The subcategory · Brands
Top brands in Sports Nutrition
Ranked by AI, checked by people.
Evidence behind the ranking?
Current race?
Jun 1 – Aug 3- Transparent Labs#1 · 8-wk streak
- Optimum Nutrition#2 · held
- Kaged#3 · ▲ 2
- MuscleTech#4 · ▼ 1
Power ranking
Who leads this subcategory.
Vetting this category yourself, or here
100 brands, each a ~3-hour comparison if you did it by hand.
The reviewer check
The machines rank these brands. We checked their products against the people who filmed them.
Every score is distilled from independent YouTube reviews of the products the AIs name here — then set beside the AI rank.
This week?
Transparent Labs holds the top spot for a seventh straight week in sports nutrition, while the middle ranks absorbed the real movement. Jacked Factory surged thirteen places to land at number eleven, and PEScience climbed eight spots to seventeen. MyProtein fell hard—down nine ranks to fifteen—and Vega dropped the same distance to twenty-five, opening space for Scivation and Rule 1 to enter the ranking at twenty-three and twenty-four.
The questions?
These rankings answer 6 buyer questions. Open any one for the head-to-head.
The subcategory score is an aggregate. Each question has its own AI ranking, reviewer check and weekly movement — that's where the picks actually come from.
Act one
Where the machines rank them.
The AI models rank every brand here — who just arrived, the full board, who serves each buyer type, the lineup each brand fields, who owns each trait, and who plays at which price.
Newcomers
Just arrived.
new · Jun 2026
#15 · in best creatine supplements
new · Jun 2026
#30 · in best vegan protein powders
new · Jun 2026
#40 · in best pre-workout supplements
new · Jul 2026
#58 · in best mass gainers
new · Jun 2026
#59 · in best pre-workout supplements
new · Jun 2026
#62 · in best vegan protein powders
new · Jul 2026
#72 · in best mass gainers
new · Jun 2026
#77
new · Jun 2026
#83 · in best protein powders
Full ranking
Every brand ranked.
as of August 3 · vs July 29 · 6 intents?
Buyer types · who serves whom — and why?
The market, through the buyer's eyes.
Value | Quality Perfectionist | Premium Connoisseur | Reliability | Simplifier | Enthusiast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ||
| ★ |
Cell = the best archetype fit across the brand's lineup here; ★ = the highest in the column. Rolled up from each product's archetype fit — no new data.
The ★ citations — each type’s leading brand, and why
6 buyer types have a clear leader here — Optimum Nutrition takes 5, Ritual 1.
You want the smartest money in the room.
Mid-range street price (~$55–60) with exceptional 4.7/5 rating and trusted brand reputation delivers strong price-to-value; no cheaper rival matches this quality-to-cost balance.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
At $40–60, it undercuts premium rivals by $20–50 while delivering proven calorie and protein density; cheap fillers and weak packaging are acceptable trade-offs for the price.
Mid-range price with high calorie density and strong 4.7/5 rating; delivers the core job (weight gain) without premium markup, though cheaper rivals like Super Mass Gainer exist.
You want the objectively best in class.
4.7/5 from 127k+ reviews with near-universal praise for mixing, taste, and clean ingredient list; minimal dissent on quality or authenticity.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
High buyer trust (4.5/5, 308 reviews), strong across quality, performance, and tolerance aspects; HCl form is a recognized premium variant with fewer weak points.
High rating (4.6/5), full clinical dose, no artificial additives, and complete transparency on dosages are strengths; but non-micronized formula and unproven HMB are clear compromises.
You want the badge, not just the basics.
Optimum Nutrition is a tier-3 brand with strong reputation, and Gold Standard is its flagship whey; positioning is premium-accessible rather than ultra-luxury.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Ritual is a recognized premium wellness brand with strong marketing-honesty score (90/100), though the product itself reads more health-focused than luxury-positioned.
Transparent Labs is a recognized brand with strong reputation for quality and transparency; however, the product is positioned as a functional add-on rather than a prestige flagship.
You want proven, with broad consensus.
127k+ ratings with 4.7/5 consensus, mature product, established brand, and reviewers explicitly praise consistent batch quality across time.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Established BSN brand with 2000 reviews and 4.7/5 consensus; reviewers agree on what it does well (calories, taste, mixability) and what it doesn't (scoop design, texture).
Kaged is an established brand, 308 reviews show mature consensus, high marks on digestive tolerance and performance reduce buyer regret risk.
You want it to just work, no fuss.
Reviewers consistently praise smooth mixing with little to no clumping and good taste with water or milk; no setup or configuration needed.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
Reviewers praise taste and mixability; comes with a scoop; no complex dosing or setup needed—though settling at the bottom is a minor friction point.
High mixability rating and strong digestive tolerance mean fewer complications; HCl form is known for easier absorption without bloating hassle.
You want it to genuinely delight you.
Vanilla flavor praised as rich and complex rather than artificial, smooth texture, and complete amino acid profile appeal to someone who savors the details.
+2 runners-up · why they trail
The HMB pairing and transparency appeal to engaged lifters; however, reviewers don't describe passionate delight—it's a competent, clean product rather than a sensory or design standout.
Good taste across flavors is praised, but the product is fundamentally utilitarian; it performs well but lacks the passionate design or aesthetic following of a true enthusiast pick.
★ marks each type's leading brand — its best-fitting product in Sports Nutrition earns the reason; runners-up ranked by the same fit. A type no brand honestly serves is left off.
