Clean label, AI and consumer convenience star as key sports nutrition trends at first ESSNA Awards

13 Dec 2019 --- Major sports nutrition industry players across Europe gathered to celebrate the booming sector’s expansion at the inaugural European Specialist Sports Nutrition Awards (ESSNA Awards). Hosted last week at the Kia Oval in London, UK, the ESSNA awards gave brands, organizations and ambassadors active in the sports nutrition industry recognition for their contributions to the sector. NutritionInsight speaks with three of the category winners on the significance of their winning contributions for the sports nutrition sector.

BASF took home the prize for Best Sports Nutrition Ingredient category for its PeptAIde protein ingredient and Pharmako won the Most Innovative Idea award for its LipiSperse dispersion technology. Meanwhile, Nektium had both hands full at the ceremony, having won prizes for both the Best Targeted Product for Seniors (50+) and Best Free-From Product. These were granted to the company’s products Rhodiolife and Zynamite, respectively.

The other four categories’ laureates include:

• Most Sustainable Product - SWARM Protein

• Best Sports Nutrition Ad - SWARM Protein

• Best Sports Nutrition Product - Myprotein

• 2019 Game Changer - Nutrition X

The winning innovations tap into a number of current and on-going consumer-driven trends, such as clean label, digitalization, consumer convenience and naturality. 

PeptAIde is suitable for a range of applications for the supplementation, as well as the food and beverage industries.BASF: Best Sports Nutrition Ingredient
Developed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), PeptAIde contains a unique set of plant-based peptides that specifically help modulate inflammation. “PeptAIde fits into the trends of artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization, being the first nutritional ingredient with its functionality decoded by the use of AI. Additionally, PeptAIde matches both the plant-based and clean label trends, which will remain strong drivers of the sports nutrition market throughout 2020 and beyond,” says Lay Kwan Goh, Global Head of Marketing, BASF Human Nutrition. 

The immune-modulating effect of the BASF ingredient is supported by in vitro studies and immune biomarker measurements in healthy adults. The protein hydrolysate ingredient is produced from natural brown rice, ideally incorporating it into sports bars, sachets, powders and premixes, as well as concentrations, shots and gels. 

“Our target consumers range from weekend warriors to elite athletes. The sports nutrition, food and beverage, as well as supplement areas have become very inclusive across the age generations and product offerings. Sports nutrition offerings have expanded beyond typical sports nutrition brands into ‘normal’ food and beverage categories,” Goh explains.

Pharmako: Most Innovative Idea
Pharmako Biotechnologies won the “Most Innovative Idea” award with its LipiSperse advanced cold water dispersion technology. This technology allows lipophilic active ingredients, with otherwise relatively low bioavailability and poor solubility in water, to be easily dispersed in cold water. Doing so increases their bioavailability and uptake in the body.

The LipiSperse technology helps to integrate powders into liquids.“The LipiSperse technology has applications in dietary supplements and sports nutrition. LipiSperse allows ingredients previously only found in dietary supplements to be used in novel formats in sports nutrition,” says Eric Meppem, Pharmako Co-Founder and Commercial Director.

LipiSperse supports consumers looking for new ingredients to fulfill different needs states, including joint pain and improved recovery. As more athletes seek convenient products, new technologies allow traditional ingredients to be easier to take, in novel formats.

The technology has been validated by multiple pharmacokinetic studies. The more recent clinical studies are now showing the importance of increasing absorption on clinical outcomes, adds George Kokkinis, Co-Founder and Technical Director at Pharmako.

Pharmako works together with its sister company Gencor Pacific, with customers in over 16 markets, including the US, Europe, India, China and Oceania.

Nektium took home two awards and one commending prize.Nektium: Best Targeted Product for Seniors, Best Free-From Product
Nektium’s innovative ingredient Zynamite, a caffeine-free proprietary extract of Mangifera indica leaves, won the “Best Free-From Product” category, while it was also honored with the Highly Commended “2019 Game Changer” award. Rhodiolife, a proprietary extract of Rhodiola rosea, convinced the judges in the product category “Best Targeted Product for Seniors 50 Plus.” 

 “Zynamite is ideal for the sports and e-gaming sector due to the two-in-one solution athletes are looking for: increased mental energy and improved ergogenic performance. It significantly increases peak power, reduces pain and accelerates recovery,” Deborah Thoma, Marketing Manager at Nektium, explains.

Zynamite addresses the increasing concern about highly caffeinated products. In response, Zynamite is free from caffeine and caffeine-like alkaloids. Moreover, it has none of the side-effects related to caffeine, such as insomnia, jitters, nervousness, high blood pressure and increased heart rate. 

While the company pioneered producing commercial Rhodiola rosea extracts over two decades ago, Rhodiolife is now represented in products worldwide in an array of applications. As an adaptogen, Rhodiolife helps to adapt to mental and physical stress and therefore supports a balanced lifestyle apart from scientific evidence indicating effect for sports. 

Future awards
An esteemed panel of judges, ranging from Olympic athletes to industry experts, carefully selected the eight innovative winners of the first ESSNA Awards. Given the event’s success, it plans to return next year to celebrate the sport nutrition pioneers of 2020.

By Anni Schleicher