2009.01400.x. Source for: Clear whey drinks rely on acidity. Whey protein beverages at pH 3.6 and below stayed essentially clear before and after heating. At pH 3.8 and above, clarity depended on the other ingredients.
U.S. Dairy Export Council, Reference Manual for U.S. Whey and Lactose Products (PDF pp. 116, 152-153). www.thinkusadairy.org/assets/documents/Customer%20Site/C3-Using%20Dairy/C3.7-Resources%20and%20Insights/02-Product%20Resources/ReferenceManualForWheyAndLactose_English1.pdf. Source for: Whey proteins can make high-clarity beverages. Acidifying whey protein drinks to pH 3.5 reduces protein precipitation during heat treatment.
Ascent, 100% Whey Protein Powder (Native Whey Protein Blend) (Vanilla Bean). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Ascent, Clear Whey Protein Isolate (Orange Mango). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
BulkSupplements, Whey Protein Concentrate 80% Powder (Unflavored). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
BulkSupplements, Whey Protein Isolate 90% Powder (Unflavored). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Dymatize, Elite 100% Whey (Gourmet Vanilla). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Dymatize, ISO100 Hydrolyzed 100% Whey Protein Isolate (Gourmet Vanilla). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Ghost, Clear Whey (Blue Raspberry). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Ghost, Whey (Cereal Milk). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Isopure, Clear Protein (Citrus Lemonade). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Isopure, Zero Carb Protein Powder (Creamy Vanilla). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Levels, Grass Fed Whey Protein (Vanilla Bean). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Myprotein, Clear Whey Isolate (Lemonade). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Myprotein, Impact Whey Protein (Unflavored). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Naked Nutrition, Clear Naked Whey (Lemonade). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Naked Nutrition, Naked Whey (Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder) (Unflavored). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Nutricost, Clear Whey Protein Isolate (Tropical Punch). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Nutricost, Whey Protein Concentrate (Vanilla). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Nutricost, Whey Protein Isolate (Vanilla). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard 100% Isolate (Rich Vanilla). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard 100% Whey (Vanilla Ice Cream). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.
Transparent Labs, Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate (French Vanilla). Nutrition facts, checked 2026-10-04.