The honest first question about protein powder, before any specific brand discussion, is whether you actually need it. The marketing implies that anyone exercising must be on protein shakes; the actual nutritional reality is more modest. A typical UK adult eating a normal mixed diet — eggs, milk, chicken, fish, dairy, beans — already gets 70-100g of protein a day without any supplementation. For sedentary adults that's more than sufficient. For active adults at the lower end of training intensity, it's also sufficient. Protein powder genuinely earns its place specifically for adults seriously training (gym 4+ times a week with strength focus), older adults whose appetite makes meeting protein from food alone harder, and adults specifically targeting muscle gain or weight loss with high protein.
For UK adults who do need it: MyProtein Impact Whey at £20-£28/kg (always buy on sale; the RRP is fictional) is the genuine UK best-buy. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard at £35-£45/kg is the premium upgrade. Form Performance Protein at £35-£45/kg for vegan / dairy-free. The differences between brands are smaller than the marketing suggests; the differences between using protein powder regularly and not using it are larger than gym culture suggests.
For UK adults who don't actually need it: skip. £30-£60/month going to protein powder when whole foods would cover the same protein need is wasted spending. The supplements industry markets aggressively because the margins are good; the underlying nutritional case is much narrower.
Do you actually need it
The honest protein-need calculation:
Sedentary UK adult (occasional exercise, mostly desk job): 0.8g protein per kg body weight per day. A 70kg adult needs about 56g/day. Easily met by typical UK diet.
Active UK adult (regular gym, running, sport): 1.2-1.6g/kg/day. A 70kg adult needs 84-112g/day. Achievable from diet but tighter; powder helps for some.
Serious gym-goer / muscle building focus: 1.6-2.2g/kg/day. A 70kg adult needs 112-154g/day. Powder is genuinely useful for hitting these targets without eating chicken six times a day.
Weight loss / muscle preservation during diet: 1.6-2.0g/kg/day to preserve muscle while in calorie deficit. Similar to muscle-building target.
Older adults (50+): higher protein need (1.0-1.2g/kg/day) to combat age-related muscle loss. Often harder to meet from diet alone due to reduced appetite.
To check your current intake: track food for 3 days using MyFitnessPal or similar. The actual number is usually higher than people guess for omnivores; sometimes lower than required for vegetarians or vegans not optimising protein sources.
For UK adults at the typical 0.8-1.2g/kg/day intake from diet: protein powder isn't required. For UK adults targeting 1.6+ g/kg/day for specific reasons: powder is convenient.
Whey vs vegan vs other types
The major protein powder categories:
Whey concentrate (£18-£30/kg) is the mainstream default. Made from milk; high biological value (efficient absorption); complete amino acid profile. Suitable for most adults; not suitable for vegans or those with serious dairy allergies.
Whey isolate (£28-£40/kg) is whey concentrate processed further to remove most of the lactose and fat. Better for adults with mild lactose intolerance; cleaner texture; faster absorption. Marginally less protein per gram of cost than concentrate; worth the premium for specific cases.
Casein (£30-£40/kg) is the slow-digesting milk protein. Used at bedtime or when long gaps between meals. Niche; most adults don't need separate casein on top of whey.
Vegan blends (£25-£40/kg, premium £40-£50/kg) typically combine pea protein with rice protein and sometimes hemp or sunflower. Single-source plant proteins are incomplete; blends approximate complete amino acid profile. Texture is generally grainier than whey; mixes less smoothly. Necessary for vegans or seriously dairy-avoiding adults.
Single-source plant proteins (pea, rice, hemp): cheaper per kg but incomplete amino acid profile. Fine if you're already getting amino acids from other dietary sources; less useful as primary protein.
Egg protein (£35-£50/kg) is dairy-free animal protein. Niche; mostly used by adults specifically avoiding dairy who aren't vegan.
Beef hydrolysate (£40-£60/kg) is niche; mostly carnivore-diet adherents. No genuine advantages over whey for most users.
