Now Sports vs Six Star
A 56-year-old natural-channel veteran goes up against MuscleTech's Walmart-aisle value brand. Now Sports brings independent Informed-Sport testing and minimal-ingredient labels. Six Star brings 30 g protein with added creatine at a budget price. Same goal, very different paths.
Overview: Now Sports
NOW Foods has been a US natural products manufacturer since 1968, making Now one of the oldest continuously operating supplement brands in the country. The Now Sports line was launched as a dedicated sports nutrition spinoff targeting clean labels, fair pricing and third-party certifications. Now Sports Whey Protein Isolate is the flagship: a pure whey isolate sweetened with stevia or fructose (depending on the flavor) with minimal added ingredients and Informed-Sport certification.
We currently track three Now Sports SKUs spanning Whey Protein Isolate (1.2 lb and 1.8 lb sizes), Whey Protein Concentrate and a Plant Protein Complex. The flagship 1.8 lb Whey Isolate tub lands at $36.99 on iHerb, often discounted to $29.99 during quarterly promotions. Flavors are limited to Dutch Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla and Unflavored. Available at iHerb, Vitacost, Amazon, Sprouts, Whole Foods and most natural-channel stores.
Overview: Six Star Pro Nutrition
Six Star launched in 2005 as MuscleTech's mass-retail value brand. Six Star 100% Whey Protein Plus is the flagship: a blend of whey isolate, whey concentrate and whey peptides delivering 30 g of protein per scoop with added creatine monohydrate (2 g), BCAAs (5 g) and L-leucine (6 g). The brand is positioned as a one-scoop post-workout solution rather than a clean protein-only product. Backed by MuscleTech's two-decade R&D pipeline.
We track eight Six Star SKUs across 100% Whey Protein Plus (2 lb and 4 lb tubs), Six Star Pre-Workout, Six Star Casein and Six Star RTD shakes. The 2 lb Whey tub lands at $19.97 at Walmart. The 4 lb tub at $34.97 is the better per-gram value. Available at Walmart, Target, Amazon and GNC.
Head-to-head comparison
| Metric | Now Sports Whey Isolate (1.8 lb) | Six Star 100% Whey Plus (2 lb) |
|---|---|---|
| Tub size | 816 g / 1.8 lb | 907 g / 2 lb |
| Servings per tub | 28 | 22 |
| Protein per serving | 25 g | 30 g |
| Carbs per serving | 1 to 2 g | 5 to 7 g |
| Fat per serving | 0.5 g | 2 g |
| Total protein per tub | 700 g | 660 g |
| Lowest tracked price | $29.99 (iHerb promo) | $19.97 (Walmart) |
| Cost per gram of protein | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Informed-Sport certified | Yes (every batch tested) | No |
| Added BCAA / creatine | No (protein only) | Yes (creatine + BCAA + leucine) |
| Protein form | 100% whey isolate | Whey isolate + concentrate + peptides |
| Sweeteners | Stevia / fructose | Sucralose + acesulfame K |
| Retailer reach | iHerb, Vitacost, Amazon, Sprouts, Whole Foods | Walmart, Target, Amazon, GNC |
Value Score breakdown
Six Star takes the per-gram math comfortably at standard pricing. Over a year of daily use, Six Star will cost about $325 and Now Sports will cost about $470. The $145 gap is real, especially at the budget-conscious tier where both brands compete. If price is your only metric, Six Star is the obvious pick.
However, Now Sports buys you two things Six Star does not offer: Informed-Sport certification (per-batch banned-substance screening) and a cleaner ingredient panel free of added creatine, BCAA stacking and artificial sweeteners. For drug-tested athletes (NCAA, professional, military), the Informed-Sport status is non-negotiable. For shoppers who want stevia or fructose over sucralose, Now Sports is the only option of the two.
For more budget whey context, see Now Sports vs Nutricost.
