Ghost Whey Protein is a dietary blend of protein and digestive enzymes in delicious flavors. Ghost Whey Protein keeps things simple, offering up to 25 grams of dietary protein per serving.
Ryan Hughes and Daniel Laurenco co-founded the Ghost brand as the first “lifestyle sports nutrition brand.” The Ghost name and the company’s mantra, “be seen,” are a result of Ryan’s experience in the corporate world, where he felt invisible yet wanted to be heard and make an impact. Their site is basic, short on jargon, and long on videos, fitness videos, testimonials, playlists, and short documentaries.
Our Ghost Whey Protein review today looks mainly at the product formulation and its key ingredients. We’ll discuss the product’s features and benefits and investigate to determine if the product meets its marketing claims. Then, we’ll tell you where you can find the product, review the cost-value relationship, and as always, provide you with our rating in terms of effectiveness and value.
Enjoy!
About Ghost
The Ghost “Fam” is an eclectic group of fitness enthusiasts, DJs, EJs, and entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds. Many members, regardless of their birthplace, have migrated to Southern California to pursue the fitness lifestyle.
One of their most popular lifestyle ambassadors is Chris Guzman, a fitness model, YouTube vlogger, and amateur bodybuilder who helped formulate their best-selling product, their pre-workout Legend. An unusual development but a part of the Ghost culture. For now, we’ll table the Legend discussion and focus on their Proteins in this article, emphasizing their whey blend.
The company markets a variety of sports nutrition products, including:
- Proteins
- Amino Acids
- Thermogenic Diet Aids
- Pre-workouts
- Muscle Builders
- Apparel
- Gear; Shaker Cups and Hats
- Special Bundles, such as Pre-workouts, Protein, and Shaker Cups
Products are available for sale on the company website with dollars or loyalty points. Points are earned via purchase and by posting pictures on social media (Facebook or Twitter). There are three tiers to the Loyalty Program, Member, Silver, and Gold. Their tag line “Be a Legend. Join Ghost.”
What’s Unique About Ghost Whey Protein?
Unlike other proteins, such as Flow Supplements Protein Plus, which contain no whey, Ghost Whey Protein is a blend of three types of whey protein (whey concentrate, whey isolate, and hydrolyzed isolate) and digestive enzymes. Like many other protein products, like Orgain Protein, Ghost is soy-free and gluten-free, has no amino spiking, but contains both natural and artificial flavors and colorings.
One scoop(32g) of Ghost supplies 25 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fat, and 4 grams of carbs. Caloric values range from 120 to 140 calories, ddepending on the flavor. The product contains a proprietary blend of digestive enzymes, Ghost Enzymes, that includes Protease, Bromelain, and Lactase.
The company employs a unique strategy in the sports nutrition space, co-branding with prominent national brands such as Nabisco’s Chips Ahoy flavored protein. Flavorings are one of the company’s claims to fame. Other whey blend varieties include:
- Cinnamon Cereal Milk
- Cereal Milk
- Fruity Cereal Milk
- Peanut Butter Cereal Milk
- Milk Chocolate
- Coffee Ice Cream
- Blueberry Toaster Pastry
Ghost also earns high marks for its transparency. In addition to a Nutrition Facts Panel that details each ingredient’s specific amount, the brand also provides its Full Disclosure Protein statement. This statement lists the total number of grams and grams of protein delivered by each type of protein:
- Whey Protein Isolate 90%, 12.5 grams of protein
- Whey Protein Concentrate 80%, 10 grams of protein
- Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate, 2.5 grams of protein
This is beyond what we are accustomed to seeing, even on popular national brands.
Ghost Whey Key Ingredients
The whey blend consists of Isolate (further processed than concentrate and contains more protein and fewer carbs and fat) Concentrate, (contains additional beneficial ingredients, such as CLA), and Hydrolyzed (for the quickest absorption). Following the protein ingredients on the Nutrition Facts panel are natural and artificial flavors, Ghost Enzymes (a blend of Proteases, Bromelain, and Lactase), Cellulose Gum and Xanthan Gum, Sucralose, and FD&C Red #40.