For most UK adults choosing protein powder: whey concentrate at £20-£30/kg is the right answer. Whey isolate if lactose-sensitive; vegan blend if dairy-free. Skip the niche categories unless you have specific reasons.
The MyProtein default
MyProtein dominates the UK protein powder market for legitimate reasons: UK-based manufacturing, broad product range, frequent discounts that bring prices to genuinely competitive levels, and quality that's adequate-to-good across the range.
The honest assessment of MyProtein:
Impact Whey at £20-£28/kg on sale is the genuine UK best-buy. Quality is solid; flavours are mostly decent (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry are reliable; some exotic flavours less so). Mixes well; doesn't clump excessively.
Whey Isolate at £28-£35/kg on sale is the upgrade for adults wanting cleaner texture or having mild lactose issues.
Vegan Blend at £25-£35/kg is the cheapest competent vegan protein. Texture is grainier than whey; flavours are functional rather than excellent.
Hard Gainer is high-calorie protein-plus-carbs blend for adults specifically trying to gain weight. Niche.
The critical factor for MyProtein: never buy at full RRP. The "RRP" pricing of £40-£60/kg is fictional in the sense that MyProtein runs near-constant promotional discounts of 30-50% off. With discount codes (Quidco, TopCashback, MyProtein's own promotional codes), the effective price drops to £20-£28/kg. Buying full price is paying 50%+ above realistic market rate.
For UK adults: MyProtein Impact Whey on sale is the default right answer. Flavour preferences aside, the product is adequate quality at competitive pricing.
When premium brands earn the premium
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard at £35-£45/kg, USN at £25-£35/kg, Form at £35-£45/kg, Innermost at £40-£60/kg are alternatives at higher price points.
The genuine cases for premium:
Quality consistency. Optimum Nutrition specifically has reputation for batch consistency — the chocolate flavour you bought six months ago tastes the same as the new tub. MyProtein has more variation between batches. For adults sensitive to taste consistency, this matters.
Cleaner ingredients. Form, Innermost, and similar premium brands often emphasise cleaner ingredient lists — fewer artificial sweeteners, no artificial colours, organic where possible. For adults specifically valuing this, the premium is worth paying.
Informed Sport / Informed Choice certification. For adults in drug-tested sport (boxing, athletics, professional sport, military, police), certified products have been tested for banned substances. Many premium brands have this certification; not all budget brands do. Verify before assuming.
Brand reputation and longevity. Adults who've used Optimum Nutrition for years and trust the consistency may legitimately prefer it over MyProtein on the basis of relationship rather than pure value.
Better-for-you positioning. Adults specifically valuing "clean eating" framings may find premium brands fit their broader pattern.
For most UK adults: MyProtein on sale produces 80-90% of the value at 50-60% of the cost. Premium earns its keep specifically for the cases above.
What about pre-workout, BCAAs, creatine
A few related supplements that UK adults sometimes consider alongside protein:
Creatine monohydrate. The most evidence-backed supplement available. £15-£30 for a year's supply (5g/day, 1kg lasts 200 days). Modest but consistent improvements in strength and lean mass for adults training seriously. Skip the "premium" creatine variants (HCl, ethyl ester); monohydrate is the well-studied form. Take 5g daily; mixes into water or protein shakes.
Pre-workout supplements. Caffeine plus various ingredients (beta-alanine, citrulline, betaine, others). Some elements are evidence-backed (caffeine, citrulline); some aren't. £30-£50 for a tub typically lasting 1-2 months. Useful for adults training intensely; the caffeine matters most. Adults already drinking coffee before training are largely getting the same benefit.
BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids). Heavily marketed but mostly unnecessary if you're eating sufficient protein. The amino acids in BCAAs are already in protein-rich foods. Useful in specific niche cases (fasted training, prolonged cardio) but typically wasted spending. Skip.
Vitamin D. UK NHS recommends supplementation October-March for everyone due to limited sunlight. £5-£15/year. Not strictly fitness-related but legitimately worth taking.
Protein bars. Useful as occasional snack convenience; expensive per-gram protein versus powder or whole foods. Brands range MyProtein, Grenade, Barebells, others at £1.50-£3 per bar. Decent for travel or work; not the right primary protein source.
