Clear protein is all the rage right now. Of course, much like fibremaxxing, soft cardio, and most of the recent “trends” to do the rounds on TikTok, it’s nothing new. Clear protein has long occupied shelf and fridge space in your local supplement shop, and health care providers have been using it for decades. Still, that’s no reason to ignore the recent hype around clear protein, particularly if you’re bored to death of rich, dessert-flavored protein shakes.
“I believe clear protein has become popular again because many people are just tired of the milky flavor of protein shakes,” says Tony Castillo, MS, RD, sports and performance dietitian at Nutrition for Performance. “I think people just want something different that's not the usual vanilla or chocolate flavor.”
While clear protein’s lighter slate of flavors is a refreshing change of pace from the heavier shakes we’re used to throwing back after a muscle-building workout, it’s not the only reason to consider adding clear protein to your supplement stack. Containing far less carbs, fat, and lactose than traditional protein options, clear protein is a decidedly more pure and well-tolerated alternative. Here’s everything you need to know.
Clear protein vs. whey protein
Okay, so this is actually a trick question, but it’s what most people are probably Googling. The term “clear protein” has nothing to do with the source of the protein. In other words, clear protein can be made using dairy sources, like whey, or plant-based sources, such as pea or rice. Rather, the name refers to the level of filtration and processing that the protein undergoes. Most clear protein products are made using whey.
So, let’s break this down. Generally speaking, when it comes to the shakes you’ve known and loved (okay, tolerated) since your uni days, whey protein comes in three forms, set apart by their level of filtration: concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate.
Whey protein concentrate is the most common form, as it undergoes the least amount of processing and is subsequently the most affordable. A typical whey protein powder made with whey protein concentrate might contain around 80 percent protein, with the other 20 percent being carbs and fat. If you’ve ever had a hard time getting your protein powder to mix well into liquid, it was probably whey protein concentrate.
Whey protein isolate is more refined. It’s been further processed to remove fats and carbs — including lactose, a type of sugar commonly found in dairy products — and, when mixed into liquid, has a slightly thinner, less clumpy texture than concentrate. Still, at the end of the day, isolate and concentrate deliver the same quality of protein. Isolate just offers a more efficient delivery. Put another way, if you were to compare identical scoops of whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate, the latter would contain about 10 percent more protein.
The most refined form of the three, whey protein hydrolysate is processed on a molecular level using enzymes to break the protein down into its basic amino acids. Whey protein hydrolysate contains virtually no carbs or fat, and is considered to be the most pure and premium form of protein. It blends into liquids with ease, is the least likely to glob onto the side of your protein shaker, and tends to be the most expensive of the three.
Clear protein is simply isolate or hydrolysate that has undergone an additional step of processing — namely, acidification — that gives it its lighter appearance. “The main difference between clear protein and the regular protein that we're used to seeing is that it is more processed, which changes its composition and makes it clear,” says Lauren Roper, MS, RD, CDN, outpatient clinical dietician at HSS.
The benefits of clear protein
First and foremost, clear protein is not superior to the protein powder that’s currently sitting in your kitchen cupboard. There are a couple of attributes that might make it preferable to some people, perhaps yourself included, but that’s about it. “One is not necessarily better than the other,” says Roper. “In terms of muscle protein synthesis, or muscle repair and growth, traditional protein powders are equally as effective.” That said, here are a few reasons why clear protein might be a better choice for you.
It is the purest, most filtered protein you can buy
Ever wondered why almost every protein powder is flavored to taste like a chocolate or vanilla milkshake? It’s because traditional protein shakes — most of which are made using whey protein concentrate, and occasionally isolate — have an inherently thick and frothy texture due to the extra carbs and fat they contain, which simply doesn’t lend itself well to light and fruity flavors. So manufacturers lean into this, and add even more extraneous ingredients to achieve decadent flavor profiles that make sense for this heavier consistency.
