PEScience Protein Review: I Was Pleasantly Surprised

PEScience stands out from other protein supplements on the market because it’s formulated with both whey protein and casein (more on the benefits of this later).

As a strength athlete, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this protein to see if it could be my new go-to protein or if it was just another brand that had been overhyped by social media influencers (@kk_fit_ and @jeffnippard – 1.1m and 3.5m followers respectively).

Here are my key takeaways after just finishing a bottle of PE Science (Cake Pop Flavor).

Key Takeaways

Honest Review Guarantee from FeastGood: Our testing team purchases each product 100% independently and uses the product for several weeks up to several months before writing a review. Learn more about our review process here.

• PEScience Protein is worth it if you want a formula that keeps you satiated, mixes well, and tastes great. Some flavors, like Snickerdoodle, have 85% protein percent of calories, which falls into FeastGood.com’s “excellent” criteria.

• PEScience does contain artificial sweeteners and flavors, which could affect your digestion and may be a deterrent for some people looking for a more ‘natural’ product.

• Prise-wise, PEScience costs $1.27 per serving (for a 4lb tub), which after analyzing 50+ protein brands, is below the average cost of $1.34 per serving.

What Is PEScience? 

PEScience is a supplement company that emphasizes the importance of using scientific research when manufacturing supplements. They claim that in an industry focused on copying the nearest competitor, they keep science at the forefront.

They are very transparent about “why” they’ve included certain ingredients in their supplements and will direct you toward literature that supports each ingredient’s effectiveness.

“For over 10 years we have kept science at our foundation. Whether it’s through nutritional research, product formulation, or developing superior flavor and texture, we stay on the forefront and set the new standard.”

– PEScience

PEScience has a variety of products including protein powders, pre-workouts, creatine, pump products, mass gainer, health & wellness supplements, and more.

Overview of PEScience’s Select Protein

PEScience’s Select Protein is made with a blend of casein and whey from milk isolates, contains 5g of BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids), and is sweetened with sucralose.

The blend of both whey and casein protein is quite unique, but more on the benefits of this later. 

Depending on the flavor, the macronutrient breakdown per serving for PE Science Protein is as follows:

• Protein: 23-24g
• Carbs: 0-4g
• Fat: 1-3g
• Sugar: 0-3g

The flavor with the highest amount of carbs and sugar is Chocolate Peanut Butter (4 grams) and the flavor with the least amount of carbs and sugar is Snickerdoodle (0 grams)

With 110 (snickerdoodle) to 125 (chocolate truffle) calories per serving, Select Protein allocates 74 to 87% of its calories toward protein. 

For reference, a “reasonable” protein powder has 65-75% protein per serving, a “great” protein has 75-85% protein per serving, and an “excellent” one has more than 85% protein per serving.

The snickerdoodle flavor of Select Protein Protein falls into the “excellent” category, the chocolate truffle flavor falls into the “reasonable” category, and all other flavors (more on these later) fall into the “great” category. 

Of all the protein powders I’ve seen, PEScience has been the closest to Transparent Lab’s Whey Protein Isolate (click to read my review), which has 93% protein per serving and still tastes incredible.

Highlights: What I Liked About PEScience’s Select Protein

It Is Made With Whey And Casein Which Could Be The Best Of Both Worlds

Select protein is formulated with milk protein isolates from whey and casein, which I really like because it provides an opportunity to benefit from two different types of proteins.

Whey is the fastest-digesting protein which makes it beneficial for delivering amino acids to your muscles more quickly, which is thought to speed up how quickly you can recover from training.

Casein is the slowest-digesting protein which means that it delivers amino acids more consistently over longer periods, which is thought to be beneficial when your body is going longer periods without food to prevent muscle breakdown.

By supplementing with a whey and casein blend, PEScience claims that “ you still achieve the same quick muscle protein synthesis spike as 100% whey, and the prolong muscle synthesis as %100 casein”.

Some people may be skeptical about taking a protein blend of whey and casein post-workout but research suggests that there is no significant difference between performance markers post-workout between whey and casein.

