Beyond bodybuilders: Nutrition for exercise embraces holistic health megatrend after COVID-19

27 Oct 2022 --- As consumers become more health conscious, the sports nutrition industry is tapping into multi-functional ingredients and innovative delivery formats to cater to all age groups. NutritionInsight speaks with industry experts from Univar Solutions, Lonza, FrieslandCampina Ingredients and Bioiberica, who provide insights into the mind-to-muscle connection, esports, nootropics and hyaluronic acid.

According to Univar Solutions, consumers continue to seek multi-functional ingredients beyond protein that can contribute to optimal performance and recovery with an increasingly proactive approach to health.

“Ingredients that have the potential to contribute to joint health, cognitive health and sustained energy are perceived as beneficial [within nutrition for exercise]. Sleep, relaxation and reduction in stress have also become a priority for consumers,” says Tamar Serapian, technical business development manager at Univar Solutions.

As consumers look to move on from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, people of all ages – from teens to seniors – are moving again and seeking active nutrition solutions to help them achieve their individual health goals, Lonza highlights.

Catering to the health-conscious consumer
In recent years, the nutrition for exercise space has blurred lines between the traditional divide of elite athletes and active, health-conscious consumers, details FrieslandCampina Ingredients.

“Professional athletes, regular gym-goers and everyday consumers are looking for support from sports nutrition products to boost their wellness,” says Katie Verlaan, global marketing lead of performance, active and medical nutrition at FrieslandCampina Ingredients.

According to Univar Solutions, healthy aging goes beyond elderly consumers as younger generations seek to prevent muscle loss and increase mobility in later stages of life (Credit: Univar Soultions).“The result is that the sports nutrition industry no longer only caters to elite sports professionals, bodybuilders and people exercising more than five days a week – it has broadened to consist of everyone who does moderate exercise or wants to improve their well-being.”

“This [expansion] includes older consumers looking to age healthily and younger people just starting their fitness journey,” Verlaan continues. “All of this offers a huge opportunity for brands to create a range of holistic active nutrition solutions that target multiple demographics– from healthy aging, joint support and muscle strength to immunity, gut health and mental well-being.”

Similarly, as consumers take a more holistic approach to their health, hybrid solutions are in high demand, significantly influencing the direction of sports nutrition NPD, highlights Jaume Reguant, healthcare director at Bioiberica.

“Formulations that leverage multiple complementary ingredients – such as protein, glucosamine, collagen, chondroitin sulfate and botanicals like Boswellia – are leading the way.”

Nootropics, dairy and esports market
Univar Solutions highlights dairy proteins have long held a significant market share of the nutrition for exercise space. 

“In addition to their macronutrient content, which is suitable for performance and recovery, dairy ingredients are a rich source of micronutrients, micronutrient binding proteins (such as lactoferrin) and phospholipids,” explains Serapian at Univar Solutions.

According to the company, with increasing holistic health awareness, nootropics continue to gain popularity among active consumers.

“There are abundant opportunities for nootropics in sports nutrition products, where consumers will benefit from a more comprehensive supplement aiding both mind and body and ultimately powering their workouts by leveraging the mind-to-muscle connection,” details Serapian.

As more consumers turn to exercise for a health boost, a wide range of ingredients are coming to the fore – from collagen for joints to caffeine for energy, Bioiberica details.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients notes the boom in active nutrition is undeniably influenced by consumer focus on holistic well-being.“The esports nutrition market is a highly promising off-shoot of the traditional active nutrition space and offers impressive opportunities for brands to create innovative solutions,” says Lindsey Toth, director of global marketing at Lonza Capsules & Health Ingredients.

“Similar to traditional sports, esports athletes want to perform at their best and are looking for products that can support their mental and physical performance.”

Hyaluronic acid and mobility
Hyaluronic acid is one ingredient that’s emerging as a popular choice for increasingly active consumers, according to Bioiberica.

“This is particularly true as the sports nutrition category grows to include a broader range of demographics, with the focus moving away from strength and performance to overall health and wellness,” says Reguant at Bioiberica.

With consumers looking to their mobility to support a long and healthy life, including joints, tendons and muscles, he explains that ingredients like hyaluronic acid are growing in popularity.

“This has led to the emergence of next-generation ingredients such as Bioiberica’s Mobilee – the ‘first’ hyaluronic acid matrix ingredient for mobility applications. Due to its patented composition of three naturally-occurring components – hyaluronic acid, polysaccharides and collagen – it delivers multiple benefits that support joint and muscle health.” 

Meanwhile, FrieslandCampina Ingredients highlights that the demand for products with higher protein levels is rising.

