Nutrition
Supplements
Protein shakes and the other tubs people actually buy. Advice first, then a link to the same kind of product on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
What is worth considering
Protein is the one most lifters run short on, and a whey shake is just milk protein in a convenient form. Creatine monohydrate has the strongest evidence of the powders marketed for the weight room: a few grams a day, most days, for repeated hard efforts. Caffeine works, which is why pre-workouts work, and it is also why they ruin sleep if you treat the scoop as harmless. Mass gainers are calorie bombs. Use one if you cannot eat enough, not because the label says “mass”.
Fat-burner blends, hormone boosters, and anything that hints at a drug effect are left off this page on purpose. If a tub promises a transformation, it is advertising.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey
A whey protein shake mix. Whey protein isolate is the main protein source. Useful when a meal is not practical after training.
A shake is a convenient way to hit a protein target. It does not replace meals built from food. Most adults who lift do well starting from food, then adding a shake only if the day’s protein is short.
- About 24 g protein per serving, with naturally occurring BCAAs.
- Mixes into water or milk. The US listing people buy most often is the large chocolate tub.
- The UK listing is a smaller tub and the default flavour on that page is strawberry.
Not the same tub. Amazon.com: Double Rich Chocolate, 5 lb (B000QSNYGI). Amazon.co.uk: Delicious Strawberry, 900 g (B000GIURIQ). The UK flavour list also includes chocolate. The photo may not match the flavour you open.
Optimum Nutrition micronised creatine monohydrate
Unflavoured creatine monohydrate powder. Creatine is one of the few gym supplements with a long trail of research on repeated high-intensity efforts.
Creatine monohydrate is the form used in most of that research. A common studied amount is about 3–5 g a day, taken consistently, not only on training days. It can add water inside the muscle, so scale weight may rise. People with kidney disease should ask a clinician before using it. This is not a prescription.
- Unflavoured, so it can go into a shake, juice, or water.
- US listing: about 5 g creatine monohydrate per serving, 600 g tub (B002DYIZEO).
- UK listing: 3 g per serving on the 317 g tub (B0DM94P3TZ), which matches the European claim wording.
Same ingredient, different tub size and serving size. Read the scoop on the tub you buy.
Cellucor C4 Original pre-workout
A caffeinated pre-workout powder with beta-alanine and creatine. It is a stimulant product, not a meal.
If you already drink coffee, add the caffeine in the scoop to that, and do not stack several stimulant products. Beta-alanine often causes a harmless tingling. Skip pre-workout if you are pregnant, sensitive to caffeine, or you train late and cannot sleep. Start with less than a full scoop if you have not used one before.
- US listing (B0CZ77N1NP) is C4 Original, Icy Blue Razz, about 200 mg caffeine per serving.
- UK listing (B0BQWV781M) is C4 Original powder, Frozen Bombsicle. The formula sold in the UK is not identical to the US tub.
- Label says it is not a substitute for a varied diet. Do not exceed the suggested serving.
Flavour and formula differ by country. The photo is the Icy Blue Razz tub (the US listing). The UK tub is Frozen Bombsicle. Check the caffeine line before you buy.
Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass
A high-calorie mass gainer: a large shake with protein, carbohydrate, and added vitamins. Meant for people who struggle to eat enough, not for everyone who lifts.
Most lifters do not need 1,000-plus calories in one drink. If you are trying to gain weight and whole meals are not getting you there, a gainer can fill the gap. If you are trying to lose fat, this is the wrong tub. Count it as food, not as a free extra.
- The chocolate listing on both stores uses ASIN B000GIPJ0M.
- Labels describe on the order of 50 g protein and a very large carbohydrate serving per drink.
- Mix with water or milk. A full serving is a lot of powder. Half a serving is a reasonable first try.
Tub size and the exact calorie line can differ between the US and UK pages. Read the serving size on the one you open.