Corporate agility key as COVID-19 accelerates sports nutrition, says Lonza expert

03 Dec 2020 --- COVID-19 has created an opportunity for new players to break into the sports nutrition market as consumers with more time on their hands turn toward exercise. This is according to Roel van de Put, business development manager at Lonza Capsules & Health.

In light of the company’s presentations at FiE Connect 2020, Van de Put speaks to NutritionInsight about how the pandemic has shaped the industry and what lies ahead.

“As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen new players entering the sports nutrition market to meet booming consumer demand – indeed, exercise has become increasingly important for more than 35 percent of people between the ages of 16 and 54,” he explains.

These consumers value the importance of exercise, have relatively high disposable income and look for science-backed solutions to support health and performance. This has resulted in a renewed focus on the performance capabilities of industry products.

Building on existing popularity
However, this interest in exercise is not entirely new. Van de Put says that the global sports nutrition industry has seen “incredible” growth in recent years as more and more people lead increasingly active lifestyles. They are also turning to nutrition and food supplement solutions to support their physical performance. 

“Over the last five years, the industry has shifted from solely sports nutrition to encompass the much broader, more inclusive ‘active lifestyle’ nutrition focus.”

He explains that the rising popularity of purely nutritional products, such as protein powders, is a clear example of this shift, in addition to the rising number of food products being fortified to offer additional nutritional value, such as protein bars and drinks. 

This has resulted in sports nutrition merging more with everyday food and diets, which saw a decline in the emphasis on performance alone.

Innova Market Insights reports that there has been a 29 percent average annual growth in global launches of food, beverages and supplements with a sports or recovery claim (CAGR, 2015-2019). 

Australasia is currently leading the way, with 4.2 percent of its 2019 launches featuring a sports or recovery claim – up from 2.4 percent in 2015. North America follows closely behind with growth from 2.4 percent in 2015 to 3.8 percent in 2019. Sports nutrition companies must be especially agile in light of the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19
Companies must be especially agile in light of the pandemic. In particular, business development and R&D departments should be well-resourced and ready to adapt to changes. 

“Companies that were already optimizing these departments are now experiencing the benefits,” says Van de Put.

Since the spring, he has observed many companies prioritizing their product development, marketing and branding activities. Consumer purchasing behavior during the pandemic has, for instance, bolstered the need for solutions that support specific health needs and priorities. 

Lonza has experienced a surge in demand for its ingredients and hard capsules – particularly for its Licaps liquid-filled hard capsules and Duocap capsule-in-capsule technologies. 

“These enable a variety of advanced sports nutrition formulations to meet increasingly complex consumer needs.”

Reliable science-backed products
Van de Put emphasizes that speed to market is key. “At the same time, companies must ensure that that they are using research and science to source the right, high-quality ingredients with optimal bioavailability.”

He points out that today’s consumers are more aware of the products they are buying and doing their own research to find out more.

“Consumer education is something that companies need to look at very closely to ensure their customers are finding the information they need quickly and transparently.”

“Furthermore, due to the pandemic, online sales are now the standard, so product visuals that can be shared on social media are increasingly important,” he adds. The post-pandemic world may see employees having more time to exercise than before. 

Intersection with across fields
As sports nutrition becomes more mainstream, it is also intersecting with various other fields. For example, Van de Put notes that products that support sleep and weight management – two health areas that align very closely with active nutrition – are in particularly high demand.

“Sports nutrition solutions have become much more integrated into consumers’ everyday lives, thanks to the rising numbers of products designed to support a range of consumer health priorities and align with individual preferences, diets and lifestyles.” 

For example, he shares that Lonza’s UC-II undenatured type II collagen was initially targeting the joint health and mobility of older consumers. 

“However, the ingredient became incredibly popular with the largest direct-to-consumer brands in sports nutrition, as a small, once-daily dose joint health product was exactly what their consumers were looking for.”

Unsurprisingly, immunity is also a major topic – even within sports nutrition, he adds. 

The outlook for post-pandemic life
Van de Put takes an optimistic view of the future of sports nutrition. “More and more companies are, for example, encouraging their employees to exercise, from lunchtime walks to home workouts.” 

“Older generations are also using the extra time to cycle or golf more often. Additionally, the ‘new natural’ is here to stay, and global environmental concern is now a top priority for active consumers.”

He notes that employers are planning on utilizing home working for the foreseeable future, at least to some extent. He expects that post-pandemic life will be about finding a balance between our lives before and during the pandemic. 

There is more potential, for example, for increased time at home due to shorter commute times, allowing consumers to continue their exercising efforts and focus more on performance.

“Our projection is that demand for sports nutrition in the widest sense will keep growing, with more of a focus on science, bioavailability, dosage form and efficacy.”

Sports nutrition has been a major topic at this year’s digital FiE trade show, with Rousselot unveiling an expanded hydrolyzed collagen protein portfolio, along with new gelatin-based gummies.

In the dairy space, Valio is showcasing a new milk protein powder blend for the healthy aging market, while Ingredia has launched two functional milk proteins. 

By Katherine Durrell