One Word Flipped the Protein Aisle: "Clean." Optimum Nutrition Owns the Default Protein Answer. Transparent Labs and Legion Win the Qualifier

MIAMI, July 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 5W, the AI Communications Firm, today released The Sports Nutrition & Protein AI Visibility Index 2026 — ranking the 25 brands by estimated AI citation share across more than 60 consumer prompts on ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews.

Optimum Nutrition leads with an estimated 14% AI citation share on the broad query "best protein powder." Add a qualifier — cleanest, most transparent, no artificial ingredients — and the answer flips to Transparent Labs (~9.5%) and Legion (~6%), direct-to-consumer challengers a fraction of the incumbents' size.

Why it matters: The global protein-supplements market is estimated at ~$30 billion, with North America taking an estimated ~48% of global share. Disclosure has become a retrieval asset — brands publishing full formulas, third-party tests, and dosing rationale win the qualifier queries the broad-incumbents do not.

Three findings:

Ready-to-drink is its own surface. "Best protein shake" routes to Premier Protein and Fairlife Core Power — not to any powder, regardless of revenue.

Creatine is the fastest-rising lane. Projected category growth is an estimated ~13% annually through 2035.

Pre-workout fragments. C4, Ghost, and Ryse each own different qualifier queries inside the pre-workout sub-category.

"Optimum Nutrition owns the protein aisle and the default answer. Add one word — clean, transparent, no artificial — and the engine hands the question to a brand a fraction of its size. They won the citation by disclosing everything. Transparency is not a marketing line. It is a retrieval asset." — Ronn Torossian, Founder & Chairman, 5W

Full ranking: https://www.5wpr.com/ai-visibility-index/sports-nutrition-protein-ai-visibility-index-2026/

Methodology: The 5W AI Visibility Index measures estimated brand citation share across structured prompts on the five major AI engines. Findings are directional estimates — not a live query audit, consumer survey, or nutritional guidance.

About 5W

5W is the AI Communications Firm, building brand authority inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — alongside earned media, digital, and influencer channels. Founded 2003. Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's. Agency of the Year, American Business Awards®. 2026 Top Place to Work in Communications, Ragan. Digiday WorkLife Employer of the Year. 5wpr.com.

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SOURCE 5W Public Relations