MyProtein is a British sports nutrition and active lifestyle brand best known for its protein powders, dietary supplements, high-protein foods, and performance clothing. Founded in 2004 in the United Kingdom by entrepreneur Oliver Cookson, the company began as an online sports nutrition retailer and has since expanded into a global brand operating in more than 70 countries 12. It currently serves as the flagship brand of THG Nutrition, a division of the British consumer brands group THG plc 2.

MyProtein describes itself as a leading sports nutrition company offering a comprehensive range of products including protein powders, vitamins, minerals, high-protein food alternatives, and performance apparel 1.

Founding and early years

MyProtein was established in 2004 by Oliver Cookson 3. The original business concept focused on providing sports nutrition products via the internet to make them accessible to a wider customer base beyond traditional specialty stores. According to company records, the business started as a modest operation before developing into an international entity 2. Cookson’s background in weight training and web development influenced the company’s early identity, which was built around online retail and direct distribution rather than a physical store chain 3.

Acquisition by The Hut Group

In 2011, The Hut Group (THG) acquired MyProtein 4. This acquisition provided the brand with access to THG’s proprietary e-commerce technology, expanded customer base, and international infrastructure. At the time of the purchase, MyProtein was already recognized as a leading online sports nutrition retailer in the UK 4. This relationship became a central factor in the brand’s subsequent development and global scaling.

International expansion

Following the 2011 acquisition, MyProtein expanded aggressively outside the United Kingdom. THG utilized its e-commerce infrastructure to establish localized websites and distribution capabilities across Europe, North America, and Asia, evolving the brand from a UK-focused supplement company into a global sports nutrition business. By 2016, MyProtein stated it had become the world’s leading online sports nutrition brand 2.

Diversification beyond bodybuilding

From 2018 onwards, the brand shifted its strategic focus beyond the traditional “hardcore gym” demographic. THG developed a broader family of brands and product categories around MyProtein to appeal to a wider healthy and active lifestyle audience. This portfolio includes MyProtein for sports nutrition, Myvitamins for vitamins and minerals, Myvegan for plant-based nutrition, MP / MP Activewear for sportswear, and MyPRO for premium performance products 2.

MyProtein offers a product range that extends significantly beyond protein supplementation.

Protein

Protein products remain the core of the brand’s offering. Major categories include whey protein, whey protein isolate, clear whey, casein, plant-based protein, protein blends, ready-to-drink shakes, protein bars, and protein snacks. One of the brand’s most recognizable products is Impact Whey Protein 1. Regional sites, such as MyProtein Singapore, list key items including Impact Whey Protein, Clear Whey Protein, and Impact Whey Isolate 1.

Sports supplements

The brand sells a wide selection of supplements designed for various aspects of training and nutrition. These include creatine, amino acids, pre-workout formulas, electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, omega products, recovery aids, and functional nutrition supplements. This ecosystem allows customers to source much of their sports nutrition routine from a single brand.

High-protein foods and snacks

MyProtein has increasingly expanded into everyday food categories, reflecting a strategy of moving from pure sports supplementation toward daily active nutrition. Examples include protein bars, cookies, snacks, drinks, high-protein breakfast products, meal replacements, and low-sugar or lower-calorie alternatives.

Vegan and plant-based nutrition

The brand maintains a significant plant-based range. Official materials highlight vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free options, with Myvegan serving as the dedicated plant-based sub-brand within the family 12.

Clothing

MyProtein operates in the activewear sector through its MP clothing range. Products include T-shirts, shorts, leggings, sports bras, training tops, jackets, accessories, and gym bags. This category allows the brand to compete with broader fitness and lifestyle labels in addition to supplement companies 2.

MyProtein distinguishes itself from traditional bodybuilding supplement companies through a positioning centered on accessibility. Its central proposition is making sports nutrition available to a broad population of active people, rather than exclusively targeting serious weightlifters. Historically, protein supplements were strongly associated with niche bodybuilding culture; MyProtein helped popularize a model of online, accessible, and broad-market sports nutrition.

The brand emphasizes value, product variety, convenience, online purchasing, and healthy living. Its stated goal is to serve customers regardless of their specific fitness objectives, ranging from gym beginners and recreational exercisers to runners, athletes, and individuals simply seeking to increase daily protein intake 12.

MyProtein’s competitive advantage has historically been rooted in its digital-first, direct-to-consumer model. Rather than relying primarily on physical retail, the business was built around proprietary websites and online distribution. This approach offers several structural benefits:

• Direct customer relationships: The brand sells directly to consumers without total reliance on third-party retailers.
• Extensive catalogue: Online platforms can carry thousands of product variations without physical shelf-space limitations.
• Global scalability: Established e-commerce and fulfillment infrastructure allows for localization across different countries.
• Promotional flexibility: The brand is known for frequent online promotions, discounts, bundles, and large-scale campaigns.
• Data-driven marketing: The digital model enables the use of customer behavior and purchasing data to inform product development and marketing strategies.

THG describes the current MyProtein model as increasingly omnichannel, combining its established direct-to-consumer business with retail partnerships, gym placements, and other offline channels 2.

