Sports nutrition sector “just getting started” as industry waves off oversaturation fears

15 Sep 2021 --- While sports nutrition maintains its hold in the nutrition realm, industry experts are adamant that opportunities have not diminished. NutritionInsight speaks to companies about the diverse demands across sports domains, which overlap with prevalent health concerns and ethical positionings.

“Sports nutrition is not at risk of oversaturation – there are still opportunities,” emphasizes Lucie Lingrand, product manager at Lallemand Health Solutions.

Lindsey Toth, associate director of global marketing at Lonza, elaborates that while sports nutrition might seem overloaded, it’s actually only just starting to gain mainstream popularity. 

“What was once considered a niche industry designed only for ‘hardcore bodybuilders’ is now being warmly accepted as a sub-category within the broader world of active nutrition.”

Toth continues that it’s here that everyday consumers adopt tenets of sports nutrition as they aim to look and feel their best – both mentally and physically.Sports nutrition is no longer a niche sector catering to just serious athletes and bodybuilders.

Primed for “exceptional” growth
Sports nutrition has become more accessible in retail channels and has thus evolved its product ranges to better suit a broader range of consumers, explains Andrea Schid, senior expert marketing at Finzelberg. 

With this huge influx of new potential consumers, the sports nutrition or active nutrition category is primed for exceptional growth in the coming years as more and more people look to take a dietary supplement to proactively manage their wellness, Toth predicts. 

“Sports nutrition needs to become a term of the past, and the more inclusive term ‘active nutrition’ is on its way to broader industry adoption as fully inclusive of the many consumers leaning into and growing this category.”

She continues that sports nutrition is no longer just for hardcore athletes or bodybuilders. Today, sports nutrition is a category for anyone who likes to move and who wants to feel, look and perform at their best – be it in the gym, on the court, or even in their home office. 

“An industry that once relied solely on ‘gain 30 lbs of muscle in 30 days!’ style claims has completely transformed itself into one that is focused on promoting overall health, clean label, wellness from the inside out and improved quality of life.” 

Naturality comes to fore
With this switch from a pure athlete focus toward more average consumers, Schid sees a shift in product requirements.

For example, female consumers and active people in higher age groups tend to put more focus on natural, plant-based supplements rather than formulations based on standard amino acids or more chemicals. 

“This not only opens up new target groups but leads to new opportunities to answer the demand of natural products with science-based ingredients.”

Joe Katterfield, business development manager EMEA of sports nutrition and health foods at Arla Foods Ingredients, adds that many new consumer needs are based on values rather than performance. 

“For example, there’s a growing demand for sports nutrition products with a natural positioning. In a recent survey, 43% of European consumers said naturalness was an important factor when purchasing ready-to-drink high-protein beverages.” 

In this space, Arla Foods Ingredients recently launched Lacprodan MicelPure Organic, which allows manufacturers to extend their beverages, puddings and shakes to include organic versions. Finzelberg’s Recovera and Concental target muscle recovery and mental strength, respectively. 

Active nutrition is not specific to one sport
Performance-related demands in the active nutrition space are diverse, sometimes varying between different types of athletes. 

While some athletes might be looking for ways to provide an acute boost – like is often the case with sprinters – others may be looking for ways to enhance their endurance so they can last longer at their sport of choice, notes Toth. 

Elisa Glover, nutrition specialist at Volac International, adds that protein supplementation has been traditionally the domain of strength athletes, specifically. However, research has demonstrated that it provides recovery and adaptation benefits to a broader range of sports, like cycling, running, football and basketball. 

“While different athletes may seek out additional supplements shown to be beneficial to their sport, protein supplementation can be part of every athlete’s nutritional foundation in order to meet their protein requirements,” she notes. 

Unanimous desire for performance boosting 
Toth emphasizes that the vast majority of ingredients offer benefits not just to elite athletes, but to athletes of a wide variety of levels and types.

“While a sprinter may take something like Carnipure L-carnitine to boost muscle recovery after high-intensity training, a long-distance runner also needs to enhance recovery from the lower intensity (but longer duration) training.” 

Similarly, a powerlifter may look to use something like creatine to create a quick boost in strength. “Yet wouldn’t a non-strength-based athlete, such as a golfer, still benefit from increases in strength? If you can drive a ball 350 yards versus 300 yards, you gain an obvious advantage,” Toth notes.

“When push comes to shove, sprinters, powerlifters, golfers, and tennis players alike are all seeking the same thing – a dietary supplement that works.” 

Research-backed probiotics
Lingrand also emphasizes the importance of efficacy as consumers seek out documented ingredients and documented solutions. 

“That’s why Lallemand Health Solutions continues investing in R&D and has an ongoing clinical study that will soon bring new insights on the sports nutrition market.” 

She points to previous studies finding that L. helveticus Lafti L10 can improve antioxidant capacity and help overtrained athletes to recover an effective immune response. 

Meanwhile, other probiotics can help maintain gut barrier integrity and decrease occasional stress through the gut-brain axis. 

“Sportspeople are looking for solutions that help them achieve a specific goal but are also health-aware in a general way,” Lingrand points out. Muscle recovery continues to be a common demand but is joined by other popular positionings related to immunity or naturality. 

Pandemic shifts habits
Unsurprisingly, COVID-19 has also shaped the sports nutrition industry as consumers shifted their activities. 

“Fitness studio users have suddenly been forced into finding other ways of staying fit and new sources of sports supplementation other than the gym bar,” says Schid. 

These new habits include increased outdoor training such as running or cycling, or functional protein shakes prepared at home rather than being consumed at the gym. Schid believes it is very likely that some of these habits will stay, even when gyms are opening again.

Immunity adds extra appeal
Meanwhile, Katterfield anticipates that another effect is likely to be a growth in demand for sports nutrition products with benefits for the immune system.

“Avoiding illness is crucial for maintaining training volumes, which in turn drive performance gains. Therefore people are looking for ways in which to stay healthy and attain their goals. This could be products that support immunity and ideally enhance adaptations at the same time,” adds Glover. 

For example, sufficient carbohydrate and protein intake are required for resynthesizing glycogen and supporting muscle protein synthesis, respectively. However, they are also recommended to maintain immune health in athletes, as intense training can increase the risk of upper respiratory infection symptoms.

Katterfield adds that whey proteins are well-known for their role in athletic performance, but are also rich in the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine naturally boosts levels of the antioxidant glutathione, which can support the immune system.

The road forward
Looking ahead, Toth anticipates that the trend of inclusion will only become more apparent in future years with more and more people using a dietary supplement to manage their desired conditions.

“Outside of the elite, consumers around the world are also trying to perform at their best, whether that’s walking an extra mile or gardening an additional hour.” 

Meanwhile, Katterfield flags that consumers will continue to become increasingly sophisticated, seeking functional ingredients that are also organic or natural. 

Another facet that will shape sports nutrition in the years to come is population aging, with Katterfield seeing a growing market for products that can help senior consumers stay active for longer.

By Katherine Durrell