2020 Update
Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey Gold Standard Protein and BSN Syntha-6 are perhaps two of the most popular protein supplements on the market. Because of this it’s often tough for users to decide which one to buy even though they actually share the same parent company. Gold Standard is the more widely known and perhaps the most widely known/sold whey protein in the world, but Syntha 6 is still a great choice.
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As for Gold Standard and BSN Syntha-6, here’s a great breakdown of the two:
Ingredients
Syntha-6 is a very complex protein powder that doesn’t just consist of whey protein. It has calcium caseinate, micellar casein, whey protein concentrate and isolate, egg albumin and glutamine. Gold Standard Whey, is a simpler product that consists of whey protein isolate and concentrate along with hydrolysed whey protein.
Whey itself is great for post workout as the protein is faster acting while casein is a slower release protein. Many opt for whey type proteins if they’re drinking a protein shake right after the gym so in this case Whey Gold Standard is the more popular and obvious choice as it’s great for recovery. Syntha-6 includes both casein and whey. Casein is a slower acting protein and many like this because the whey kicks in right away while the casein gets absorbed later on. So it really depends on your use case
Now what’s interesting is the difference when it comes to macronutrients. Whey Gold Standard has about 24 grams of protein per serving, with only 2 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fat. Syntha 6 on the other hand has 22 grams of protein per serving with an additional 15 grams of carbs and 6 grams of fat.
Most people taking these two protein supplements are likely not looking to gain mass, so in this instance Whey Gold Standard may be the better protein because of carb and fat to protein ratio. Syntha 6 may be good if you’re looking to gain mass, but there are certainly other protein supplements with more carbs and proteins for your mass gainer needs. Whey Gold Standard also has considerably less cholesterol per serving, 40 milligrams vs. Syntha-6’s 60 milligrams, so in this since Whey Gold Standard is the better protein powder.
Another aspect people should consider is the cholesterol content. Because Syntha-6 contains more fat and carbs, it contains much more cholesterol than Gold Standard. In fact, it has double the amount (70mg vs. 35mg). Those watching their cholesterol may want to take this into consideration as well.
With that being said, Whey Gold Standard is great if you’re looking for a leaner protein (especially if you’re cutting) and Syntha-6 is more of a full meal replacement since it has a more meal like portion of carbs and fats. If you’re really concerned with finding what works well for your body, there’s also a completely personalized alternative called Gainful.
Taste, Flavor and Mixability
Both protein supplements come with a wide variety of flavors and the mixability for both is great. Syntha-6 is said to be a richer flavor and a thicker, shake like mix. 100% Whey Gold is said to be more water and bland. Because of this, syntha-6 mixed with water is perfect for a shake on the go. If you like to mix things into your shakes or you prefer milk over water, then Gold Standard is the way to go. So it’s really personal preference, but if you like more a of a strong taste from your protein go with Syntha 6.
Price and Value
Although the size of the containers and size seem similar, there is more protein per volume in the Whey Gold Standard as the servings are smaller. A five pound container of Gold Standard has 74 servings compared to 48 servings of five pound Syntha-6. This equates to about 26 extra servings or about 720 grams of protein. However, due to Gold Standard’s popularity, it costs on average $10 more than Syntha-6.
Bottom Line
Bottom Line, 100% Whey Gold Standard is the better macro, more value and cost effective protein supplement. Syntha 6 can be seen as tasting better and does have carbs and fats if you’re looking for that in a protein supplement, however a better move may be to take the Gold Standard Whey and treat yourself to a carb and fat filled snack instead. Get Gold Standard here and Syntha 6 here.
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