Learn the difference

Native whey protein vs standard whey protein

We know navigating the world of protein supplements can be a little murky, but we believe it shouldn’t be hard to fuel better.

To make it easier for you, we spelled out the differences between native whey protein and standard whey protein, plain and simple. Because we know you don’t mess with BS.

What is Native Whey Protein?

To put it simply, native whey is whey protein in its purest form. One of the most unique aspects about it is that it’s extracted directly from fresh milk and cold-filtered without heat or chemicals. As a result, native whey is:

  • Higher in protein purity and leucine—the key amino acid for muscle building—which means you need fewer servings to hit your daily needs
  • More bioavailable, so your body can use it faster and more efficiently
  • Minimally processed and free from additives, sparing you from ingesting unnecessary fillers and sketchy ingredients

What is Standard Whey Protein?

Standard whey protein is the byproduct of cheese making, which means the whey is separated from the cheese curd through a process that requires heat, enzymes, and potential chemicals. These elements lead to denaturation, which is a technical way to say that they impact the nutritional value of the protein. And because standard whey is a byproduct, it tends to be cheaper and therefore more prevalent in so many supplements. Until recently, it was considered the gold standard, but that attitude is shifting now that there’s a purer form of whey protein available (shout out, native whey).

AT A GLANCE

NATIVE WHEY PROTEIN VS STANDARD WHEY PROTEIN

The data doesn’t lie.

Native whey is clinically-proven to stimulate muscle repair and growth faster than standard whey protein. One study measured native whey protein's effectiveness in enhancing endurance performance among young, moderately-active men engaged in plyometrics training. Research showed that a single serving of native whey protein kickstarts muscle recovery within 30 minutes, outperforming standard whey (which took up to 48 hours to stimulate muscle repair).

So, which whey protein is right for you?

Great question.

Protein needs are unique to your goals, budget, lifestyle, and nutrition requirements. That said, native whey is the protein of choice for athletes who want to recover faster, people who want to hit their daily protein goals with fewer serving, and anyone interested in a cleaner* protein powder. Plus, native whey is more neutral in flavor so you can easily incorporate it into your meals throughout the day.

Call us biased, but we think native whey is the way to go, especially when you choose UP2U. Here's why:

Our proprietary cold-filtration process results in a more pure and potent protein that your body can use faster and more efficiently.

We third-party test every single batch of our protein powder to give you the peace of mind that there are absolutely no contaminants or hidden ingredients.

Our trusted network of passionate family farmers supplies us with farm-fresh milk, and they never use growth hormones like rBST** or rBGH on their cows.

There’s even more to love about native whey protein.

Learn more about our native whey protein, like its ability to kickstart muscle repair and growth in just 30 minutes, its complete-protein benefits, and other details that make us pretty damn proud to do what we do.

WHY IT WORKS

SHOP NOW

Cleaner* protein products for people who don't mess with BS.