The Cellulose and Xantham Gums are thickeners, and we previously mentioned the artificial flavors and sweeteners (Sucralose). Many people have digestive issues with the Lactose in milk protein, which the Gums may compound, so including a digestive enzyme blend seems an additional benefit.
Given the company’s approach and formulations, we were surprised that neither Stevia nor Monk Fruit was used as a sweetener in the products.
Ghost Whey Recommended Dosage
One scoop of Ghost Whey contains 32 grams, including 25 grams of protein, 1.5 grams of fat, and 4 grams of carbs. Caloric values range from 120 to 140 calories, determined by flavor. The company doesn’t list a recommended dosage on its product label or site.
The appropriate amount of daily protein intake in sports nutrition is an ongoing subject of debate. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or .36 grams per pound of body weight. Nutritionists state that even twice the RDA is still in the safe range, and bodybuilders may go as high as 1.5 – 2.0 grams per pound of body weight depending upon their specific goals.
For clarification, the RDA is for all proteins consumed, animal and plant proteins. Ghost Whey is meant to supplement your protein intake from your whole food diet.
Benefits of Ghost Whey
Whey protein is an excellent source of high-quality protein for building and maintaining muscle, improving strength, recovery from exercise, and weight loss. Additional potential benefits include reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and enhancing satiety.
The specific benefits of Ghost Whey are:
- Soy-free
- Gluten-free
- No amino acid spiking
- Digestive enzymes
- Transparency in packaging
- Incredible flavors in a wide assortment
- Tastes great when mixed with water
- Low calorie, low carbs, low fat
- Fast absorption for use as a post-workout shake
Ghost Whey Effectiveness
Ghost Whey earns very high marks for its approach to the market, its transparency, its unique co-branding strategy, and its commitment to great taste. With its nutritional makeup, the product is versatile and can be used as a low carb – low-fat meal substitute, for a pre, or post-workout shake, or in combination with other ingredients such as yogurt, fruit, etc., as a smoothie.
The product delivers a substantial amount of protein per serving and tastes great when mixed with water. Adding the Ghost Enzymes is an excellent concept for those who may have digestive issues when using a protein supplement.
Ghost Whey Protein Side Effects
Anyone who has ever reacted to whey protein will recognize the potential side effects:
- Bloating
- Gassiness
- Increased bowel movements
- Nausea
- Cramps
- Tiredness
- Reduced appetite
There are more possible severe side effects for those who are lactose intolerant or have milk allergies. We recommend you consult your medical professional before dramatically increasing your protein consumption with a protein supplement.
Ghost Whey Protein Pricing
On the Ghost website, the 2-pound tub, 26 servings, is $39.99. We find it refreshing that we were not inundated with special offers for purchasing multiple units when checking out. Yes, they have special stacks, but they are marketed as such upfront.
$39.99 per tub equals $20.00 per pound, $1.25 per ounce, $1.53 per serving, or $.0615 per gram of protein.
You can also get Ghost Whey on GNC’s website as well. A 26-serving tub is the same at $39.99, but GNC also offers an auto-delivery program where you can save 10% and get free shipping!
Best Places to Buy Ghost Whey
If you’re seeking instant Ghost Whey gratification, you can head to your local GNC store and pick up a tub at the same price as on GNC.com or the Ghost website, $39.99. The product is also available on Amazon.com but at a significant premium. We did not find any other stores listed on the site’s store locator.
In Summary
There’s a great deal to like about the Ghost “lifestyle sports nutrition” marketing and approach to the business. We love the quality ingredients, the transparency, the packaging, its co-branding strategy, and its dedication to superior taste. Drawbacks are only two:
- We would rather see all-natural flavors and sweeteners, and the elimination of the Sucralose
- The product is very pricy; most national brand protein powders range between $.04 and $.05 per gram of protein versus over $.06 for the Ghost brand.
In our final analysis, we recommend you give the brand’s protein powder a test run; after all, who can resist Chips Ahoy?
Other Ghost Reviews: