Podium Protein is one of these sort of ‘crossfit-vibe’ brands that I’ve seen crop up lately in the nutrition space…
And since I personally enjoy a good ‘WOD’ here and there, I figured I would pick up a few tubs of their Podium Whey protein and do a full review.
In this Podium review, we’re going to have fun first and foremost, but we’re also going to do a very thorough deep dive on this product.
Here’s what to expect in my Podium review.
What to Expect in This Podium Whey Protein Review
The first thing I will do is explore Podium as a brand.
I like to really immerse in each brand that I review, because I think that is an important first-step in understanding each product.
So I’ll talk about how I found Podium, what their brand stands for, and any other notes that I manage to gather on their company.
After that, it will be time to dig into this protein powder itself.
I usually buy one of each flavor, and do a complete flavor comparison for you guys.
My goal is to find the best flavor of Podium Whey and share it with you, just in case you need help picking a flavor.
The flavor section will be followed by an analysis of the Podium ingredients, and nutritional facts.
(^These might be the most important sections of the Podium review, by the way.)
After we talk technical details, we will keep things moving by doing a packaging critique, which I always enjoy.
At the end, I’ll talk about value – basically answering is Podium worth the money?
A final score will be assigned at that time, and ta-da, that will be a wrap.
So let’s all get our Metcons on, put on a bandana, push play on our favorite rock playlist, and get this crossfit-themed Podium review started.
About Podium Nutrition
As you can tell by my intro, pretty much all I knew about Podium going into this review was that it is one of the ‘crossfit-themed’ brands.
I know crossfit legend Matt Fraser is also affiliated with them (and maybe even owns part of the company?).
They also sponsor some of the popular crossfit influencers that I follow on social media…
And they also did a collaboration with ‘Street Parking’, which is a sort of ‘crossfit lite’ version of home workouts.
Anyways, more on that later.
From what I gather of Podium, they do focus more on performance than some of the brands that are more lifestyle, like, say Ghost, or One Sol.
How I Found Podium Whey
I first saw one of my favorite ‘crossfit influencers’ named Kels Kiel posting about Podium whey a few weeks ago when they were promoting a seasonal flavor drop…
Kels has always been one of my favorite follows because she’s basically just so badass and so real with her followers…
I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted by all the fake crap on Instagram/Tik-Tok so it’s just refreshing when someone gives you a real take.
But yeah, that’s where I first saw Podium, and of course started getting hit with all of their ads after that first time that I clicked on their bio.
Okay let’s talk about the actual protein now.
Podium Whey – Flavor Analysis
My favorite part of my job is definitely that I get to try all of these different proteins with all of their unique flavor profiles.
Whether it is the creative blueberry muffin flavor of Beam protein, or the fruity, refreshing watermelon flavor of the Wicked Clear protein, I love trying new things.
I was particularly excited about Podium Whey because I saw that they also have a very creative and extensive menu.
I went a little crazy and ordered one of each of their whey flavors, so that I could try them all.
As I patiently waited for my order to arrive, I got in the Podium spirit by doing a full crossfit workout.
Once my (giant) package arrived, I set out trying each one.
Here are my tasting notes from each flavor:
NOTE: I mixed one scoop of each Podium flavor into 10 ounces of cold reduced-fat milk. You can also use water, but I find that milk brings out the best in each one.
Maple Butter Pancake
The first flavor that I tried was the Maple Butter Pancake, because you guys know that I simply adore pancakes.
I think this was a pretty great flavoring job by Podium because they sort of did actually taste like pancakes, which I was pleasantly surprised by.
Most pancake-themed things just taste like they have just a slight hint of maple…
But these actually had a real pancake flavor, which I thought was incredible.
Surprisingly enough, this ended up being my favorite flavor of Podium whey.
Coffee Ice Cream
Speaking of things that I absolutely adore, coffee is at the very top of the list.
And who doesn’t love ice cream?
I mean, this flavor is literally two of my favorite things.