For UK adults serious about training: creatine plus protein powder is the evidence-backed core. Skip BCAAs. Pre-workout if you specifically benefit; coffee otherwise. Vitamin D in winter regardless.
How much protein powder, when
The actual usage pattern:
One scoop (typically 25-30g protein) per shake. More than this isn't better; the body absorbs protein at roughly 30-40g per meal efficiently.
Post-workout is the most-discussed timing but matters less than total daily protein intake. The "anabolic window" of 30-60 minutes after training is real but flexible; protein within 1-3 hours after training is fine.
Spread across the day rather than concentrated in single shakes. Three 30g protein meals plus a 25g protein shake produces better outcomes than one 100g protein binge.
Mixed with milk or water depending on calorie needs and lactose tolerance. Milk adds ~100 calories and ~8g additional protein per glass; water keeps the shake low-calorie.
For UK adults: 1-2 protein shakes per day is typical. More than 2 is rare and rarely beneficial.
Common gotchas
A few patterns worth knowing:
Auto-renew subscriptions. MyProtein, Bulk, and others have subscription options that auto-renew at typically full RRP after the introductory promotional period. Substantially more expensive than buying on sale. Verify before signing up.
Flavour disappointment. Some flavours that sound good ("salted caramel", "birthday cake", "rocky road") are genuinely awful. Stick to chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, banana for first purchase; expand if you find flavours you like.
Storage in humid climates. Protein powder absorbs moisture and clumps. Keep in a sealed container in a dry cupboard.
Lactose tolerance varies. Adults with mild lactose intolerance often handle whey isolate fine but struggle with concentrate. Worth testing if you're uncertain.
Calorie content matters for weight management. A typical scoop is 100-130 calories. 2 scoops daily is 200-260 calories — meaningful for adults tracking weight loss.
Informed Sport for tested sport. Adults in drug-tested sport must verify products are Informed Sport certified. Random testing has found contamination in some non-certified products.
Mixing quality. Cheap whey clumps in shakers; quality whey blends smoothly. The MyProtein versus generic supermarket protein difference is real here.
What I'd actually do
For UK adults serious about training (4+ gym sessions/week, strength focus): MyProtein Impact Whey on sale at £20-£28/kg, plus creatine monohydrate at £15-£25/year. Take 1-2 scoops daily; whole foods cover the rest of protein needs. Total supplement spend £25-£40/month.
For UK adults serious about training and willing to pay for premium: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard at £35-£45/kg. Same usage pattern. Total supplement spend £35-£50/month.
For vegan or dairy-free UK adults serious about training: MyProtein Vegan Blend at £25-£35/kg or Form Performance Protein at £35-£45/kg. Usage similar; flavour selection narrower.
For UK adults newly starting training and uncertain about commitment: smallest available bag (typically 500g-1kg) of MyProtein on sale before committing to bulk purchases. £15-£25 to test whether you'll actually use it.
For UK adults who don't seriously train: skip protein powder. Diet covers needs; the £30-£60/month is better spent elsewhere.
For UK older adults (50+) struggling with diet protein: small daily protein shake to supplement. Combats age-related muscle loss; modest commitment.
For UK adults in drug-tested sport: Informed Sport certified brands only. Verify the specific product on the Informed Sport website (informed-sport.com) before buying.
For all UK adults: whole foods first. Eggs, chicken, fish, dairy, beans, lentils, tofu, Greek yogurt all provide protein cheaper per gram than powder. Powder is convenience supplement, not nutritional foundation.
The pattern across the category: protein powder is useful for specific situations and unnecessary for most. Match the spending to the actual use case; buy on sale where possible; skip the premium ingredients you don't actually benefit from.
This article is general consumer information about UK protein powder. UK adults with medical conditions or significant supplement use should consult NHS GP or qualified UK dietitian.
Affiliate disclosure: Morningfold has affiliate partnerships with MyProtein, Optimum Nutrition, Bulk, and Form. See editorial standards.