Whey protein hydrolysates represent the imaginary peak in the supplementation of every athlete. Since these are considerably superior supplements, their quality is also very high. In practice, this means that finding a quality hydrolysate is much easier than finding a quality gainer, for example. However, despite the plethora of supplements falling into this category, we have managed to find and arrange only the best hydra that impressed us not only with its composition, but also with its taste and price. Let's take a look at them.
7 best hydro proteins based on testing
| Ranking | Image | Product | Main advantages | Price | Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |
|
Hydro Whey Zero | per dose, 3 flavours, 80% protein | $61,16 | Best price More information Reviews |
| 2. |
|
Titánus Whey Hydro DH32 | per dose, 5 flavours, 74% protein | Best price More information Reviews | |
| 3. |
|
Extrifit Super Hydro 80 DH32 | per dose, 1 flavour available, 21.7g of protein in one 30g serving | $57,56 | Best price More information |
| 4. |
|
Prom-IN Optimal Hydro Whey | per dose, 3 flavours available, 31g protein per serving | $66,76 | Best price More information Reviews |
| 5. |
|
Amix HydroPure Whey Protein | per dose, 4 delicious flavours, 29.4g of protein per serving | $54,00 | Best price More information Reviews |
| 6. |
|
Smartlabs Hydro Delicate | per dose, 3 flavours available, 34g of protein per serving | $58,45 | Best price More information |
| 7. |
|
Optimum N. Platinum Hydro Whey | per dose, 3 flavours available, 30g of protein per serving | $89,96 | Best price More information |
Detailed comparison of hydro proteins
Hydro Whey Zero from BiotechUSA undoubtedly deserves a place among the best hydrolysates on the market. It is available in several flavours, offers great value for money and, to make matters worse, contains 80% extremely high quality whey protein. In addition, it has added glutamine and arginine, and in one serving you will find more than 3.5 grams of BCAAs.
Benefits:
- Premium quality
- With added arginine and glutamine
- Sweetened with sucralose
- Good value for money
Disadvantages:
- Contains potentially harmful dyes
- It is not a pure hydrolysate
About the Manufacturer:
The company behind this product is BiotechUSA, which despite the company name is headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. It produces a range of supplements with an emphasis not only on quality, but also on great taste and availability at a good price. That's also why we've included it in our selection of the best supplement brands, and we've been satisfied with their products every time so far.
Ingredients:
As we mentioned in our separate Hydro Whey Zero review, somewhat problematic is that this protein is not just hydrolysate, but is a mixture of hydrolysate and isolate. At the same time, we must point out that the protein is (in our opinion quite unnecessarily) spiked with potentially controversial substances. Thus, in the vanilla flavour you will find the dye tartrazine, in the strawberry allura red AC, which, for example, has a rather high harmfulness score on the Fair Food server. On the other hand, the positive side of the composition is that sucralose has been used to sweeten it and the protein also has added arginine and glutamine.
Final assessment:
If you're thinking about buying BiotechUSA Hydro Whey Zero, it probably depends to some extent on what you expect from the product. This is because many supplements offer pure hydrolysate, which may obviously be a better option for some athletes. For us, however, this product is also very good and we particularly liked it on the taste side, with the chocolate variant being more palatabletionally intense and quite sweet, which is a nice plus and may not be a given with hydrolysates.
The protein Whey Hydro DH32, which is the brainchild of the well-known Czech fitness expert Aleš Lamka, deserves its place in our ranking. It is a hydrolyzed protein with a great composition, creamy consistency and also delicate taste, because for the proportions of hydro proteins, there is no bitterness in this one at all.
Benefits:
- Great taste
- Quality composition
- Creamy consistency
- Less traditional flavours also available
Disadvantages:
- Higher price
- Poorer solubility and higher foaminess
If you're not a fan of the typical bitter taste of hydrolysates, Titanus Whey Hydro DH32 will definitely please you. In fact, you wouldn't even know it was a hydrolysate from the taste. The unpleasant bitterness is perfectly masked here and the protein tastes surprisingly good. It is still not the same flavour as the whey concentrate, but no one would expect that. If you follow the manufacturer's instructions, you can look forward to a surprisingly creamy consistency, which I personally I have to consider a big positive, although it is true that some people may not like this consistency. However, to enjoy the protein to the fullest, you will probably have to stir it more than once, because the solubility in this case is not very good and the protein also foams quite a lot. For more detailed information, see our separate review of Titanus Whey Hydro DH32.