I was, once again, pleasantly surprised by this flavor and thought it had the perfect level of sweetness, while still having enough ‘bitterness’ to give a true coffee flavor.
Mint Chocolate Chip
The mint chocolate flavor of Podium protein was better than I was expecting it to be, but not quite as good as the first two that I tried.
It could be that I just am not quite as big of a mint chocolate gal as the rest of you, but this one was just ‘okay’ for me
I thought that there is a little bit too much mint for my liking – you know when something is ‘too minty’ and it makes your whole throat like cold?
Yeah that’s how this one was for me.
I would not recommend this one as much as the others, but it was still okay.
Churro
I had SUCH high expectations for this flavor, that I think anything short of spectacular was going to be a bit of a let-down for me.
And it sort of was just that.
Let’s face it, you can’t get that magical taste of churro from a drink…
You need that spongy texture, and that melted butter and sugar granule to truly give a churro taste…
This one sort of just tasted like all the rest of the cinnamon-themed protein shakes that I’ve tried.
Actually come to think of it, this one tastes almost identical to the Cinnamon Bun flavor of Bloom protein, which is quite good, but also not a churro.
Peanut Butter Crunch
This flavor wasn’t terrible, but I think I just ‘OD’d’ on peanut butter-themed things over the holidays.
My Aunt makes these crazy peanut-butter gingerbread cookies (i know it sounds weird) but they are legit so good but I ate about a million of them.
So now anything peanut butter I’m just like, not feeling it.
But this flavor was okay – if you are a big PB fan you will probably enjoy it tbh.
Cookies ‘n Cream
Cookies ‘n cream is usually one of my favorite flavor profiles, but Podium kind of whiffed on this one…
It had a sort of weird chemical-y taste which really bothered me and that’s the best I can explain it – I would opt for one of the other flavors before getting this one again.
Chocolate Mud Pie (Limited Edition x Street Parking)
So I’m listing this flavor at the end not because it was the worst, but because it is sold out, and I probably won’t be able to get it ever again…
Which would be a shame because I really actually liked this flavor.
I thought it was marvelously sweet, and had some fun, unique flavors that I am not used to getting in a protein shake.
I feel like I could actually taste some notes of coffee, graham cracker, and whatever else is usually in mud pie that gives it such a bold taste.
If you can get your hands on this one – I would go for it.
What’s the Best Flavor of Podium Whey?
As you can probably guess, the best flavor of Podium Whey protein is the Maple Butter pancakes – just trust me this is the flavor to get.
The best flavor of Podium Whey is the Maple Butter Pancakes.
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If you aren’t a big breakfast fan (what’s wrong with you?) jk – my second-favorite flavor of Podium is probably the Coffee Ice Cream.
Now that you know all that their is to know about the flavors, let’s talk ingredients.
Podium Whey Ingredients & Macros
Flavor is definitely important, but it’s also critical to know what’s in your protein powder.
I’ve reviewed quite literally hundreds of protein powders at this point, and I am telling you – do NOT overlook the ingredients.
Sometimes you will find something that completely eliminates a product from consideration…
And sometimes you’ll find that a seemingly lackluster product is actually quite good, just by taking the time to read through the label thoroughly.
But let’s start with the macros, and then move into the ingredients.
Podium Whey Macros
Here are the macros per serving, using the maple butter flavor as an example (they are all quite similar, from a macros standpoint)
- Calories 120
- Total Fat 1g
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 45mg
- Total Carbohydrate 2g
- Total Sugars 1g
- Protein 25g
NOTES: I don’t have much to call out here – this product looks very smiiiar to most of the other protein powders that I have reviewed.. The protein is nicely dosed with 25 grams per serving, while the fats and carbs are quite low at 2g and 1g, respectively…
So the macros check out – nothing too crazy to note – let’s take a look at the ingredients and see what we can learn on that front…
Podium Whey Ingredients
So this product is a little different than some other proteins that I’ve reviewed, but let me list the ingredients first, and then I’ll tell you what I’m seeing that is a little odd:
- Whey Protein Isolate
- Whey Protein Concentrate
- Natural & Artificial Flavors
- Gum Blend (Guar, Acacia, Xanthan)
- Creamer (Non-Fat Dry Milk, Buttermilk Solids, Milk Solids, Butter, Natural Flavors)
- Silica
- Salt
- DigeZyme Enzyme Blend
- Sucralose
NOTES: The first thing I noticed is that Podium uses a blend of both whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate in their formula… the whey concentrate is much cheaper, so this is why they did not use entirely isolate… but they do disclose exactly how much of each is being used (about 50-50 split), which I respect…this product does use artificial sweeteners which I don’t love, but I understand it’s hard to get a good sweetness profile without it…
So the bottom line after reviewing the nutritional profile of Podium?
