Select Protein

(4 customer reviews)

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About

Select Protein is a blended protein powder made by PEScience. It uses two forms of protein (casein and whey), which are said to help prolong protein synthesis for more efficient muscle growth.

One 31g portion of the PEScience product provides 24g of protein taken from milk protein isolate (which contains both casein and whey). A single serving also contains 110 calories, 1.5g of total fat and <1g of total carbohydrates.

Select Protein is available – or has been available – in nine flavors: “Snickerdoodle”, “Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup”, “Peanut Butter Cookie”, “Cookies N Cream”, “Frosted Chocolate Cupcake”, “Gourmet Vanilla”, “Strawberry Cheesecake”, “Cake Pop” and “Chocolate Mint Cookie”.

Reviews

4 reviews for Select Protein

  1. Xcmiler

    PES Select Protein is One Sweet Protein!
    —-Introduction—-
    I have been a fan of PES for sometime after having tried OG Alphamine back in the day. I was drawn to their protein because it is a protein blend that includes casein and seemed like a versatile product. I just finished a tub of Snickerdoodle and here are my thoughts.

    —-Ingredient Profile—-
    In the 31g scoop, you are looking at 110 calories, 1.5g of fat, less than 1g carbohydrates, and 24g of protein. The protein in this product is a milk protein isolate blend consisting of casein and whey protein. In addition, it also includes whey protein concentrate at 80%. At first glance, I missed that it had WPC because in the past, I have had issues with it but I did not have any with this protein. PES also includes Pepform Leucine Peptides. Glanbia Nutritionals makes/patents Pepform and it is a process that binds free form leucine to leucine peptides that have been isolated from whey. I could not access the spec sheet for Pepform but from what I gather the leucine in the pepform state are supposed to be more bioavailable than free form leucine. I found a rat study (1) where starved rats had more weight gain using a peptide-based diet rather than free amino acid diet. In another study, it was found that normal human subjects appear to be capable of assimilating mixtures of peptides and free amino acids with equal efficiency (2). I am unsure if the pepform increases the effectiveness of the product but it was an interesting ingredient to include. One quick note, bioscience is not my area so I included the studies. As for the rest, PES includes natural and artificial flavors along with sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

    —-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
    As I stated previously this reviews is based on the snickerdoodle flavor and I found it to be quite enjoyable. When you open the jug, you are hit with that cinnamon aroma. It has a thick consistency regardless of whether I used water or milk. I will say that it is very sweet. Therefore, if you were not into sweet tasting protein powders I would try a sample before buying. I have tried three of their other flavors (cookies ‘n cream, frosted chocolate cupcake, and chocolate peanut butter cup) and they are all very sweet as well. In terms of mixability, I always used a blender bottle with the wisk ball and felt that it was necessary. At times when I tried to mix it without the wisk ball it would clump and some powder would get stuck in the cap or bottom of the shaker bottle. As far as dosing, individuals will vary but I did two scoops usually at lunch, post workout or before bed. I preferred to take it post workout as before bed I noticed increased bathroom visits (not GI related) throughout the night.

    —-Effectiveness—-
    The effectiveness of a protein powder is hard to judge since I classify it as a food. PES makes an argument in their marketing that using just whey is not as effective as a whey protein and casein blend. I did find one study (3) that found an increase in fat free mass after 10 weeks of resistance training using a whey and casein protein blend (40g of whey protein and 8g of casein). Prior to taking this, I took MTS Machine Whey, Nutrabio Whey Protein Isolate, and Optimum Nutrition Proteins and I would say that PES performed similar to all of them. I noticed that my recovery and body composition were similar from using other protein supplements be them WPC, Casein and WPI. I do not feel that this whey/casein blend exceeded whey alone to justify the increase in price. Do not get me wrong I thought it was a good product but in my experience, it was just as effective as previous proteins I have tried. I should note that I did not have any bloating or GI issues with this protein as I did with Machine Whey and straight WPC supplements.