About the Manufacturer:
The company behind this product is Titánus, famous mainly thanks to one of the biggest stars of the Czech fitness scene, Ales Lamko. In the repertoire of this nice company you will find a whole range of products that are definitely worth trying - for example, it can be a great Rise and Shine pre-workout (review), which we even included in our comparison of the best pre-workout pre-workouts.
Ingredients:
The base of this product is hydrolyzed whey concentrate with a hydrolysis level of DH32, which is great. The protein is thickened with xanthan and there is a combination of 4 artificial sweeteners (sucralose, acesulfame K, saccharin and neohesperidin) which is good within reason. Taste-wise, we were also impressed with this protein, which we covered in more detail in our Whey Hydro DH32 review, so we definitely recommend giving it a try.
Final review:
A great tasting protein that offers a good composition and a pleasantly creamy consistency that makes it really easy to drink. The only slight downside is the lower solubility and the higher price compared to the competition, but if you don't mind pay extra for a good product and use a blender to prepare it, we definitely recommend trying this product.
Also the next place on our ranking belongs to the product companyof a company that frequently tops our comparisons. This supplement is Super Hydro 80 DH32.
Thanks to the highest possible degree of hydrolysis, this protein is perfectly digestible, has a high biological value and a very fast absorption of amino acids. Unfortunately, however, it is only available in one flavour (chocolate), which unfortunately may not suit everyone.
Benefits:
- Highest degree of hydrolysis
- High biological value
- Fast absorption and easy passage through the digestive tract
- Genuine quality raw materials
Disadvantages:
- Only 1 flavour available
- "Only" 73% protein content
About the manufacturer:
Super Hydro 80 DH32 is a supplement from the Extrifit company, which has been on the market since 2007 and during that time has become a leading manufacturer of sports nutrition in the Czech Republic. All the supplements offered are specially developed to suit all strength athletes and bodybuilders.
The company's vision is to produce supplements that will effectively support the growth of muscle mass and strength and effectively fight subcutaneous fat. All the supplements are tested by sponsored athletes - the absolute top of the sport - before they are launched.Vojtěch Koritenský, Tomáš Kašpar, Vlastimil Kužel and others.
Ingredients:
All proteins in this product are enzymatically cleaved hydrolyzed whey protein with hydrolysis degree 32.
Only flavouring, defatted cocoa, steviol glycosides and sucralose are added. As you can see, this is a significant difference from other proteins in this company.that contain thickeners, guar gum and other undesirable substances.
Final rating:
I have to say that I am honestly completely surprised by the quality of this supplement. Although I have certain privileges against Extrifit in some reviews - using artificial ingredients, thickeners and other substances, you won't find anything like that in Super Hydro 80 DH32.
It is a really high quality product, which can be faulted (compared to the competition) perhaps only lower protein content. But it doesn't change the fact that I can only recommend this protein and if you get used to the typical bitterness of chocolate protein, you will be absolutely satisfied. I definitely didn't find it as artificial as other products from this company.
The next place in our comparison was taken by Optimal Hydro Whey from the very popular company Prom-IN.
Compared to the winner of the ranking, you will find a whole 4g less protein per serving., but the protein is made by enzymatic hydrolysis, so you are assured of maximum efficiency and usability. The advantage is also 2 grams of added glutamine to achieve maximum recovery. In addition, you can choose from three good flavours - banana, chocolate and latte machiato.
Benefits:
- Great price
- 3 flavours available
- Very good availability thanks to enzymatic hydrolysis
- 2g of added glutamine
- 3 different pack sizes
Disadvantages:
- Protein content less than 80%
About the Manufacturer:
Optimal Hydro Whey is manufactured by the seasoned Prom-IN company, which has been on the Czech market since 1976. Their products have undergone many reforms to suit all athletes and contain no unnecessary or ineffective substances.
Combined with an absolutely excellent price, you get supplements that regularly rank at the top of not only our rankings.