It Has A Higher Percentage Of Protein Per Serving

PEScience’s Select Protein has a higher percentage of protein per serving than many other protein powders on the market, which means you’re getting the most out of your protein powder.

If I’m purchasing a protein powder to boost my protein intake, then I’m expecting that my supplement contains a high percentage of protein rather than cheap additives.

Select Protein does just that with most of its flavors falling within the “great” category (75-85%) for the percentage of protein per serving, and its snickerdoodle flavor reaching the “excellent” benchmark (85%+).

It Tastes Phenomenal And Has A Creamy Texture

I also cannot get over how good this protein tastes, and its creamy texture is the cherry on top. Select protein may be one of the best protein powders I’ve ever tasted.

Although I haven’t tried all of the flavors of Select Protein, I can personally speak to the flavor and consistency of Cake Pop, Snickerdoodle, Cookies N Cream, and frosted Chocolate Cupcake, and they are all creamy and delicious.

An added bonus is that it doesn’t have the dreaded artificial aftertaste that I would have expected because of the artificial flavors and sweeteners that it contains (which was not the case when testing Premier Protein Shakes).

• PEScience Protein made our list as one of the Best Birthday Cake Protein Powder (check out our full review).

It’s Reasonably Priced Considering Its Quality

Select Protein is priced competitively considering it uses casein and whey, has added leucine peptides, and has a relatively high percentage of protein per serving.

A 1.96lb tub (27 servings) costs $1.48 per serving and a 4lb tub (55 servings) costs $1.27 per serving.

This makes it the same price per serving as Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Protein which only contains whey and an average of 80% protein per serving (1% higher than Select Protein’s Average).

It’s also cheaper than Ghost Protein which costs $1.73 per serving for a 2lb tub (28 servings) and only has an average of 77% protein per serving across its flavors.

Drawbacks: What I Didn’t Like About Select Protein

It Is Sweetened With Sucralose Rather Than Natural Sweeteners

The only real drawback to PEScience’s Select Protein is that it uses sucralose and artificial flavors rather than natural flavors and sweeteners.

I can overlook the artificial flavors because of how great this product tastes but I am disappointed in their use of sucralose over stevia considering stevia wouldn’t affect the taste of the product.

The use of artificial sweeteners does go against their values considering they use science to make informed decisions about the ingredients they include in their products, and there is literature suggesting that artificial sweeteners affect gut health.

Select Protein Review: My Experience

PEScience Protein will definitely be one of my go-to protein choices going forward because it’s versatile, tastes great, mixes well, digests easily (despite my dairy sensitivity), and is reasonably priced.

To evaluate any protein, I think it’s important to test them in multiple use cases because everyone uses their protein powder differently. Certain people only consume protein powder mixed with water, whereas others use their protein powders in as many ways as they can.

So, I tested PEScience’s Select Protein by:

• Mixing it with water
• Mixing it with milk
• Baking it into oatmeal (using this baked oatmeal recipe)
• Using it to make protein balls

Select Protein performed incredibly well in all of these situations dissolving beautifully and tasting fantastic. This is likely because casein protein provides a creamier consistency when mixed with liquids (which I prefer) and seems to stand up better in baking than whey protein.

This protein performed well because of its mixability but also because of its taste. Its taste is truly top-notch and is everything that I want out of a protein powder: packed with flavor without any nasty aftertaste.

I’ll be using this protein powder more often because I feel great supporting this company. I love their passion for staying true to scientific research rather than creating products that are “trendy” but have little to no scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness.

How Does Select Protein Stack Up Against Our Criteria For Protein Powder

There are 8 criteria that we take into consideration when evaluating a protein powder, here’s how PEScience’s Select Protein performs in each criterion:

1. Nutrition Label Transparency 

Rating: 4/5

PEScience is very transparent with its nutrition labels because they want to show that they prioritize ingredients that are backed by scientific literature.

They also provide you the opportunity to look up your protein’s test results by entering the lot number on your protein tub into their search function to see the data on your specific tub of select protein for complete transparency.

I reached out to customer service to ask where to find the lot number because the website didn’t explain where it was and I couldn’t see it on my tub of protein. Apparently, the lot number is typically written next to the expiration date on your product and is generally yellow text.

However, my particular tub didn’t have an expiration date or a lot number, so that was disappointing. For this reason, I’m scoring a 4/5 instead of a 5/5.

2. Fat Content Transparency

Rating: 5/5

PEScience provides complete nutritional information for the fat content in its Select Protein.

• Chocolate Truffle: 3g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Cake Pop: 1g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Snickerdoodle: 1.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup: 1g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Frosted Chocolate Cupcake: 1.5g total fat, <1g of saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Cookie N Cream: 2g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Peanut Butter Cookie: 1.5g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Gourmet Vanilla: 1.5g total fat, <1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Strawberry Cheesecake: 1g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat
• Chocolate Mint Cookie: 1g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat

3. Effective Ingredients

Rating: 4/5  

The ingredients in PEScience’s Select Protein are top-notch using milk protein isolate from both whey and casein sources, as well as leucine peptides to encourage muscle protein synthesis (a precursor to muscle growth).

The addition of leucine peptides is intriguing because there is research to suggest that leucine in particular has a direct effect on stimulating muscle protein synthesis following a meal.

However, the downfall of the ingredients in select protein is the inclusion of artificial flavors and sweeteners, which taste so dang good but have been shown to cause digestive issues in many individuals. 

Had PEScience used stevia to sweeten their protein rather than sucralose, I would have scored this product a 5/5. I’ll hold out hope that they’ll make the switch in the future.

4. Protein Percent of Calories

Rating: 4/5

The percentage of protein per calorie for PEScience’s Select Protein falls mainly into the “great” and “excellent” categories, meaning that you’re getting plenty of protein per serving rather than other additives.

• Chocolate Truffle: 74% (reasonable)
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup: 77% (great)
• Cake Pop: 80% (great)
• Frosted Chocolate Cupcake: 80% (great)
• Cookie N Cream: 80% (great)
• Peanut Butter Cookie: 80% (great) 
• Gourmet Vanilla: 80% (great)
• Strawberry Cheesecake: 80% (great)
• Chocolate Mint Cookie: 80% (great)
• Snickerdoodle: 87% (excellent)

5. Taste/Flavor

Rating: 4/5 

Some supplement companies have “different flavors” of protein that all taste the same, and if you didn’t know which flavor you were having, you wouldn’t be able to tell from taste alone.

PEScience’s flavors are each unique and I’m confident that you would be able to tell the difference between flavors based on taste alone.

I’m scoring this a 4/5 because although I really enjoy the taste and flavors, there are likely people who would find it too sweet.

• PEScience Protein made our list as one of the Best Coffee Flavored Protein Powders (check out our full review).

6. Mixability

Rating: 5/5 

Select Protein mixed incredibly well for me, even without a shaker ball which is impressive considering it contains casein which generally requires more effort to mix to avoid clumps.

I was also impressed by how well it mixed in oatmeal, baked goods, and greek yogurt. I have yet to find a use case where Select Protein didn’t mix perfectly.

Realated: Best Low-Calorie Protein Powders For Weight Loss

7. Texture (Thick or Thin)

Rating: Thick

The combination of whey and casein in Select Protein gives this PEScience protein a thicker consistency.

I would describe the texture of this protein as creamy. You’ll notice this creamier texture even when it’s mixed with water but if you want to take the creaminess to the next level then mix it with milk.

If you prefer a thinner shake that’s more watery, then Select Protein wouldn’t be the best option for you.

• Want a list of more thick protein powders? Check out my 5 Thickest Protein Powders

8. Satiety

Rating: 5/5

PEScience’s Select Protein kept me satiated for 3 hours when taken on an empty stomach, which is exactly what I would expect from a protein blend of whey and casein.

The addition of casein is likely responsible for the satiating effects of this protein because casein is slower to digest.