    —-Value—-
    As of the time of this writing, I found a 55-serving tub for around $47-49, which is roughly $0.92 per serving. As for the 27-serving tub, can be found for about $27-29, which is about $1.00-1.11 per serving. I noticed that PES does not always go on sale at major retailers so the price tends to stay the same. However, they do run insider sales direct and I have seen the 27-serving tub go for $19.99 when they have launched a new flavor (Frosted Chocolate Cupcake), which is $.74 per serving. In terms of value, it comes down to whether you believe a blended protein will yield more results than standard whey. Personally, I like the taste of this protein and it performed similar to other protein supplements I have tried so I will buy it again if I find it on sale.

    —-Side Effects—-
    I did not experience any side effects while taking this product.

    —-Conclusion—-
    Overall, PES Select is a good whey/casein blend protein. As I used the product my muscle gain and fat loss were, similar to previous whey protein supplements I have used (Machine Whey, Nutrabio WPI, and Optimum Nutrition Proteins). I enjoyed the taste but be aware that it does include sucralose and acesulfame potassium. I would definitely recommend trying it and to be on the lookout for sales, I know I will be. I hope this review helped!

    (1) Protein hydrolysate vs free amino acid-based diets on the nutritional recovery of the starved rat. Eur J Nutr. 2000 Dec;39(6):237-43.
    -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11395982
    (2) Comparison of oral feeding of peptide and amino acid meals to normal human subjects. Gut. 1979 Apr;20(4):291-9
    -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1412400/?page=1
    (3) Kerksick, C. M., et al. The effect of protein and amino acid supplementation in performance and training adaptations during ten weeks of resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 20(3), 643-653, 2006.
    -https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16937979

    -Xcmiler

  2. smashley23

    Pretty Good But Not Amazing- Gym Bros Are Out To Lunch On This One
    —-Introduction—-
    I’m a competing powerlifter and am at the tail end of my cut (got 18lbs to go). I use protein supplements 1-2 times a day, so I can hit my protein target while keeping my overall calories on the lower end. My typical stack is a protein powder, PWO, creatine, fish oil, and recently curcumin.

    —-Ingredient Profile—-
    This is a blended protein. It has milk protein isolate and WPC-80, aka two high quality protein sources. There is no egg protein, which some blends have. I’m not taking off any points for this because there is some question as to how bioavailable egg white protein powder is. Cooked egg white proteins have a high bioavailability. Uncooked egg whites do not. Pasteurized egg whites (e.g. what you get in egg white protein powder) has been insufficiently studied in terms of bioavailability, so I don’t blame PES for not including it.

    Here are the macros:

    Calories: 110
    Protein: 24g
    Fat: 1.5g
    Carbs <1g

    As you can see, the protein/calorie ratio is pretty good (especially if you’re cutting). Typically, a scoop of protein will have 120-140 calories and 22-25g protein, so PES does us right here.

    They do add leucine peptides, which may be superior for increasing lean mass than free form leucine (this also could be total bro science, the literature is weak).

    There are artificial sweeteners here (which I don’t mind at all), but some people do, so I thought I’d mention it.

    —-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-

    So the reason I got a tub was because I was told by a lot of gym bros that Frosted Chocolate Cupcake was, hands down, the best tasting chocolate protein powder on the market, and that it tasted exactly like a frosted chocolate cupcake. I actually waited a few months before I ordered since, you know, I am naturally skeptical what people tell me. I finally ordered a tub when TruMulti came out because I wanted that, and FCC tasted good. I’ll give it an 8/10, but hands down the best. Sorry, these bros are tripping.

    It tastes like chocolate, and it mixes thick, which I like, but I didn’t get a frosted cupcake taste, and it was a bit gritty. It was better than a number of other chocolate proteins I have had, but it was not the best that I have ever had. I would say it’s almost as good as Cellucor‘s Molten Chocolate, which is pretty good. Cellucor’s offering, however, is not gritty.

    It may be that my expectations were a bit too high, but when I have several people swearing that FCC is the best, then I expect it to be in a league of it’s own, and for me, it wasn’t.

