NutraBio Clear Whey Isolate — 20g Protein, 80 Calories, Mixes Like Fruit Juice

NutraBio Clear Whey Isolate

20 grams of protein at 80 calories, under 1g of carbohydrate and zero sugar, in a powder that mixes clear and drinks like a fruit juice rather than a milkshake.

NutraBio's label discloses something almost no other brand does, and it is worth understanding what it tells you.

The number nobody else publishes

Most protein labels state the protein content and stop there. NutraBio states both figures:

23.64 grams of whey protein isolate (WPI90), yielding 20 grams of complete protein.

That is the raw material in and the protein out. WPI90 means the isolate is at least 90% protein by weight — so 23.64g of a 90% material yields roughly 21g, and the label conservatively claims 20.

Why does that matter? Because it makes amino spiking impossible to hide. Amino spiking is the practice of adding cheap free-form amino acids like glycine or taurine to inflate nitrogen-based protein tests without supplying usable complete protein. It is explained in full on our R1 Whey Blend page.

When a brand tells you the input weight, the material grade and the yield, the arithmetic has to work. NutraBio also publishes batch lab results by lot number at CheckMySupps, so you can verify the specific tub you bought.

How clear whey is made

A normal whey shake is opaque and creamy because whey carries residual fat, lactose and compounds that scatter light. Clear whey removes them.

NutraBio uses cold-processed cross-flow ultra and microfiltration — a low-temperature, purely physical filtration process. Membranes with progressively finer pores separate the protein from fat, lactose and other components without heat or acid.

The low temperature is the important part. Heat denatures protein, unfolding it from its natural structure. Cross-flow filtration keeps the protein intact and produces a material pure enough to dissolve transparently.

The by-product is that virtually all lactose is removed, which makes this workable for most people who react to dairy protein.

Why the calories are what they are

Protein contains roughly 4 calories per gram, so 20g of protein is 80 calories. Every calorie in this scoop comes from protein.

That is not a marketing claim, it is the arithmetic of a formula with no fat, no sugar and under a gram of carbohydrate. There is nothing else in there to contribute.

Specs

Protein	20g per scoop
Whey protein isolate	23.64g (WPI90)
Calories	80
Carbohydrate	<1g
Sugar	0g
Fat	0g
Processing	Cold cross-flow ultra and microfiltration
Amino spiking	None
Concentrate, maltodextrin, dextrose, creamers	None
Servings	20
Flavours	Fruit-based — Mango, Pineapple, Watermelon
Allergen	Contains milk

Powder or ready-to-drink?

We carry clear protein in both formats and they suit different situations.

NutraBio Clear (powder)	20g / 80 cal	Cheapest per gram. Needs a shaker
Vertical Protein	20g / 80 cal	Ready to drink, no mixing
Phormula-1 Clear	22g / 90 cal	Powder, needs more water

Identical macros between the NutraBio powder and the Vertical bottle. The powder is dramatically cheaper per serving; the bottle requires nothing but opening it. Most people are best served keeping powder at home and a few bottles for the car.

How to mix it

• One scoop into 12 ounces of cold water, shaken 25 to 30 seconds. More water for a lighter drink.
• Cold water genuinely matters. Clear proteins taste noticeably better cold and dissolve more cleanly.
• Let it settle briefly. Clear whey foams less than most amino products but a moment helps.
• Do not use milk. The whole point is that it is not a milkshake, and fruit flavours in milk are unpleasant.
• Ice is an improvement. This is a drink, not a shake.

Who this is for

• Anyone who struggles to finish creamy protein shakes — this is the fix rather than a compromise
• People cutting who want the maximum protein-to-calorie ratio available
• Anyone lactose sensitive, since cross-flow filtration removes virtually all of it
• Training in hot weather, where a fruit drink beats a milkshake outright
• People who want the input weight and yield disclosed rather than a single number
• Anyone who wants to verify their specific batch by lot number

Who this is not for

If you want a filling protein, this is the wrong tool. It is light by design and will not manage appetite the way casein does — the gel casein forms in the stomach is the entire mechanism.

If you want to bake or cook with protein, clear whey does not work for that. A blend is the right choice.

If you want chocolate or vanilla, clear proteins are fruit-flavoured for a reason — creamy flavours need the body an opaque shake provides.

At 20g per scoop it sits below the 25g of NutraBio's standard isolate, which is also cheaper per gram of protein. Buy clear because you want the format, not because it is a better protein.

Stack it with: creatine, which is unflavoured and disappears into it without affecting the taste.

Frequently asked questions

What is clear whey protein?
Whey isolate filtered thoroughly enough to dissolve transparently in water. Removing the fat, lactose and light-scattering compounds leaves a drink closer to fruit juice than a milkshake.

Why does the label list 23.64g of isolate but 20g of protein?
Because the isolate is WPI90 — at least 90% protein by weight. Disclosing both the input weight and the yield makes the arithmetic checkable and amino spiking impossible to hide. Almost no other brand publishes this.

How is it only 80 calories?
Protein is roughly 4 calories per gram, so 20g is 80 calories. With no fat, no sugar and under a gram of carbohydrate, there is nothing else contributing.

Is it suitable for lactose intolerance?
Cross-flow ultra and microfiltration removes virtually all lactose, so it suits most people who react to dairy protein.

Why are clear proteins always fruit flavoured?
Chocolate and vanilla rely on the creamy body of an opaque shake and taste wrong in a transparent drink.

Can I mix it with milk?
No. It defeats the purpose and fruit flavours in milk are unpleasant. Cold water, ideally with ice.

Will it fill me up?
No, and that is the trade for being light. Casein is far better suited if appetite management is the goal.

Is it better than regular whey isolate?
Not better, different. NutraBio's standard isolate gives you 25g per scoop and costs less per gram. Choose clear for the format and the experience.