How to Use Hydrolysed Whey: The 4-Step Guide

Contents 6 sections

• Which athletes actually need this supplement
• The 4-step guide to using hydro whey
• 3 ideas to ring the changes with your hydrolysed whey
• Our verdict: the one mistake to avoid with a hydrolysate
• Bonus: add some creatine to it
• Frequently asked questions

Interactive quizWhich whey is right for you?3 questions, 30 seconds, and we point you to the right guide.

Question 1 of 333%

What is your main goal?

💪 Build muscle (bulking)🔥 Lose fat while keeping my muscle🏃 Recover better, top up my diet🌱 I am a beginner, I just want to choose well

You have just bought a hydrolysed whey and you are wondering how best to drink it? Good news: it is very simple, and there is no special protocol reserved for hydrolysates. Here is the how-to in four steps, built on the numbers in the scientific recommendations rather than on changing-room rules 😇.

If you are still weighing up the purchase, or want to understand exactly what a hydrolysate is, start with our full guide to hydrolysed whey:

Read nextHydrolysed whey protein: what it is and whether it is worth it

🎯 Which athletes actually need this supplement?

Nobody “needs” a hydrolysed whey specifically: it is simply a convenient way to top up a protein intake. It earns its place above all with:

• Anyone chasing a lean bulk who wants protein without piling on extra calories
• Lifters in a cutting phase, who have to keep protein high on a tight calorie budget
• Athletes training twice a day or back to back, or who struggle to digest other wheys

📋 The 4-step guide to using hydro whey

1) Set your dose from your ideal protein intake

Start with your total requirement. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 1.4 to 2 g of protein per kilo per day for athletes who want to build muscle (ISSN position stand). A meta-analysis of 49 studies found that beyond roughly 1.6 g per kilo, lean mass gains stopped rising (Morton et al., 2018): that makes a sound starting point.

Take a worked example: at 75 kg, 75 x 1.6 = 120 g of protein a day. If your meals already bring 90 g, you are 30 g short, which is a single serving of most hydrolysates. If your meals already cover it, the powder is pointless.

On the dose per serving, the ISSN puts the effective amount at around 20 to 40 g of protein, spread every 3 to 4 hours. Read the label on your tub: Optimum Nutrition’s Platinum Hydrowhey, for instance, delivers 30 g of protein in a 40 g scoop of powder. To go further, read how much whey protein per day 💪.

2) Drink it around your training

The most logical moment to down your whey protein shake is still before or after the session. If you cannot take it straight after training, it does not matter: the ISSN puts the useful window inside the 2 hours that follow (ISSN, 2017).

Keep the hierarchy straight: for building muscle, it is your total protein intake across the day that counts first, far more than the hour your shake lands (Schoenfeld et al., 2013). For the detail according to your own schedule, read our article on when to take whey protein.

3) Cutting = with water / bulking = with milk

If you are in a cutting phase, meaning you are trying to drop fat while holding on to your muscle, mix your whey with water: that way you keep the whole point of a low-calorie powder. Our guide to the whey to water ratio gives you the right proportions.

When you are bulking, on the other hand, milk is a useful ally: it adds calories and protein, and makes the shake far creamier 🍼. That is exactly the thinking behind our guide to whey protein for mass gain.

4) Store it somewhere cool and dry

On storage, keep your powder somewhere cool and dry, away from the light, and close the tub properly after every use. Respect the date printed on the packaging: a powder that has taken on moisture turns lumpy and keeps far less well.

🍳 3 ideas to ring the changes with your hydrolysed whey

An unflavoured hydrolysate goes down much better mixed into something else. It slots easily into simple recipes:

• Add it to your favourite smoothie recipe
• Stir it into porridge oats or yoghurt at breakfast
• Use it for whey protein pancakes or whey protein crepes

✅ Our verdict: the one mistake to avoid with a hydrolysate

The most common mistake is counting on how fast a hydrolysate is absorbed to make up for protein-poor meals. It will not do that: a hydrolysed whey taken at the perfect moment but on too low a daily total will give you less than a standard whey on a correct total.

In our view, this how-to is not for you if your diet already covers your needs: there is no point adding shakes on principle. And if you are pregnant, under 18, have kidney or liver disease, or are on any medication, ask your doctor before you start, which is what ANSES recommends for every supplement aimed at athletes.

⚡ Bonus: add some creatine to it!

Read nextWhey Protein and Creatine: How to Combine Them

Whey is a staple, but have you ever tried creatine? It is one of the very few supplements whose effect on performance is recognised by the European authorities, and it can go in the same shaker as your whey.

As ANSES points out, EFSA approved the claim “creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise”, at 3 g of creatine a day in adults. A second claim covers the over-55s who lift weights: creatine can strengthen the effect of training on force production, again at 3 g a day.

So do not hesitate to add 3 g of creatine powder to your hydro whey shake if your sessions involve short, intense efforts. ANSES does, however, advise against creatine and protein supplements for people with kidney disease or diabetes: if you have a kidney problem or are on any medication, ask your doctor first.