    —-Effectiveness—-

    Protein powder is not magic. It’s convenient, but it’s not inherently better than any other protein source with a good amino profile/bioavailability. This is assuming, of course, that the protein powder is meeting label claims. I’m giving PES a high effectiveness score for two reasons.

    1. They meet label claims. They have been Stack3d certified and have been tested by other people, and they meet (or exceed) their label claims. In an industry where a lot of companies have cheated their customers with spiked products, this is important to me.

    2. There is some evidence that a whey/casein blend is better for recovery than just whey. I’m not fanatical about when I eat what kinds of protein (I just eat a variety of sources through out the day), but a blend post workout could give you a slight edge. This isn’t really that relevant for me since I usually mix my protein powder with milk anyway, but if you mix yours with water, there could be an advantage to getting a blend like PESelect.

    —-Value—-

    PESelect is a bit expensive compared to many proteins on the market. A 2lb tub is usually around $27-30 and a 4lb tub usually around $45-$48, bringing you to around $1/serving. But blended proteins are more expensive than just whey products, and PES is similarly priced to other blends like Syntha 6 isolate and Promore, so I think the price is pretty fair.

    —-Side Effects—-

    None for me.

    —-Conclusion—-

    This was a pretty good protein powder from a brand that is honest. I think that’s enough to give it consideration, but when it comes to the flavoring, I think some of the hype is unwarranted.

  3. pionkej

    Probably would be called “Gold Standard” if ON hadn’t used it already!
    —-Introduction—-

    The goal with my reviews is to use a consistent format that is: to the point, provides context of how I used the product, and references what I’m personally comparing it to (see “Personal Rank” in Conclusion section).

    —-THREE IMPORTANT NOTES—-

    1.) I like protein blends. While there is some evidence blends perform marginally better in protein synthesis than whey or casein alone, you won’t see my decision driven by the “effectiveness”.

    Whey tends to be runny when mixed with water. Casein tends to be thick when mixed with milk. I mix my protein with different liquids and so I migrate towards protein blends. Like goldilocks, for me they’re “juuuuuust right”. Simple as that.

    2.) Artificial sweeteners and fillers don’t bother me. So long as the company doesn’t appear to be “amino spiking”, I don’t let the ingredient profile influence my decision too much. My summary of the ingredient profile will only focus on protein per serving and the blend used.

    3.) I typically ONLY purchase vanilla protein because I use it for:

    -Breakfast shake with cold brew coffee and milk -or- OJ and kefir.
    PWO shake with Gatorade or Mio (typically orange or grape) to make a “creamsicle” flavor.
    -Bedtime shake with sugar free pudding.

    —-Ingredient Profile—-

    Protein: 24g

    Protein blend:

    Milk Protein Isolate–Milk Protein is 80/20 casein to whey.
    Whey Protein Concentrate 80%–Whey Protein Concentrate can have an actual protein content as low as 55%. That’s typically what you see on less expensive powders. WPC 80 is the quality stuff.
    Leucine Peptides–Leucine is the amino acid shown to primarily improve protein synthesis and casein doesn’t have as much (which is why I think they’ve added it here).

    —-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-

    Taste: 10 out of 10! 4-stars! 100%! Whatever you use for ranking, this “cream of the crop”. Hands down the taste is brilliant. There are little pieces of vanilla bean in the powder (I don’t know if that’s the secret to the flavor or just placebo, but it doesn’t matter, I love this stuff). Smell of this powder is also great. Not as important as taste, but it can play a factor in perceived flavor, so I make note of it when I can.

    Mixability: Good but not perfect. If there is any ding on scoring this powder, it’s the initial mixability. The powder is “lighter” and takes a bit of extra effort to get it blended. However, once it’s blended it does have a great consistency that isn’t too thick, too thin, and is without much foam.

    Dosing: 24g protein per 32.5g scoop of powder. Flavoring usually improves with some fats/carbs added. PES nailed it without adding much. This is a great protein to total powder ratio.

