Evergreen monthly benchmark — Apr 15
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 · Apr 15 selected · 14 snapshots
Key takeaway
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard is the most universally recommended protein powder across all AI models — it appears in every single response. But it rarely ranks #1 in comparative prompts, where Transparent Labs and Dymatize take the top spots. ON wins on reliability and value; premium brands win on quality rankings.
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 | Raw Nutrition | Dymatize |
| Claude | Transparent Labs | Momentous | Dymatize |
| Gemini | Transparent Labs | Dymatize | Optimum Nutrition |
| Perplexity | Dymatize | Optimum Nutrition | Transparent Labs |
What This Means
- ChatGPT is the most brand-diverse, surfacing niche picks like Just Ingredients, RAW Nutrition, and Body Fortress that no other model mentions.
- Claude is the most opinionated, explicitly telling users to skip mass gainers and "amino blend" marketing.
- Gemini provides the most structured comparison tables with macro breakdowns.
- Perplexity is the most data-driven, citing specific review sources and price signals.
Findings and Limitations
- Momentous only appears in Claude.
- Thorne only appears in Gemini.
- RAW Nutrition only appears in ChatGPT.
- Just Ingredients only appears in ChatGPT.
- Kaged only appears in Perplexity.
- Syntha-6 only appears in Claude.
- Six Star only appears in Perplexity.
- Major brands like Muscle Milk, Garden of Life, and Vega are completely absent from all models.
Recurring themes in the answers
- All four models agree that whey isolate is superior to concentrate for lean muscle goals.
- Every model emphasizes that consistency matters more than brand choice.
- Budget prompts surface different brands than open-ended ones — Nutricost, Body Fortress, and Six Star only appear under price constraints.
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 28-year-old guy who hits the gym 4-5 times a week, focused on building lean muscle. I'm looking for the best protein powder. What would you recommend?
Top picks: 1. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey - best overall. 2. Myprotein Impact Whey Isolate - best for lean muscle. 3. Dymatize ISO100 - best fast recovery. 4. GHOST Whey - best taste. 5. Just Ingredients Grass-Fed Whey - cleanest ingredients.
Claude · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 28-year-old guy who hits the gym 4-5 times a week, focused on building lean muscle. I'm looking for the best protein powder. What would you recommend?
Top picks: 1. Myprotein Impact Whey Isolate - best value per gram. 2. Transparent Labs Whey Isolate - third-party tested, no artificial junk. 3. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard - reliable, widely available.
Gemini · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 28-year-old guy who hits the gym 4-5 times a week, focused on building lean muscle. I'm looking for the best protein powder. What would you recommend?
Top picks: 1. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard best overall. 2. Transparent Labs Whey Isolate cleanest choice. 3. Dymatize ISO100 best rapid absorption.
Perplexity · Prompt 1Usable answer
I'm a 28-year-old guy who hits the gym 4-5 times a week, focused on building lean muscle. I'm looking for the best protein powder. What would you recommend?
Top picks: Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Isolate best overall. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard best value. Dymatize ISO100 best for digestion/post-workout.
ChatGPT · Prompt 2Usable answer
I'm a 28-year-old guy who hits the gym 4-5 times a week, focused on building lean muscle. I'm looking for protein powder under $50 for everyday use. What are my best options?
Under $50: 1. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey $28.23 best overall. 2. Dymatize ISO100 $33.43 best lean muscle. 3. Myprotein Impact Whey $74.99 best value long-term. 4. BulkSupplements Whey Isolate $42.97 cleanest. 5. Body Fortress Whey $29.98 budget bulk.
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