• PEScience’s Select Protein made one of our top spots in our ultimate protein powder tier list – click to get the full rankings

Who Is Select Protein Protein For? 

• Those who want a satiating protein powder

• Those who enjoy a creamier protein shake

• Those who want a protein powder that tastes great

• Those who want a protein and casein blend 

Who Shouldn’t Take Select Protein?

• Those who prefer a thinner protein shake

• Those who prefer a protein powder that’s less sweet

• Those who are trying to avoid artificial flavors and sweeteners

Select Protein Protein Customer Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed PEScience’s Select Protein and I was curious about how other customers felt after having tried this protein, so I checked out its reviews on Amazon.

Select Protein has 4.5/5 stars from 9,249 global ratings, which suggests that other customers also enjoyed the product.

That being said, I was surprised that there weren’t more ratings for this product as I thought it was more well-known than protein like Naked Whey which had over 12,000 global ratings.

Amazon categorized the reviews based on 6 key features and scored each category out of 5, here’s how Select Protein performed:

• Blending Power: 4.4/5
• Versatility: 4.4/5
• Ingredient Quality: 4.2/5
• Value For Money: 4.2/5
• Flavor: 4.2/5
• Sheerness: 4.0/5

As these ratings would suggest, reviewers were very impressed by the taste and versatility of his protein. 

Many reviewers mentioned the fact that they bake more often than they make shakes with this product because of how well it performs in baked goods like waffles, pancakes, and muffins.

There were only a few negative reviews (which is impressive) that were related to the product being too sweet for their tastes, which was to be expected because it’s hard to cater to everyone.

Key Takeaways: PEScience appears to be well-loved by its customers for its versatility, mixability, and flavor.

Select Protein Promotions & Discounts

Select protein discounts exist on both the PEScience website and on Amazon if you subscribe for multiple deliveries.

On Amazon, you can save 5% on all future orders after 5 deliveries using the “subscribe & save” feature. You can also customize your delivery schedule with 7 different options for delivery frequency; the shortest being every 2 weeks and the longest being every 6 months.

Through the company’s website, you get 10% off every delivery as well as free samples and free shipping after your first order. The delivery frequency is automatically set to every 30 days, but it appears that you can message customer service to customize the frequency.

Where To Buy Select Protein? 

You can buy Select Protein on Amazon or from PEScience themselves for the exact same prices (before discounts).

From both retailers, a 27 serving tub costs $39.99, and a 55 serving tub costs $69.99. However, if you have Amazon Prime you can get free shipping even without a subscription.

You should also be able to find Select Protein at your local supplement shop, but prices will likely vary.

Select Protein Protein Alternatives

Naked Protein Powder Blend

The best alternative for Select Protein is Naked Nutrition’s Protein Powder Blend made from grass-fed whey, micellar casein, and egg white protein.

• Check out my complete Naked Protein Review.

This is a great option for those who want a protein powder free from artificial sweeteners and flavors. It also has 90% protein per serving which puts it into the “Excellent” category for classifying proteins.

The only drawback of choosing this protein blend is that because they use limited ingredients that are extremely good for you, they also taste like they’re really good for you (read: not great).

Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate

Another alternative for Select Protein is Transparent Lab’s Whey Protein Isolate made from grass-fed whey, sweetened with stevia, and free from artificial colors and flavors.

• Check out my complete Transparent Labs Protein Review

One major benefit to this protein is that it has a higher percentage of protein per serving at a whopping 93%, which I’ve yet to see in another protein.

It also tastes similar to Select protein, making it a tastier option compared to the Naked Protein Blend.

However, the downside to this protein as an alternative is that it is 100% pure whey and does not contain casein, so it doesn’t offer the benefits that casein protein would provide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Select Protein’s Shipping Policy?

PEScience typically ships your order within 24 hours of the order being placed. They also state that they ship from Ontario, Canada so it generally takes 2 to 7 days for orders to get delivered, depending on your location.

What Is Select Protein’s Return Policy?

