Looking back and within: Sports nutrition embraces nostalgic flavors and personalization

17 Mar 2022 --- The space of sports nutrition, particularly in the age of social media and rapid transfer of information, is constantly shifting. Industry players tell NutritionInsight that from environmental sustainability to tastes that take consumers back to their childhoods, sports nutrition is becoming more ethical, more fun and much more flavorful than it used to be.

Sarah O’Neill, marketing manager at Carbery, says the most mature markets for sports nutrition are in Europe and North America, with pockets of interest in Asia-Pacific, especially China, India and Japan.

Mariko Hill, global innovation manager at Gencor, stresses nutrition solutions must be tailored to consumers: “When it comes to nutritional interventions, one must put the target individual at the heart of it all – i.e. are they focusing on health, performance or body composition?” 

Of note, O’Neill adds, is how industry players are tailoring flavor experiences to the tastebuds of unique locations.

More solutions exist for sedentary people on the market.“It is interesting to witness how global sports nutrition brands are adapting their product range for individual markets, as the demographic split and consumer profile is unique to each market, which in turn impacts the consumer messaging, pricing, formats and flavors.”

Good, interesting flavors matter
Taste is incredibly important when it comes to attracting and retaining users in the sports nutrition category, O’Neill explains. “For example 77% of UK consumers say that better taste would encourage them to consume sports nutrition products more often.”

One way to engage consumers in this category is to experiment with novel flavors. In 2022, two key flavor trends are tastes which evoke nostalgic connotations like butterscotch, blonde chocolate or eccentric flavors like cereal milk. Additionally, flavors inspired by global cuisine such as trending Mediterranean flavors entice consumers.

“There is also opportunity for manufacturers to improve the base taste of whey protein products to improve customer experience. Primary research shows many sports nutrition users highlighted positive attributes such as creamy taste and texture as integral to their enjoyment of whey protein products, whilst astringency or cardboard/protein notes were detrimental.”

Nutrition in the age of information
Innova Market Insights previously spotlighted personalized nutrition as an emerging trend within the health world back in 2020; according to O’Neill, that trend is here to stay.

She highlights that personalized nutrition is becoming more relevant within the sports nutrition category, with technology playing a major part from continuous blood sugar monitoring to genetic testing. 

“We have recently begun using a peptide profiling/fingerprinting technology that can identify potential bioactivity in our whey protein hydrolysate range.”

Hill indicates the trend toward personalization holds unique opportunities for the nutrition space, which she says has somewhat neglected the demands of active people thus far. Gen Z is a particularly active demographic.

“There are a wider range of ‘solutions’ to cater for sedentary lifestyles due to the increase in needs for ingredients that can enhance their health and well-being.” She says part of this is that athletes, especially elite athletes, are generally more knowledgeable about health and nutrition than most people. 

However, the lack of tailored solutions for this demographic could mean there is space for NPD in this realm. Continuing, Hill says that for active people, nutritional needs are usually higher than the average person.

“Because the nutritional needs of athletes are typically high, it would not suit the ordinary layperson due to their sedentary nature and inactivity levels. Having such an intake could in fact be detrimental to their health due to not exercising and utilizing such macronutrients.”

Eco-anxiety and changing consumption patterns
Another aspect shaping sports nutrition is climate change, which has resulted in a marked increase in environmental awareness, eco-anxiety and a resulting shift in consumption patterns.

“This increased interest in sustainable practices has begun to transform the sports nutrition market in a wide range of areas from packaging formats to ingredient sources, and supply chain transparency,” says O’Neill.

She highlights Carbery’s long-standing focus on sustainable practices and social responsibility as a whey protein supplier in the sports nutrition industry: “Our outdoor grazing, grass-based farming system means that our farms are among the most sustainable in the world.” 

O’Neill says that North America and Europe are the biggest hotspots for sports nutrition right now.Letting the internet do the leg-work
Social media is also playing a role in helping consumers understand complex information from the nutrition industry.

“Due to the rapid dissemination of information through social channels it is becoming easier to communicate more complex scientific messaging to consumers,” O’Neill notes.

In March 2021, Dr. Wolfgang Horper, a member of the management board of sales at Finzelberg, discussed consumer interest in sports nutrition, a space which he said is greatly influenced by the spread of information on healthy lifestyles.

O’Neill shares that the sports nutrition industry has also witnessed an increased emphasis on immunity, in addition to an emerging interest in the role of the microbiome in supporting a healthy immune system. “There has also been a rising interest in health areas such as mood, sleep, and stress management,” she adds.

Keeping different demographics engaged
O’Neill stresses: “The consumer base for sports nutrition supplements has evolved significantly, the original consumer segment of hardcore athletes remains, however the consumer base has expanded to include a much broader age group, a wider range of sport and activity levels, with an even split between female and male consumers in many markets.”

She says that in order to cater to rising demographics, such as Gen Z consumers, Carbery is constantly updating its strategy. 

“Gen Z consumers are a key target consumer base for our customers, as we can see from the high number of health and wellness influencers on social media that are aligned to lifestyle and nutrition brands.” 

Continuing, O’Neill says through Carbery’s ongoing research, the company has found success  among young consumers with messaging that places an emphasis on transparency throughout sourcing and production, environmental sustainability, animal welfare and social responsibility.

To keep older consumers engaged, O’Neill says Carbery continues to develop whey protein ingredients that are suitable for a wide array of uses for aging adults, in addition to further planned research.

“We have several research projects in the pipeline, one of which is focusing on increasing appetite in an aging population.”

By Olivia Nelson