    —-Effectiveness—-

    Protein is one of three main macro-nutrients (protein, carbs, fat). Whole foods is the preferable source, but depending on your diet, it may be difficult to hit macro goals without supplementing. Protein powder has proven to be an effective supplement for achieving macro-nutrient goals.

    Some powders contain more calories, fat and/or carbs than other powders, but so long as the supplement works within your nutrition goals, “effectiveness” should be roughly the same. My ranking is based on Taste/Mixability/Dosing. If budget is unlimited, I’ll always buy my highest ranking protein. If budget is limited (which is usually is), cost/value will also factor into my purchase decision.

    —-Value—-

    Typical Cost: $49.99 for 55 servings ($0.91/serving).

    Value is relative. Based on the Taste/Mixability/Dosing, I feel you get a top notch product for the price you pay. However, my personal budget puts an “ideal cost” of blended protein around $0.60-$0.75 per serving. PES is above this amount. I don’t find it on sale often (probably because they don’t need to), but if I can find PES for 20-25% off, I make the purchase because it’s my favorite.

    —-Side Effects—-

    None.

    Since this product uses both milk protein and whey protein concentrate, it contains lactose. In some people lactose causes gas. If you are lactose sensitive I recommend you look for whey protein isolate.

    —-Conclusion—-

    This is my #1 protein. The slight issues I have with initial mixability can’t knock it from my top spot. The flavor is just THAT good.

    Personal Protein Rank:

    -PES Select
    USPlabs Modern Protein
    -TrueNutrition (custom blend 40% wpc, 50% milk protein, 10% casein)
    Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey+Casein (manually blended)*
    Muscle Pharm Combat
    BSN Syntha 6
    -My Protein Impact Whey+Milk Protein Smooth (manually blended)

    *This is my benchmark. Items ranked below this point I don’t plan to purchase again. Items at/above my benchmark are purchased based on rank and funds available at time of purchase.

  4. JohnSerio

    Solid Blend Great Taste
    Introduction
    I have finished a 55 serve of cookies n’ cream and a 27 serving of strawberry cheesecake. I am a huge fan of Select Protein and I can’t wait to try a few other flavors.

    Ingredient Profile
    Each scoop is 31g and roughly 110 calories (depending on flavor). These calories come from 1.5g of fat, <1g carbohydrates, and 24g of protein. The protein in this product is a milk protein isolate blend consisting of casein and whey protein concentrate at 80%. PES also includes Pepform Leucine Peptides by Glanbia Nutritionals, a leucine that is more bioavailable than normal freeform leucine. PES includes natural and artificial flavors along with sucralose and acesulfame potassium.

    Taste/Mixability/Dosing
    All of my flavor reviews will be based on mixing with 6 ounces of water.
    Cookies n’ Cream by PES is one of my personal favorite protein flavors, it is fairly sweet and comparable to an Oreo shake, 9/10. I also got a tub of the limited edition Strawberry Cheesecake flavor, I was not a huge fan of this one. It had real strawberry pieces but they did not add much to the flavor, it was mostly just an overly sweet cheesecake flavor, 4/10.
    Mixability was easy, just a few wrist flicks in a bottle (no blender ball) with water and the protein was well mixed.
    Dosage would depend on your personal macro goals, but this protein is pretty clean so adjusting as needed would be easy.

    Effectiveness
    The effectiveness of whey protein is mostly based on how well you digest the protein powder, with this blend from PES I experienced no GI distress or bloating like I have with other proteins before. I am a fan of protein blends because there is research on the increased amino acid level in serum over time being more important than increased amino acid levels in serum for short periods. They also seem to be easier to digest than isolates.

    Value
    A 55-serving tub goes for $47-49, and the 27-serving tub goes for $27-29. This protein is pricey for a protein powder but not too expensive for a blend. I will purchase it again if there is a sale or if I have some extra cash.

    Side Effects
    None

    Conclusion
    PES Select Protein is one of the best protein powders I have tried as far as digestibility and flavor, but it is a bit expensive.

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