MyProtein operates as part of THG Nutrition. THG, originally known as The Hut Group, is a British global retailer and brand owner headquartered in Manchester. Its two major consumer divisions are THG Beauty and THG Nutrition, with MyProtein serving as the leading brand within the nutrition division 2.

THG describes MyProtein as the world’s largest online sports nutrition brand and utilizes it as the core of its global nutrition business 2. The brand’s growth is supported by THG’s capabilities in e-commerce technology, international infrastructure, warehousing, manufacturing, digital marketing, customer data analytics, logistics, and brand building.

MyProtein emphasizes vertical integration as a key component of its business strategy. Rather than depending entirely on third-party manufacturers, the company states that it operates its own production facilities and invests in manufacturing, product development, and testing 12.

The company’s quality control system reportedly includes in-house production, product formulation, ingredient testing, specialist testing equipment, independent testing, food safety standards compliance, and sports nutrition-specific testing. Production facilities utilize technologies such as near-infrared scanning and X-ray equipment, and have received British Retail Consortium food safety certification. Products are tested by independent partner ALS, and the Informed-Sport range is developed in collaboration with LGC Sport Science 1.

The Informed-Sport program is particularly relevant for competitive and elite athletes, as it is designed to reduce the risk of prohibited substances appearing in tested products 1.

MyProtein has built a recognizable digital marketing ecosystem that relies heavily on influencer partnerships. Rather than depending solely on traditional advertising, the brand works with fitness influencers, athletes, bodybuilders, personal trainers, YouTubers, social media creators, and fitness communities. This approach leverages the tendency of sports nutrition consumers to seek recommendations from trusted figures in the fitness space.

The company also partners with professional and high-profile athletes to establish performance credibility alongside mass-market social media marketing. Additionally, MyProtein produces content marketing materials including workout guides, recipes, nutrition information, training advice, and product education through its digital channels 1.

MyProtein’s identity is connected to fitness culture, emphasizing energy, training, performance, progress, ambition, and self-improvement. The functional name “MyProtein” makes the product category immediately understandable compared to abstract luxury-style branding. Over time, the brand identity has evolved from “protein for gym users” toward “nutrition and products for an active lifestyle,” a shift that supports its broader market positioning.

Although founded in the UK, MyProtein is now a global brand operating in over 70 countries with localized websites and international distribution 1. Key markets include the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, China, Singapore, and other Asian territories. The company has invested in regional fulfillment and manufacturing infrastructure; for example, THG has opened warehouses in Singapore and India to improve service levels for Asian customers.

Presence in Southeast Asia

MyProtein maintains an established operation in Singapore with a localized e-commerce site. The Singapore catalogue includes products such as Impact Whey Protein, Clear Whey, Impact Whey Isolate, creatine, vitamins, minerals, protein foods, collagen products, and MP activewear. Prices are listed in Singapore dollars, demonstrating localization for the market 1. While specific Philippine operational details are not outlined in available sources, the brand’s extensive Asian infrastructure and global shipping capabilities facilitate access for customers in the region.

MyProtein has incorporated sustainability into its corporate messaging, stating that it has pursued measures including the use of recycled and biodegradable materials, waste reduction, recycling initiatives, reduced plastic consumption, and animal-free product options. The company also states it operates a zero-to-landfill policy for its waste and has taken steps to reduce single-use plastic at its sites 1. These commitments represent company-stated goals and should be distinguished from independently verified environmental performance metrics.

MyProtein operates in a highly competitive sports nutrition market. Key challenges and competitive dynamics include:

• Intense competition: The brand competes with global labels such as Optimum Nutrition, Dymatize, MuscleTech, BSN, and Bulk, as well as numerous regional and specialist brands.
• Market skepticism: Consumers increasingly scrutinize ingredient sourcing, nutritional claims, testing protocols, and product transparency.
• Price sensitivity: Protein powder is relatively easy to compare across brands, making price promotions a critical competitive lever.
• Differentiation: As protein becomes mainstream, MyProtein must differentiate itself from both specialist sports nutrition brands and mainstream food companies.
• Evolving preferences: Growth in plant-based nutrition, functional foods, ready-to-drink products, wellness, and weight management requires continuous category development.

MyProtein is significant for demonstrating that sports nutrition could be sold as a mass-market online consumer category. Historically associated with specialist stores and bodybuilding culture, the industry was transformed by MyProtein’s combination of e-commerce, influencer marketing, aggressive international expansion, and vertically integrated manufacturing. This model helped transition protein supplements from a specialist niche into a mainstream consumer product.

As of 2026, MyProtein remains the flagship business of THG Nutrition. THG’s stated priorities include maintaining MyProtein’s position as the world’s largest online sports nutrition brand, expanding its offline presence through retailers and gyms, and broadening the customer base toward the wider active lifestyle market 2. The brand’s evolution spans from an online startup in 2004 to a global nutrition and active lifestyle brand with an increasingly omnichannel model today.

1. About Us | Myprotein SG
2. About Us | Leaders in Sports Nutrition | Myprotein UK
3. Oliver Cookson
4. THG Adds Muscle With The Acquisition Of Myprotein.com