Ingredients:
The basis of Optimal Hydro Whey is whey protein treated by enzymatic hydrolysis, which is further enriched with glutamine. Steviol glycosides and sucralose have been used for sweetening. Other ingredients vary depending on the flavour, but are mostly natural flavours.
Final rating:
There is not much to fault with the composition of Optimal Hydro Whey either. The fourth place belongs to it only because it contains less protein than the previous supplements, but otherwise it is also a very good choice. The protein chosen is of high quality, the production process is gentle and it does not contain any additives or substances that do not belong in more expensive proteins.
Considering its lower price, I dare to say that it is a very good choice for students and for people who do not want to invest unnecessary money in supplements.
Edit 19.4.2019 - We have just published a detailed review for Hydro Optimal Whey, you can read it here.
What would be a ranking of the best hydrolysed proteins if it didn't include Amix products. This high quality hydrolyzed CFM isolate contains almost 90% protein and is enriched with PepFormTM peptide complex, pH-active complex and lactospore probiotics.
And when you add to all this the availability in 4 absolutely delicious flavours, great solubility and superiorIt is definitely one of the best hydrolysates you can find on our market.
Benefits:
- Available in 4 flavours
- Good spectrum of amino acids
- Hassle-free preparation
- High quality protein source
- Enriched with peptide complex and probiotics
Disadvantages:
- Higher price
- Contains guar gum and flavorings
- Sweetened with Acesulfame-K
About the manufacturer:
Amix is one of Europe's most respected sports nutrition companies. All its products are built on quality, which has earned the trust of many professional and amateur athletes. Amix also sponsors the leading Czech bodybuilder Milan Šádek and the great Slovak bikini Timea Trajtelová.
Ingredients:
The basis of this protein is partially hydrolyzed CFM whey protein isolate, which represents 95% of the entire product. It is additionally enriched with important milk peptides, l-tryptophan and l-leucine peptides, fenugreek extract, white willow bark extract and LactoSpore probiotics.
The other ingredients usually vary depending on the flavour chosen, the colouring was usedcurcumin or beetroot extract has been used for colouring, the chocolate and peanut butter variants also contain cocoa powder.
Final rating:
Amix products are very popular nowadays (thanks to great marketing). From my point of view, they have great ingredients, their flavors (especiallyI always like the flavours, the absorption and the preparation are without any problems.
If you want to get only the best into your body and don't mind paying extra for quality, I can definitely recommend this hydro with a clear conscience.
Seventh place in our comparison of the best hydrolysates belongs to Hydro Delicate from SmartLabs.
This protein not only has superior proteins hydrolyzed down to short peptides with molecular weights below 1000 Daltons, but also an excellent taste. Its advantage is, among other things, the absence of harmful sweeteners and controversial flavourings.
Advantages:
- Great taste
- Extremely fast absorption
- Perfect solubility
- 3 flavours available
Disadvantages:
- High price
About the Manufacturer:
SmartLabs is a company that has been operating on the Czech market since 2006, and in that time has managed to introduce over three dozen different products to its range. From hydrolyzed proteins and oatmeal to a proprietary blend ofCrea-Trona, they are united by perfect purity, high quality and, last but not least, irresistible taste.
The athletes who have put their trust in the company are proof of its quality, just think of the Jirka Orság, a strongman Čestmir Šíma or one of the best Czech bodybuilders Jakub Šubrt.
Composition:
The basis of this hydra is enzymatically cleaved whey protein concentrate, which is enriched with natural and The natural identical flavour, sweetener sucralose and last but not least Dutch cocoa, which gives the product an unmistakable and irresistible taste.
Final rating:
Hydro Delicate is a really good choice for all of you who don't mind paying a little extra. The ingredients are great, the manufacturer doesn't use any synthetic flavourings, the solubility and absorption are absolutely trouble-free.
Our ranking is again closed by a product of a company that is not in ourour comparisons or reviews too often, but it certainly has something to offer. That product is Platinum Hydro Whey from Optimum Nutrition. This hydrolysate has a high protein content of premium quality, a great spectrum of amino acids and zero fat or lactose.
