Peak cardio performance: Consumers seek multifunctional active nutrition

Active nutrition is transforming from an athlete niche to the mainstream, and transitions from sports performance to everyday life. Further propelling this trend, consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about their health, and are increasingly seeking multifunctional, science-backed products. 

Nutrition Insight sits down with experts from Balchem Human Nutrition & Health, Gnosis by Lesaffre, and Kensing for an in-depth look into the main trends in peak performance and cardiovascular health.

Thies Ripcke, director of Business Development and Strategic Marketing for K2Vital at Balchem Human Nutrition and Health, tells us that in recent years, peak cardio performance has shifted away from pushing harder toward smarter training sessions, with a clear focus on long-term health, resilience, and energy. 

“One of the biggest developments is the rise of data-led, highly personalized training plans, where wearables have become tools for everyday athletes to access metrics like heart rate variability, recovery status, and more. Rather than following rigid programs, people are adapting sessions in real time, pushing when the body and the heart is primed, and pulling back when it’s not. The result is better performance gains with reduced injury risk.”

He adds that the definition of “peak performance” is evolving from elite output to sustaining physical capacity over time and performing well in daily life. 

“For younger consumers, that often means optimizing endurance and recovery, combining cardio with strength and functional training. For older adults, it is about maintaining cardiovascular health while preserving strength, balance, and mobility through lower-impact activities.” 

“In short, cardio performance in 2026 is defined by precision and purpose, using the right data, training, and nutrition strategies to unlock long-term health.”

Moving to an integrated physiology

Silvia Pisoni, global operational marketing director at Gnosis by Lesaffre, adds that when discussing muscle strength, oxygen uptake, and overall performance, the conversation is expanding beyond isolated outcomes toward a more “integrated physiology.”

Pisoni says consumers are increasingly seeking multifunctional ingredients.“One defining shift in cardiovascular performance in 2026 is that efficiency has overtaken intensity as the primary marker of progress. Athletic consumers are no longer focused solely on pushing harder or going faster; they are looking for ways to sustain performance over time, to manage fatigue, and to support long-term cardiovascular health alongside short-term output.”

She points to another significant shift that is distinguishing itself in the market — multifunctional ingredients.

“For years, sports nutrition has been structured around distinct goals: creatine for strength, protein for recovery, and beta-alanine for buffering fatigue. While these pillars remain essential, they are no longer the only supplement tools. Performance is increasingly understood as the ability to maintain effort across repeated sessions, not just peak in a single moment.”

As a result, ingredients that can support oxygen utilization, energy balance, and recovery simultaneously are gaining relevance over traditional stimulant-based approaches.

“For athletes engaged in cardiovascular training, optimizing performance isn’t just about pushing limits — it’s about using the body’s resources more intelligently,” Pisoni notes.

Optimizing cardiovascular health for athletes

When it comes to optimizing cardiovascular health for athletes and active consumers, Ripcke emphasizes that supplementation is increasingly about efficiency and getting more benefits from fewer, smarter solutions.

“This is driving interest in multifunctional formulas that combine complementary ingredients to support cardiovascular performance alongside broader health needs.”

He points to a blend of magnesium, vitamin K2, and vitamin D as one example of this approach. “These three nutrients have well-established complementary roles that create a holistic foundation for long-term health.”

“At Balchem, this has been brought to life through the ‘Vital Trio,’ a concept which combines K2Vital Delta, our encapsulated K2 MK-7 ingredient, Albion Minerals chelated magnesium bisglycinate, and vitamin D3 for cardiovascular health, but also immune and bone support.” 

“This concept has resonated strongly with consumers, particularly due to its convenience and multifunctionality,” he highlights. “In fact, an impressive 74% of respondents said that the Vital Trio addresses unmet needs by providing a practical way to promote holistic well-being, and many praised the on-the-go formula to target multiple health needs with a single product.”

Factors contributing to oxygen uptake

Pisoni from Gnosis by Lesaffre adds that there are three factors contributing to oxygen uptake: lung capacity, cardiovascular output, and cellular efficiency. “The latter is more recently being emphasized, and nutritional solutions are now addressing this factor.”

She details that researchers found that short-term supplementation with Landkind Pure Salidroside appeared to enhance oxygen uptake during high-intensity aerobic exercise and attenuate muscle damage following resistance exercise.

“Salidroside supplementation may also inhibit decreases in exercise performance and mitigate fatigue-inertia development. Additionally, the salidroside group maintained stable mood states while the placebo group had increased fatigue-inertia and reduced friendliness.”

