Evergreen monthly benchmark — Sep 22
Protein Powder
Research by Robert Hu · Published by RecoScope ·
- Usable answers
- 12/12
- Models
- 4
- Prompt types
- 3
Included: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
Report history · Sep 22 selected · 14 snapshots
Key takeaway
This is the first run in this category that can be compared with the one before it on all four engines. Optimum Nutrition went from nine mentions to eleven and now leads three engines rather than two. Dymatize is the largest mover, from three mentions to seven, gaining on three separate engines. Claude replaced Transparent Labs with Optimum Nutrition at the top of its own list. The gap between the two runs is twenty days rather than the usual fourteen.
Mention Frequency Trend
Brands ordered by mention count in each run. Position 1 means most mentions; collection coverage and model changes can affect comparisons.
Scroll sideways to see all dates and labels.
Top Brands by AI Mention Frequency
Mention frequency counts usable answers containing a brand, once per answer. Unranked and critical mentions count as visibility. Recommendation ranks are shown separately below.
Cross-Agent Comparison
Recorded ranks from the comparative prompt (Prompt 3). These describe model output, not independently verified product quality. Historical parsing conventions may differ.
4/4 models with recorded ranks
| Agent | #1 | #2 | #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Optimum Nutrition | Transparent Labs | Dymatize |
| Claude | Optimum Nutrition | Transparent Labs | Dymatize |
| Gemini | Transparent Labs | Legion | Dymatize |
| Perplexity | Momentous | Transparent Labs | Gnarly |
What This Means
- Optimum Nutrition now leads three of the four engines and Transparent Labs holds only Gemini.
- Gemini ranges widest with eleven distinct brands and Claude narrowest with six.
- Perplexity is alone in ranking Momentous first and alone in naming Gnarly and Garden of Life.
- Gemini alone reaches Legion, Truvani, Levels, NOW Sports and Ascent.
- Perplexity again answered the open prompt with product categories and certifications instead of brands.
Findings and Limitations
- Nine of the eighteen brands were named by exactly one engine.
- Momentous fell from five mentions to two and still holds a first place slot on Perplexity.
- That combination separates volume from standing more sharply than any other brand in the set.
- Dymatize is the opposite case, gaining four mentions without taking a single first place anywhere.
- Both runs named eighteen distinct brands, so the set is the same size and the movement sits inside it.
Recurring themes in the answers
- Third party certification is the first filter every engine applies, and NSF Certified for Sport is named most.
- All four say total daily protein matters more than drinking a shake soon after training.
- Twenty to thirty grams per serving is the range every engine treats as sufficient.
Inspect the captured answers
Saved response text is model output. Product and health claims are unverified. Tables and cards may be transcribed as text; source labels can remain. Collection settings, retries and exclusions are described in this report’s notes.
ChatGPT · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 31-year-old woman in the USA who strength trains 4 times a week and works a full-time desk job, looking for the best protein powder. What would you recommend?
For your situation - 31, strength training 4x/week, otherwise fairly sedentary - I'd prioritize a protein powder that gives you ~20 - 30 g of complete protein per serving, tastes good enough that you'll actually use it, and has meaningful quality testing. My recommendation Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey My default pick: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey. Why: 24 g protein/scoop, with whey isolate as the primary protein source. OptimumNutrition +1 Relatively low calories - about 120 calories in the standard formulation. OptimumNutrition Complete, rapidly digested dairy protein, which is a convenient way to help meet protein needs around resistance training. The brand reports extensive quality-control testing, and certain Gold Standard flavors are NSF Certified for Sport; NSF's current database lists Gold Standard Double Rich Chocolate and Vanilla Ice Cream. NSF Sport +1 It has a lot of flavor options, which matters more than people think when you're drinking it several times a week. If you have different priorities If you want a very simple ingredient list: Naked Whey is worth considering. Its vanilla version has 25 g protein and a short ingredient list based on whey concentrate, with NSF content certification. Naked Nutrition +1 If lactose bothers you: I'd look specifically for a whey isolate rather than concentrate, or consider a plant-based blend. Isolate generally contains less lactose. How much protein should you aim for? For someone lifting four days a week, I'd generally target roughly 1.6 g/kg/day as a useful starting point for maximizing the benefits of resistance training. For example: | Body weight | Approx. daily protein | | 120 lb | ~87 g | | 140 lb | ~102 g | | 160 lb | ~116 g | | 180 lb | ~131 g | | 200 lb | ~145 g | You don't need to get all of that from powder. One scoop/day is plenty if it helps you close the gap between your food intake and your target. Research in resistance-trained people also supports the use of whey as a convenient high-quality protein source. SpringerLink +1 And you don't need to obsess over taking it immediately after your workout - the total protein you consume across the day is more important. One thing I'd change depending on your goal: if you tell me your weight, whether you're trying to build muscle / maintain / lose fat, and whether you prefer dairy or plant protein, I can give you a much more specific protein target and narrow this down to 2 - 3 powders that fit you.
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