Benefits:
- Up to 9g of BCAAs per serving
- High quality protein
- Minimal fat, lactose and cholesterol
- Great taste
Disadvantages:
- Extremely overpriced
- Contains thickeners, emulsifiers, flavour enhancers and acesulfame K
About the Manufacturer:
Optimum Nutrition is one of the most trusted and popular supplement manufacturers in the world. Since the company's inception in 1986, they have based their products on the highest quality manufacturing and purity of ingredients.
Optimum Nutrition's flagship product is the Gold Standard protein, which has been awarded many prestigious awards since its inception. But besides that, in the repertoire of this manufacturer you will find great amino acids, first-class hydrolysed proteins and unrivalled micellar caseins.
Ingredients:
A full 86% of this product is hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, which not only has a high amino acid content, but also a minimum of lactose, sugar and cholesterol.
It is further enriched with BCAAs, flavors, carrageenan thickener, artificial and natural flavors, sodium chloride (kitchensalt) and, in the case of the chocolate flavour, cocoa powder with reduced fat content. Sucralose and acesulfame potassium were used for sweetening.
Final assessment:
On the one hand, this protein has a whopping 9g of BCAAs per serving, is lactose-free and has the absolute minimum of cholesterol.
On the other hand, the price of almost per dose, the content of thickeners, emulsifiers, and the fact that it has no cholesterol is completely inadequate. and other substances that have no place in a product of this price category. So if you suffer from lactose intolerance, for example, this hydrolysate may be a good choice for you. In other cases, however, I would probably reach for other products in our comparison.
How did we test the hydrolysed proteins?
First of all, it is useful to say how we tested the proteins. We don't have a laboratory where we use detailed analyses to determine whether a protein has actually passedand whether it actually contains such and such a large amount of protein. Instead, we rely on experience. We are not sponsored by anyone and we pride ourselves on that.
We can test any product we want, and that's what we do. We are constantly trying new and new supplements and based not only on our experience but also the experience of other reviewers, we choose the best supplements in the category.
Specifically, we focused on the following criteria when creating our comparison of the best hydro protein supplements:
- Ingredients
- Taste
- Price
- Available pack sizes and number of flavors
The result is a ranking where you can find not only your favourite supplements, but certainly supplements you've never heard of before.
What is hydrolyzed protein?
If you've never been much interested in proteins, you may not even know what they are. Hydra are and how they differ from proteins from our testing of the best whey concentrates. But let's get that straight right away.
Hydrolysed proteins are basically the best source of protein you can get in supplement form. The long protein chains are cleaved in a process called hydrolysis, ensuring better absorption. This brings us to a concept called the degree of hydrolysis, which basically indicates the degree of protein cleavage. The higher this number is, the shorter (and therefore more absorbable) the protein is.
Benefits of hydrolysed protein
- Rapid absorption
- Often a very good formulation (manufacturers are careful not to include controversial and cheap additives in more expensive products)
- Extremely good amino acid spectrum and high BCAA content
- The highest quality protein source available
- Better digestibility than a classic concentrate (therefore it can be a good alternative for athletes who are not able to digest itwho have problems digesting "ordinary" whey concentrates
Disadvantages of hydrolysed protein
- High price, which is associated with high production costs
- Bitter taste caused by hydrolysis.
- Manufacturers often offer a limited number of products or product variants (1 pack size, 1 flavour available,...)
Who is the hydrolyzed protein primarily intended for?
From my point of view, hydrolyzed protein represents one of the imaginary peaks of supplementation for an athlete. Certainly it has its benefits, but I dare to say that for the vast majority of recreational athletes a simple concentrate is sufficientt, which is much cheaper, tastes much better and fulfils its purpose, i.e. protein replenishment after training, sufficiently. Still, there are groups of athletes who should invest in it. And these are mainly:
- Professional athletes who need to take in quality and easily absorbed nutrients immediately after exercise.
- Athletes on a strict diet, who appreciate a much lower amount of sugars and fats than a regular concentrate.
- Athletes with a whey digestion disorder, in which case the hydrolysate should be significantly lessdigestible and does not cause digestive problems that concentrate can cause in sensitive individuals.
When is it worth using it?
