KeForma HYDROGOLD 90 – Optipep® Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Review (2024)

Hello there our fellow Warriors… Let’s talk about proteins again. As you probably already know, Proteins are extremely important as a macronutrient and in many cases should be prioritized in the diet.

The reason why industry is so saturated with protein powders is because it can be very challenging for people and especially athletes to get all the proteins they need with the whole foods.

Because we understand that the realm of protein powders is so big, it’s sometimes overwhelming to pick the right one for you, and for that reason we are making these reviews, so… Today we will be reviewing Whey Protein Powder by KeForma Sport Nutrition.

What we can see on KeForma America website is apparently their products are identical to their products in Europe, which are regulated by EFSA and the European Commission. One thing that stands out there is “No banned substances. No going back.” Is it true ? Let’s find out…

Product Overview – HYDROGOLD 90 – Optipep® Hydrolyzed Whey Protein (Hazelnut)

HYDROGOLD 90

• Best For: Increasing Protein intake, Muscle Growth
• Suitable for Vegans: No
• Protein Source: Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate
• Serving size: 30g
• Price per serving: ~2.65$
• Protein By Weight Ratio (%): 90%
• Proteins: 27g
• Carbohydrates: 2g
• Fat: 1g
• Added Sugar: 0g
• Company Founded (year): 2001Recommended by Athletes: Julie Pauline Rodriguez, Fabio Scozzoli, Giovanni Randazzo

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Nutritional Profile – What’s in the Box

Checking the label, the first thing we see is the list of essential amino acids and specific amounts of each. We can see that BCAA’s have a 2:1:1 ratio which is good. The one thing that is outstanding when we look at HYDROGOLD 90 is the protein by weight ratio.

With each scoop/serving you are getting 90% of protein – and that my friends is a great result. It means that with 30g serving you are getting 27g of protein. Carbohydrates and fats are very low in a 30g serving – 2g of carbs and 1g of fats.

1. Ingredients and Formulation

Speaking again about the formulation  – 90% of protein is a great result. Another outstanding characteristic is that the lactose levels are reduced below 0.2%. In many countries lactose content below 1-2% allows manufacturers to advertise their products as Lactose-free. Here it is 5-10x less than that. 

Now let’s talk about the most important part – protein. Hydrogold is delivering protein from Optipep® 90 DH4 Instant hydrolyzed whey, acclaimed for its high-biological value. Enzymatically broken down proteins (pre-digested) contain fractions called di- and tripeptides which allows for more rapid absorption.

Will that higher absorption translate to higher muscle protein synthesis is another story and topic full of anecdotal stories and myths.

As to carbs and sweeteners we can spot on the label – maltodextrin (probably lion’s share of that 1g of carbs), sucralose and acesulfame K. 143 mg of sodium would be another thing on the label that you may need to pay attention to.

2. Flavor and Taste

HYDROGOLD 90 comes with 2 flavors – Hazelnut and Cream Wafer. They come with artificial flavoring, and are surprisingly good for a hydrolyzed protein.

We know that taste is highly individual but we could not find a bad review about the hazelnut flavor and taste which is quite important because as we said most hydrolyzed proteins taste quite bitter and are not really close to WPI or WPC flavors.

3. Whey Protein and Performance

You probably know that if you are looking for protein powder to buy but let us briefly write about protein importance for health and specifically for performance.

Most of us think about protein ingestion because of its relation to muscle protein synthesis. Yes, availability of amino acids in blood (nitrogen) and specifically amino acid Leucine is very important for optimal muscle growth.

We mostly look to get protein shakes for our beloved muscle hypertrophy and recovery from training, but proteins are not only muscles, they are involved in nearly every process in the human body. Here is a short list of some roles of proteins (and amino acids, peptides):

• Regulation of gene expression, 
• cell signaling, 
• nutrient transport, 
• metabolism regulation, 
• RNA and DNA synthesis, 
• reproduction, 
• immune responses, 
• hormone secretion, 
• synthesis of hormones, 
• anti-inflammation, 
• recovery, 
• neuroprotective reactions, 
• blood flow regulation and much more…

So we hope you have the picture now. How almost all of those things can influence your performance (and health) you probably can imagine. There is good enough and there is optimal. Protein prioritization has been a game changer for many folks.

4. Price and Value

This is the only downside I found with that supplement – the price. ~2.65$ for serving is a bit pricey considering other options on the market. Is having Optipep® 90 DH4 Instant hydrolyzed whey, with less than 0.2% lactose worth it?

That’s the question you need to answer yourself. If you are convinced that you need hydrolyzed whey protein isolate rather than WPI – you should give it a try and see if it makes the difference!

The good thing is that with each serving you’re getting 27g of protein so the value you are getting for that price is not bad. We know brands with less than ~2$ per serving but the amount of protein is also lower.

We know cheaper ones than ~2.65$ for a serving, with even more proteins, but they might have a bit more carbs and who knows, maybe slightly more lactose  (and that one can be a dealbreaker).

5. Pros and Cons

Great for many diet types because of the macro profile – low in carbs and fats, low in lactose and high protein content makes it a great option for folks looking to cut, bulk, those on keto or paleo diet. As you see on the label you are getting a solid dose of EAA (which is the case with all protein isolates). 

Can’t really write anything bad about the taste, however we know it is a very individual thing, but checking reviews highlights that it is tasty for a WPH. Less than 0.2% lactose the product may be an option even for those of you with lactose intolerance (however it depends on your lactose sensitivity and lactase enzyme levels). 

Two or three things we would like to see differently are price and flavor selection. Would be nice to see in the future some new flavors that are without artificial flavorings.

Conclusion

So let’s summarize. No banned substance – probably true, as it seems they have 3rd party testing. Points for nutrition label transparency! No going back?

I think so, solid amount of protein is what you are looking for in the first place and they deliver that properly – with 90% protein by weight ratio! If you are looking for hydrolyzed protein instead of whey protein isolate for any reason, with low lactose – you should give that one a try and see if it’s any better because you will pay for it a bit more!

What is your favorite whey protein powder? Do you think plant based protein powders are as good as whey? Have you ever tried the hydrolyzed protein? Share some thoughts about proteins with us in the comments!

Also read:

• Legion Whey Protein Review

References:

1. Lactose Sensitivity and Lactose Malabsorption: The 2 Faces of Lactose Intolerance
   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pmc/articles/PMC8026364/
2. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men
   https://journals.physiology.org/ doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00076.2009
3. Steroid hormone synthesis in mitochondria
   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science /article/abs/pii/S0303720713001597
4. Urinary Sodium and Potassium Excretion and Risk of Cardiovascular Events
   https://jamanetwork.com/journals /jama/fullarticle/1105553
5. Ingestion of a protein hydrolysate is accompanied by an accelerated in vivo digestion and absorption rate when compared with its intact protein
6. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science /article/pii/S0002916523232219
7. All photos are made by our Torokhtiy Media Team