Flavor and mixability
Six Star benefits from MuscleTech's flavor budget and consistently scores well in budget-tier taste tests. Triple Chocolate is one of the better budget chocolates we have sampled. Vanilla Cream is more polarizing (some find it overly sweet). Mixability is good with a standard shaker; the added creatine can produce mild texture but most users do not notice.
Now Sports flavors are restrained, almost intentionally so. Dutch Chocolate is a clean cocoa flavor without the high-intensity sweetness of mass-retail whey. Creamy Vanilla is a real vanilla bean profile that some users love and others find under-sweet. The stevia sweetening produces less aftertaste than typical stevia products, partly because Now uses fructose in some SKUs to round out the sweetness profile. Mixability is excellent with a clean dissolve in cold water.
Verdict by goal
Which one should you buy?
If you are a budget-conscious lifter who wants the most protein and added performance ingredients per dollar at Walmart, buy Six Star 100% Whey Protein Plus. The 2 lb tub at $19.97 or the 4 lb tub at $34.97 deliver 30 g protein per scoop with creatine and BCAA already in the mix. Triple Chocolate is the default flavor pick.
If you are a drug-tested athlete, prefer stevia or fructose sweeteners over artificial alternatives, or shop primarily at natural-channel grocery, buy Now Sports Whey Protein Isolate. The 1.8 lb tub at $29.99 on iHerb promo is fair value for an Informed-Sport certified product. Dutch Chocolate is the standout flavor.
If you cannot decide: buy Six Star Triple Chocolate ($19.97) for everyday use and a smaller 1.2 lb tub of Now Sports Whey Isolate ($24.99) for competition phases when you need certified-clean protein. Total cost: about $45 for a hybrid budget-and-tested protocol.
Common questions about Now Sports vs Six Star
What does Informed-Sport certification mean?
Informed-Sport is a third-party certification that tests every batch of a supplement product for over 250 banned substances on the WADA list, plus screens for label-claim accuracy. It is required by many professional sports organizations and recommended for NCAA athletes who undergo drug testing. Now Sports carries this certification on every batch of its Sports line. Six Star does not.
Is Six Star's added creatine effective at 2 g per scoop?
For loading and maintenance protocols, 2 g per scoop is below the typical 3 to 5 g daily creatine dose recommended in the research. If you take two scoops per day, you reach 4 g, which is in the effective range. As a single-scoop dose, the 2 g creatine in Six Star is below the threshold most lifters target. The added BCAA (5 g) is more meaningful and supports muscle protein synthesis.
Why is Now Sports more expensive than other isolates?
Three reasons: Informed-Sport per-batch testing costs about $0.50 to $1.00 per pound of finished product. Now Foods sources higher-grade whey isolate than mass-retail brands. The natural-channel retail margin (iHerb, Sprouts, Whole Foods) is higher than Walmart-aisle margin. The premium buys you third-party certification and a cleaner ingredient panel; you have to decide whether that is worth it for your use case.
Can I trust Six Star's labels?
Yes. Six Star operates under FDA-regulated supplement manufacturing rules and has multi-year track records of independent lab tests confirming label accuracy. MuscleTech's corporate QC infrastructure backs Six Star's production. The brand has not had notable label-accuracy issues. The "Informed-Sport not certified" status only matters if you are subject to specific drug-testing protocols; for general lifters it is not a quality concern.
Which one would you recommend for a college athlete?
Depends on testing status. If you are subject to NCAA drug testing, Now Sports is the safer choice because Informed-Sport certification protects against contamination risk. If you are a recreational college lifter not subject to testing, Six Star delivers more protein and added performance ingredients per dollar. The right answer depends on your specific situation.
What about Now Sports Whey Concentrate vs Isolate?
Now Sports Whey Concentrate is the more budget-friendly option at about $24.99 for 1.5 lb, with 24 g protein per scoop and slightly higher fat and lactose content. It is not Informed-Sport certified (only the Isolate line carries that certification). For pure budget shopping, Now Sports Whey Concentrate is competitive with Six Star, though Six Star still wins on raw cost-per-gram.