There is increasing interest in ingredients that contribute to maintaining cardiovascular health over time, says Criado.“Based on the strength of these study results, Landkind Pure Salidroside has four exclusive allowable structure-function claims that athletes and active consumers consider desirable: oxygen uptake, exercise performance, muscle support, and mood and stress response.”

Eva Criado, senior marketing and communications manager at Kensing, tells us that in this space, the approach is evolving from acute supplementation toward daily cardiovascular support. 

“Rather than focusing only on short-term performance enhancers, there is increasing interest in ingredients that contribute to maintaining cardiovascular health over time, which ultimately underpins consistent physical activity.”

She exemplifies plant sterols, which can support the maintenance of normal cholesterol levels as part of a balanced diet, alongside antioxidants such as vitamin E that help address oxidative stress associated with exercise. 

“These solutions are not positioned as direct performance boosters, but as part of a preventive, long-term strategy supporting cardiovascular function and overall well-being.”

Zooming in on strength and oxygen

Criado stresses that while the market for muscle strength and oxygen uptake includes a wide range of ingredient categories, it is important to recognize that cardiovascular health plays an enabling role in these functions.

“Maintaining healthy lipid levels contributes to overall cardiovascular function, while managing oxidative stress is increasingly recognized as important in environments of sustained physical activity,” she says.

From this perspective, she notes that ingredients such as plant sterols and vitamin E are often integrated into broader formulations that support cardiovascular, metabolic, and active lifestyle needs simultaneously, rather than addressing isolated functions alone.

Pisoni adds that active folate, such as Gnosis by Lesaffre’s Quatrefolic, is an effective nutrient to support muscle strength and increase oxygen uptake.

She says for strength, a review of the effects of active folate or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) on muscle cells found that higher blood folate levels are associated with improved muscle strength, which is crucial for better physical performance, stimulated by myogenesis — formation of skeletal muscular tissue — and increased blood flow in the muscle tissue, which improves physical performance and muscle repair after intense exercise.

“For oxygen uptake, high hemoglobin concentration from robust red blood cell production increases oxygen transport and maximal oxygen uptake, resulting in enhanced physical performance. Folate is necessary for red blood cell synthesis, and a deficiency in 5-MTHF can impair athletic performance,” she explains.

Emphasis on science

Ripcke notes that there is a strong momentum behind ingredients with clear, science-backed benefits, pointing to vitamin K2 and magnesium.

“Vitamin K2 contributes to cardiovascular health by supporting healthy blood vessels and the production of ATP, the molecule on which your muscles rely. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers delved into the impact of vitamin K2 supplementation on cardiovascular function in athletes.”

The results revealed a 12% improvement in maximal cardiac output after eight weeks of supplementation, with 320 μg for the first four weeks and 160 μg for the subsequent four weeks.

“Meanwhile, magnesium has been shown to support a steady heart rhythm and help lower blood pressure, thereby enhancing cardiovascular efficiency. What’s more, magnesium plays a role in muscle relaxation too, acting as a natural calcium channel blocker and preventing excess calcium from entering muscle cells, allowing the muscle fiber to relax after contraction.”

Ripcke says there is a strong momentum behind ingredients with clear, science-backed benefits, pointing to vitamin K2 and magnesium.“This makes magnesium particularly relevant for individuals experiencing muscle tightness or heightened physical stress,” he says. 

The focus on science is also emerging as a key driver for the nutrition manufacturers, which are doubling down on transparency and validation, emphasizing scientific evidence, rigorous testing data, and bona fide quality seals to substantiate products’ benefits, explains Ripcke.

Criado adds that there is a clear shift toward supporting long-term health, longevity, and aging well, with heart health playing a central role within that broader mindset.

“Consumers are also becoming much more selective in how they choose products. There is a strong expectation for ingredients that are both clinically supported and clearly understood, but also aligned with values such as sustainability, traceability, and simplicity of labeling.”

She says clean label, plant-based, and non-GMO solutions are no longer niche but are becoming the standard.

“What is particularly interesting is that consumers want solutions that fit naturally into their daily routines, whether through supplements, functional foods, or beverages, rather than highly specialized ‘performance’ products.”

Pisoni concludes that athletic consumer expectations are evolving rapidly, and the industry is being forced to respond with greater precision, transparency, and purpose.

“There is a growing preference for multifunctional benefits. Consumers are looking for products that can support performance, recovery, and mental resilience in one solution, rather than combining multiple single-purpose ingredients.”

“The focus is shifting from short-term enhancement to long-term performance sustainability — from pushing the body harder to helping it adapt better. Ingredients that can deliver on this promise, backed by science and produced responsibly, are likely to define what consumers actively seek in the years ahead.”