Applied Nutrition

Applied Nutrition Critical Whey

Critical Whey is a concentrate-led blend that sits mid-table on protein density and near the bottom on price per gram of protein.

  • Tested for sport
72.7g
Protein / 100g
24g
Per 33g scoop
92p
Per 25g protein
£53.95
2.01kg pack

How the numbers stack up against the price

92p buys 25g of protein here, which makes it the 3rd cheapest of the 24 powders we have reviewed, behind NXT Nutrition Beef Protein Isolate at 74p, and 18p under the median.

The thing worth knowing before you buy is that it was reformulated in September 2025, from 21g of protein in a 30g scoop to 24g in a 33g scoop, and a large number of UK retailer listings still show the old panel. If the listing you are reading says a 30g serving, it is describing the previous product.

Cost per 25g of protein, across our 24 reviews

Median £1.10

  • Protein Works Whey Protein 360 - GOLD Innovation
    59p
  • NXT Nutrition Beef Protein Isolate
    74p
  • Applied Nutrition Critical Whey
    92p
  • Bulk Pure Whey Protein
    97p
  • MyProtein Impact Whey Protein
    £1.01
  • PER4M Nutrition Whey Protein
    £1.03
  • Protein Works Whey Protein 360 - PLATINUM Innovation
    £1.03
  • USN Blue Lab Whey
    £1.05
  • PhD Nutrition Diet Whey
    £1.10
  • Scitec Nutrition 100% Whey Protein Professional
    £1.11
  • PER4M Nutrition Isolate Zero
    £1.15
  • Warrior Whey
    £1.16
  • MyProtein Impact Diet Whey
    £1.21
  • MyProtein Impact Whey Isolate
    £1.23
  • Applied Nutrition ISO XP
    £1.23
  • Bulk Pure Whey Isolate
    £1.30
  • Bulk Clear Whey Isolate
    £1.48

Cheapest in-stock listing at a partner retailer, for packs of 400g and over. MyProtein Clear Whey Protein, Protein Works Vegan Protein 360 - GOLD Innovation, Protein Works Vegan Protein 360 - PLATINUM Innovation, Protein Works Vegan Pea Protein - BLACK Innovation, Protein Works 100% Micellar Casein - BLACK Innovation, Protein Works Diet Whey Protein Isolate - BLACK Innovation, Protein Works Clear Diet Whey Protein - GOLD Innovation have no partner listing in stock, so they carry no figure.

Concentrate is first on the ingredient list, so it makes up most of the blend. Applied does not publish the ratio. The September 2025 reformulation added milk protein concentrate to what had been a whey-only blend.

What the label gets right, and wrong

Strengths

  • Very widely stocked in the UK, so it goes on offer often
  • Sunflower lecithin rather than soy
  • Three flavours carry genuine Informed Sport batch certification
  • Pack sizes run from a 132g sachet pack to 2.27kg, so trying it is cheap

Watch-outs

  • Applied has published no per-100g panel for the current formula, so any per-100g figure, ours included, is derived rather than read off a label
  • Protein content varies by flavour by roughly 2.5g per 100g, on the label’s own admission
  • Ten of the thirteen flavours are not Informed Sport certified
  • Sucralose sweetened, so not a clean-label option

Where to buy it

Ordered by cost per 25g of protein, because pack sizes and protein densities differ enough that a headline price on its own does not tell you which is better value.

Retailers stocking Applied Nutrition Critical Whey, ordered by cost per 25g of protein
RetailerSizePricePer 25gGo to retailer
Amazon UK2010g£53.9592pView deal ↗

One partner retailer stocks a 400g or larger pack of this product.

Price history

Low £13.89 · High £30.0012 Jul to 4 Oct

What a scoop actually contains

Taken from the manufacturer’s published label. Source.

Applied publishes 24g of protein in a 33g serving for the current formula but has not published a per-100g panel for it, so 72.7g is that division rather than a label reading. The macro rows other than protein are the closest published figures, from the previous 30g formula. The label itself carries the caveat that values vary by flavour, and a crowd-sourced entry for a chocolate flavour reads 67.6g, about 2.5g lower.

Nutrition per 100g and per serving
NutrientPer 100gPer 33g
Protein72.7g24.0g
Energy388 kcal128 kcal
Carbohydrate6.1g2.0g
of which sugars4.8g1.6g
Fat4.9g1.6g
of which saturates1.7g0.6g
Fibre8g2.6g
Salt0.3g0.1g

Ingredients and formulation

Protein sources, in label order

  1. 01Whey protein concentrate
  2. 02Whey protein isolate
  3. 03Hydrolysed whey protein
  4. 04Milk protein concentrate

Sweeteners and emulsifier

Sucralose

Sunflower lecithin

Pack sizes

132g sachet pack · 450g · 825g · 900g · 2kg · 2.27kg

Thirteen flavours in the UK, dessert-led. Only three carry the Informed Sport certification.

Third-party testing

Certification is per programme and often per flavour or per batch, so a badge on one product does not carry across a brand’s whole range.

Informed SportConfirmed

Applied states that Chocolate Milkshake, Strawberry Milkshake and Vanilla Ice Cream are certified. The rest of the range is not, so the certification follows the flavour rather than the product.

Source

Made by

Applied Nutrition plc, Knowsley Industrial Park, LiverpoolListed on the London Stock Exchange main market in October 2024 and now a FTSE 250 constituent.

Taste and what buyers report

Quoted and linked, so you can read the full thread.

“It tastes literally like a white bueno and it is not too sweet at all. It is amazing both in oatmeal and in yogurt bowls.”
r/mounjarouk
“It is a bit too sweet in my opinion so I usually add instant coffee powder or raw cocoa powder to cut the sweetness.”
r/Volumeeating
“Can also confirm it is far too sweet. USN or Gold Standard are the two I have found to be best.”
r/AskUK

What the maker does not publish

  • Applied has published no per-100g nutrition panel for the post-September-2025 formula.
  • The full macro breakdown for the 33g serving is unpublished. Only protein and energy are given.
  • Sweetness is the most common complaint in buyer reports, though the accounts differ on how much it matters.

Questions buyers ask

The things people search for about Applied Nutrition Critical Whey, answered from the label and the live partner prices rather than from the brand’s own copy.

How much protein is in Applied Nutrition Critical Whey?

The current formula provides 24g of protein in a 33g scoop, roughly 72.7g per 100g. Applied changed this in September 2025 from 21g in a 30g scoop, and many UK retailer listings still show the older figure.

Is Applied Nutrition Critical Whey Informed Sport certified?

Three flavours are: Chocolate Milkshake, Strawberry Milkshake and Vanilla Ice Cream. The rest of the range is not, so if batch certification matters to you, the flavour you pick decides it.

Does Critical Whey contain soy?

The ingredient list specifies sunflower lecithin rather than soy lecithin. Check the pack you are buying, because emulsifiers are one of the things brands change between production runs.

Is Critical Whey the same as Critical Mass?

No, and the two get confused constantly. Critical Mass is a high-calorie mass gainer with a large carbohydrate load. Critical Whey is a protein powder. If you have read a complaint about the sugar content, check which product it was actually about.

Reviewed next to

USN

Blue Lab Whey

A simpler formula, whey protein isolate and whey protein hydrolysate and whey protein concentrate only.

£1.05 / 25g protein

Warrior

Warrior Whey

A simpler formula, whey protein concentrate and milk protein only.

£1.16 / 25g protein

PER4M Nutrition

Whey Protein

The same job from PER4M Nutrition, at a different price point.

£1.03 / 25g protein

Not sure this is the one?

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Last updated 19 August 2026