I like it even more.
Sure, they use a little bit of artificial sweetener, but I don’t care to be honest.
Their product tastes great, and I really hate stevia / erythritol anyways…
They are transparent about how much of each type of protein that they use, and they also pack a good bit of protein into each scoop, at 25 grams per serving.
Let’s keep things moving and talk about their packaging.
Podium Packaging is Clean, and Memorable
Podium certainly checks the boxes for flavor, formula, and macros…
But what about the packaging?
Well, here’s a shocker – I kind of love that, too.
This packaging, while it does borrow some inspiration from Ghost Whey (note the same color of tan plastic jar)…is simply incredible.
On first glance, it might look a little basic, or boring even, but zoom out a bit, and you’ll find brilliance in the way Podium has done their branding.
Each product utilizes a shared vocabulary of design language that allows each product to be both unique, and still at home within the broader range.
They use a set of broad rings in slightly-muted colors as the main graphics, to give a sort of bold, retro look…
The brand name ‘Podium’ sits proudly along the top edge of each product, while the distinguishing product info is arranged along the bottom.
I like how much consistency there is from one product ot the next within this line, while still allowing each product, and flavor to have its own flair.
They do this by tweaking the colors, and placements of the bold ring graphics…
But it’s a wonderfully effective final result.
Podium has done a marvelous job from a branding standpoint – which gives a tremendous perceived value to its products.
Speaking of value, let’s talk about that…
Is Podium Worth the Money?
Short answer is yes, Podium is absolutely worth the money.
The transparency of their ingredients, excellence in flavor, and awesome packaging make this brand a must-try in my book.
I can tell how much this brand means to some very impressive people in the fitness community, including Matt Frasier, Kels Kiel, Brooke Wells, and others…
You can tell when someone is just being paid to shill a product, but these people are all completely in love with Podium products, and it shows.
That adds value to the brand, and gives a little boost to your experience with the product, which I experienced.
The product prices are very reasonable per serving, which makes this one a no-brainer for me.
Let’s wrap things up.
Podium Review Summary
— Podium is a cross-fit – themed brand that is backed by industry icons Matt Frasier and Brooke Wells – they make a full-range of performance supplements including their Podium Whey protein powder
— Podium protein comes in several creative flavors ranging from maple butter pancake to cookies ‘n cream.. After trying each of them, I concluded that the maple butter pancake is the best flavor of Podium Whey
— Each serving of Podium Whey protein contains 25 grams of protein, with very few carbohydrates or fats to go along with it
— Podium does use some artificial sweeteners in their protein, which does not bother me personally, but it worth noting
— The branding/packaging of Podium is memorable, and evokes a retro feel.. It is one of the best-branded supplement lines available
— With very reasonable prices despite many brands increasing their prices, Podium is priced fairly, and is a great value
Podium Whey Final Score
- Flavor Grade: B+
- Formula Grade: A-
- Packaging Grade: A
- Value Score:A
- Final Score: A
Recommended Reading:
- BPN Flight Pre Workout Review – Simple, Effective, & Affordable - February 22, 2024
- CBUM Protein Review – Is Chris Bumstead’s Brand Any Good? - January 13, 2024
- Beam Pre Workout Review – A Must Try for 2024 - January 9, 2024