As you may have noticed, you can pay up to for one dose of hydrolyzed protein in some cases. And this is definitely not a price for which it would be good to gorge yourself on this protein from morning till night. If you decide to use hydrolysate, its biggest justification is immediately after a workout, when its extremely fast availability comes in handy. During the day or as a meal replacement, however, regular whey concentrate is a much better and more economical choice.
So which hydrolyzed protein is the best?
Although we put the hydrolysate from Bulk Powders(which, among other things promoted by supplementation expert Jirka Vacek, with whom we filmed the entire interview) the term "best" is somewhat subjective. If we evaluate the price/quality ratio, then it has no competition.
But if you are not limited by price, you will definitely be maximally satisfied with HydroWhey ISO CFM from Czech Virus, which is more expensive, but the taste is absolutely great, the composition is first class and the digestibility is excellent.
Similarly, Super Hydro 80 DH32 is not a bad choice for any consumer, but you mustYou have to get used to the fact that the extremely high quality is compensated by the inferior taste and only one flavour available. In short, the choice is yours.
Substances that should not be in proteins
If you have read our ranking carefully, you will have noticed that for some supplements we mention the guar gum content in the ingredients as a disadvantage. However, many of you probably don't know what it actually is. And those of you who do know may be wondering why we list it as a drawback for a change. Guar gum is a water-soluble fiber that is widely used as a stabilizer and thickener, especially in cosmetics and food supplements. Since it is a fibre, it also brings some of its benefits - it removes toxins from the body, increases satiety and regulates hunger. After all, this is why guar gum was widely used in various miracle diet formulas in times past. And everything was great until users started experiencing various complications after taking these supplements serious intestinal problems, poor esophageal function and even a known case of death.
But we have taken this to an extreme. Although the manufacturers do not state the exact amount of this ingredient in their supplement, it can be it can be relied upon to be completely safe even at higher levels of consumption. However, the reason why we still list it as a negative of proteins is the very fact that a thickener is added to the protein. Especially to the ones where you pay around per serving. When competing manufacturers are able to make a product without unnecessary thickeners and still have such high quality, we have to point it out. So guar gum does not pose any serious health problem at low doses.but it has little justification in protein products, which is why we are pointing it out.
Other substances that should not be in hydrolysates include controversial additives. In our article Does aspartame cause cancer? What do the scientific studies say? we looked at some commonly used additives that, although controversial, are still considered safe for health. However, it's a different story for substances such as brilliant blue (E133) or allura red (E129), which should not be present in a really good product.
Care should also be taken with poor quality protein sources, which manufacturers sometimes use to try to increase the total protein content of a protein. A typical example is calcium caseinate. If you are allergic to soy or lactose intolerant, always make sure that these substances are not included in the ingredients before buying the product. It is not uncommon for them to be present in the ingredients in some quantity.
Which hydrolyzed protein is best?
The answer to this question is not at all clear-cut and largely depends on what you expect from the protein. In our comparison, the order depends not only on the quality of the composition, but also on the overall ratio ofprice/quality ratio and many other factors that may be very important for some people but not for others. It is therefore perfectly fine if the product in first position does not seem to be the best to you. For example, your financial means or the taste of the product, which is very subjective, play a big role. Therefore, some people may find a certain protein overpriced and tasteless, while others may find the taste and price satisfactory.
BiotechUSA Hydro Whey Zero and Titanus Whey Hydro DH32 are the top two proteins in our ranking, with theirWith their composition, taste or price/quality ratio, they have long been among the absolute top and hardly find competition among hydrolysates. However, if you are looking for more cost-effective products, you may find more suitable for exampleExtrifit Super Hydro 80 DH32, which is slightly cheaper per dose.
Sources
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Institute of Modern Nutrition. Institute of Modern Nutrition [online]. Available from: https: //www.institutmodernivyzivy.cz/
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CLARK, Nancy. Sports nutrition: Diet plan, nutritional supplements, pre- and post- exercise diet, specific nutritional needs, weight loss without starvation, recipes. 4th ed. Translated by René SOUČEK, translated by Monika SOUČKOVÁ. Prague: Grada Publishing, 2020. ISBN 978-80-271-1030-8.