“Historically, this has caused formulation issues with taste and texture – particularly in protein bars. But emerging ingredients that can help to improve the sensory properties of protein products are becoming increasingly popular to combat this,” says Verlaan.

“With texture being a key purchasing factor for consumers, FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Excellion TextPro has been specifically designed to prevent bars with a high protein content from hardening over time, allowing brands to offer consumers an enjoyable eating experience while also providing a protein boost.”

Delivery formats
Regarding emerging delivery formats, Bioiberica highlights the category is moving away from bulky powders as sports nutrition products become more mainstream.

“Bars and ready-to-drink (RTD) products with sports nutrition positioning will continue to be consumers’ go-to formats, as they choose to swap treats like chocolate or soft drinks for healthier alternatives, like protein bars or collagen waters,” says Reguant.

Lonza highlights that active nutrition supplement users seek products that boost their exercise performance while also delivering clean-label credentials. Looking further ahead, we expect to see even more exciting innovations where healthy positionings and sweet treats collide – including collagen cookies and protein pancakes, he continues. 

“In particular, tasty, low-fat desserts – such as creamy Greek yogurts or fruity milkshakes – will offer consumers the perfect opportunity for healthy indulgence. Moreover, such applications can more easily be fortified with ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid matrix ingredients, that can add mobility or active nutrition claim to a product.”

“Innovations in dairy and plant proteins are enabling the creation of tasty and exciting food and beverages beyond bars and shakes – including protein bagels, biscuits, yogurts and even coffees,” says Verlaan.

Novel and emerging formats like these are likely to take off in the coming years as consumers continue to seek tasty and convenient protein products to support their healthy lifestyles, notes FrieslandCampina Ingredients.

Performance nutrition
Univar Solutions adds that performance nutrition products are expanding outside traditional categories into novel formats like pre-workout gummies and tablets.

“Functional and RTD beverages are increasingly becoming a desirable delivery format because of endless flavor opportunities that appeal to consumers of all ages,” says Serapian.

Meanwhile, brands can utilize a wide variety of delivery formats to create on-trend and efficacious products, details Lonza. 

As more consumers turn to exercise for a health boost, a wide range of ingredients are coming to the fore – from collagen for joints to caffeine for energy. “Formats like gummies, for instance, are growing in popularity, but proprietary research from Lonza shows that the tried and tested formats continue to reign supreme,” says Toth.

“Capsules are preferred by 44% of consumers globally and offer a lot of flexibility as a dosage form, making product innovation easily accessible for brands while delivering on consumer non-negotiables like convenience, swallowability and efficacy,” she continues.

Consumer demand and targeted groups
In 2022, consumers expect new sports nutrition products to deliver on experience, Bioiberica observes.

“Taste and texture remain important differentiators for consumers, especially when using nutritional products to replace their usual snacks with healthier, ‘better for you’ alternatives,” says Reguant.

“Avoiding chalky textures or off-notes inherent to certain ingredients – like proteins or collagens – is a must.”

Moreover, since the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers are more in tune with their health and products that offer multiple functional benefits are preferred, explains Serapian at Univar Solutions.

“With healthy aging and overall wellness becoming a megatrend, consumers are looking to improve joint mobility and support healthy inflammatory responses in addition to optimizing performance,” she says.

Future outlook: Growth, botanicals and regulations
In detailing future views, Lonza explains that following explosive growth in recent decades, the sports and active nutrition market looks set to continue its upward trajectory.

“This comes as new consumers enter the active nutrition category, fueled by a desire to get moving again and look after their health and wellness,” says Toth at Lonza.

“The segment is no longer just for professional athletes and bodybuilders – it is now expanding to include budding athletes, regular gym-goers, and even those with physically demanding jobs,” she continues. “The emergence of the esports category will continue to bolster the market’s dynamicity in the years to come.”

Univar Solutions highlights an interest in products that support physical, mental and emotional well-being.

“Botanicals offer a natural wellness solution that is desirable. Including botanicals and phytonutrients in formulations allows brands to target conscientious consumers and offer them a cleaner alternative,” details Serapian.

According to FrieslandCampina Ingredients, the boom in active nutrition is undeniably influenced by consumer focus on holistic well-being.

“As a result, they are becoming more interested in consuming plant-based products for the healthy nutrition they offer – 71% of consumers who eat or drink plant-based alternatives do so as they view them to be healthier for them,” says Verlaan.

“We expect to see plant-based protein’s share of the sports nutrition space continue growing as brands develop new products to meet demand.”

By Nicole Kerr