Brand portfolios
What each brand fields here.
Brand price ladder · Sports Nutrition
Who plays at which price.
as of August 1 · 43 brand medians · Google Shopping?
Act two · ★ new
What people & press say.
Where the AI ranking and the reviewers part ways, how the street rates these brands — and which of them are making news right now.
AI vs the reviewers
Where the machines and the room part ways.
Most of this subcategory is calm agreement. These are the picks where the AI ranking and the people who filmed the product disagree the hardest.
The AI
#2The room
3.0/5▼ AI panel ranks it higher than the room
The AI
#10The room
4.6/5▲ AI panel ranks it lower than the room
Transparent Labs vs Naked Whey: Which Protein Is Cleaner?
FeastGood
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB Review: Great Quality, but at too High of a Cost?
Garage Gym Reviews Everything
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard vs Dymatize ISO 100: Is Hydrolyzed Better? (Update)
BarBend
Transparent Labs vs Optimum Nutrition: Who Wins?
FeastGood
Is it REALLY That GOOD? | Kris Gethin PRE KAGED Review
Fitness Deal News
Kaged Muscle Kasein Review: Chocolate vs. Vanilla!
PricePlow
Street standing?
The brands, as the street rates them.
3 of 10 ranked brands carry street coverage — 20 clips · 4.2M views · since Dec ’21.
Maltodextrin causes severe stomach distressby 2 models
No street read yet: Transparent Labs · Kaged · MuscleTech · Nutricost · Ghost and 3 more brands — coverage grows with the collection drip.
Where they part ways
The panel seats Dymatize #5 — the street hands it the field’s best net (+100), “High calorie and protein content per serving” leading the tape.
as of July 13 · 20 clips · 4.2M views · since Dec ’21 · short-form, sponsored excluded?
In the press
Which brands are making news.
6 of the brands ranked in Sports Nutrition drew coverage in the last 30 days — the mood skews positive.?
Optimum NutritionPositive
Optimum Nutrition's recent coverage is dominated by product launches and format expansions, though tempered by a critical report on lead contamination in protein powders.
via Consumer Reports, PR Newswire, NutraIngredients.com · 8 stories
MyProteinPositive
MyProtein is expanding its product portfolio with new launches including Clear Whey Protein Water and Mars-branded whey protein, while returning to growth despite rising ingredient costs.
via Drug Store News, Steady, Nutrition Insight · 8 stories
CellucorPositive
Cellucor's recent coverage is predominantly positive, highlighting new product launches including creatine and energy drink innovations, though tempered by a DMAA lawsuit involving the brand…
via PR Newswire, Stack3d, Garage Gym Reviews · 8 stories
NutraBioPositive
NutraBio is launching multiple new products including protein shots and flavor variants while running promotional sales, generating consistently positive coverage of its expanding supplement lineup.
via PR Newswire, Stack3d, Sporked · 8 stories
OrgainCritical
Orgain faces significant negative coverage dominated by multiple class action lawsuits alleging its protein powder contains dangerous levels of heavy metals including lead and arsenic.
via Top Class Actions, Fox Business, Yahoo · 8 stories
PESciencePositive
PEScience receives mostly positive coverage for new product launches and expert recommendations, but faces criticism over protein labeling compliance issues in a class action lawsuit.
via Stack3d, Generation Iron, Top Class Actions · 8 stories
as of July 26 · 6 brands?
Marketing honesty
Which brands keep their word.
5 brands in Sports Nutrition carry a marketing-honesty score — how their official claims hold up against owner & expert reviews. Field median 79.?
as of August 1 · 5 brands?
Act three
How the models think.
Where each brand actually competes across the buyer questions, and the running ledger of what just moved here.
Intent dominance
Where each brand actually competes.
as of August 3 · 6 intents?
Ledger?
What just moved here.
- ▼ fall#27 → #43
- ▲ climb#30 → #15
- ▼ fall#22 → #35
- → entersenters at #20
- ▼ fall#17 → #24
- → entersenters at #25
- ▼ fall#29 → #34
- ▲ climb#10 → #6
- ▼ fall#8 → #12
- → entersenters at #26
- ▼ fall#23 → #27
- ▼ fall#24 → #28
- ▲ climb#14 → #11
- ▲ climb#20 → #17
- ▼ fall#15 → #18
- ▼ fall#16 → #19
- ▼ fall#19 → #22
- ▼ fall#26 → #29
- ▼ fall#28 → #31
- ▲ climb#5 → #3
about sports nutrition
Pick by what you need
- buying intents · in products →
- Best Protein Powders
- Best Creatine Supplements
- Best Pre-Workout Supplements
- Best BCAAs
- Best Mass Gainers
- Best Vegan Protein Powders
interesting facts from sports nutrition
Sports nutrition exists to solve timing and composition problems that ordinary food handles poorly under exertion: fast-absorbing protein after a session, carbohydrate delivered at a rate the gut can actually use during long efforts, and concentrated calories for those who need to gain mass without matching plate volume. Buyers arrive with a specific job in mind — recovering muscle, sustaining a ninety-minute effort, hitting a daily protein target, or adding size — and the field splits into categories built around those jobs: protein powders, creatine, pre-workout, BCAAs, mass gainers, vegan protein.
Makers differ most visibly on the trade-off between purity and practicality. Some build around minimal ingredient lists and transparency, favoring protein isolates for lean macros and pursuing third-party testing so athletes can trust the label under certification rules.
The brand view stops here. For the individual products in this subcategory, switch to the product view.