PEScience will issue a full refund for products that have been unopened and returned within 30 days of delivery. If the return is due to an error from the company then they will pay for shipping and handling of the return. If the return is not because of an error on their end, they won’t cover shipping and handling.

Is Select Protein Third Party Tested?

Select Protein is Third-Party tested, and the company goes above and beyond to ensure that products are rigorously tested to avoid quality control issues and to provide users with a product that they can trust.

Is Select Protein Good For Weight Loss?

Select protein can help with weight loss because it is very satiating and will keep you full for longer periods which helps to reduce snacking. It will also provide you with at least 23 grams of protein per serving to help you meet your protein requirements to retain muscle mass while dieting.

Is Select Protein Keto Friendly?

Select Protein is not keto-friendly because certain flavors contain up to 4g of carbs per serving; however, it is very low carb. If you’re on a more strict keto diet then this protein isn’t for you, but if you’re simply trying to reduce your carb intake then Select Protein is a great option.

Is Select Protein Gluten-Free?

Select Protein is certified gluten-free so it is safe for those who have a gluten sensitivity or allergy.

What Are The Best Way To Mix Select Protein?

PEScience’s Select Protein mixes easily in water, milk, greek yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, and baked goods. It is one of the most versatile protein powders on the market.

What Flavors Are Available For Select Protein?

Select Protein is available in 10 flavors: Chocolate Truffle, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup, Cake Pop, Frosted Chocolate Cupcake, Cookies N Cream, Peanut Butter Cookie, Gourmet Vanilla, and Strawberry Cheesecake.

Does Select Protein Make You Gain Weight?

Select Protein could help you gain weight if you were also consuming enough calories in addition to the calories in the protein to achieve a calorie surplus (more calories than it takes to maintain your weight). Without a calorie surplus, weight gain will not occur.

Can You Use Select Protein As A Meal Replacement?

PEScience Protein is not a suitable meal replacement because it doesn’t contain enough carbs, fats, or nutrients to meet the energy and nutrient requirements of a meal.

When Is The Best Time To Take Select Protein?

The best time to take Select Protein is either after a workout to repair muscle damage or before going to bed to encourage muscle protein synthesis (a precursor for muscle growth) while you sleep.

How To Contact PEScience

You can contact PEScience by going to their website and clicking “Contact Us”

References

Wilborn, C. D., Taylor, L. W., Outlaw, J., Williams, L., Campbell, B., Foster, C. A., Smith-Ryan, A., Urbina, S., & Hayward, S. (2013). The Effects of Pre- and Post-Exercise Whey vs. Casein Protein Consumption on Body Composition and Performance Measures in Collegiate Female Athletes. Journal of sports science & medicine, 12(1), 74–79.

Suez J, Korem T, Zeevi D, Zilberman-Schapira G, Thaiss CA, Maza O, Israeli D, Zmora N, Gilad S, Weinberger A, Kuperman Y, Harmelin A, Kolodkin-Gal I, Shapiro H, Halpern Z, Segal E, Elinav E. Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota. Nature. 2014 Oct 9;514(7521):181-6. doi: 10.1038/nature13793. Epub 2014 Sep 17. PMID: 25231862.

Norton LE, Wilson GJ, Layman DK, Moulton CJ, Garlick PJ. Leucine content of dietary proteins is a determinant of postprandial skeletal muscle protein synthesis in adult rats. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012 Jul 20;9(1):67. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-9-67. PMID: 22818257; PMCID: PMC3488566.

Ruiz-Ojeda, F. J., Plaza-Díaz, J., Sáez-Lara, M. J., & Gil, A. (2019). Effects of Sweeteners on the Gut Microbiota: A Review of Experimental Studies and Clinical Trials. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 10(suppl_1), S31–S48. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmy037

Tim Snijders and others, Protein Ingestion before Sleep Increases Muscle Mass and Strength Gains during Prolonged Resistance-Type Exercise Training in Healthy Young Men, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 145, Issue 6, June 2015, Pages 1178–1184, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.208371