Sports nutrition market developments and opportunities

Vitafoods Insights: 00:05

Welcome to the Vitafoods Insights monthly thematic Podcast, where each month we highlight a different topic within the nutraceutical industry. Join us as we explore this month's theme: sports nutrition. Today's host is Natalia Franca Rocha, content producer.

Natalia: 00:26

According to Grand View Research, the global sports nutrition market size was valued at 40.0 billion USD in 2021, and from 2022 to 2030, the sports nutrition market is expected to increase at a compound annual rate - or CAGR - of 8.5%. The sports nutrition segment is also linked to the population’s overall health and thus of interest for governments globally. For instance, Eurostat reported that over half of the population in Europe is overweight. And in the US, half of the population is predicted to become obese by 2030. The demand for sports nutrition products is high, and it is especially increasing among millennials and older consumers looking to boost their strength, improve their muscle health and energy levels. And, of course, active consumers with an interest in the sports nutrition market continues to rise globally. This was highlighted back in our Industry Reflections & Predictions series in December 2021, where Dr Adam Carey from the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance, ESSNA, shared his thoughts with us and market predictions for 2022:

Adam: 01:36

COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the central importance of sports and physical activity in the maintenance of a healthy and happy lifestyle. Engaging in a positive dialogue with policymakers and other key stakeholders is now become more important than ever. With political support and a fair regulatory framework, the industry can play a vital part in building a better future. Today, with measures such as those stemming from the EU's Farm to Fork strategy, the UK health and health healthcare bill, the horizon which we see ourselves are changing. The coming months and years will be decisive and possibly transformational for our industry.

Natalia: 02:14

Sports nutrition is the Vitafoods Insights thematic topic for April, and is being sponsored by Arjuna Natural, Carbery and Prinova. We reached out to our sponsors for insights and opportunities for those looking to tap into the market and develop sports nutrition products. First off, Dr Binu, Chief Innovation Officer at Arjuna Natural, talks about the shift from the sports nutrition market being linked simply to the protein market but now, also, requiring new differentiators to increase consumers’ purchasing behaviours toward the sports nutrition products readily available in the market, and offering them a more holistic approach.

Dr Binu: 02:54

The Sports and Nutrition market has evolved a lot from being seen as a protein market to cater to professional athletes to encompass a wide range of nutrition to cater to those encased in an active lifestyle. This has expanded not just the scope of the market, but also the depth as more and more consumers are conscious of the need of being active and to take care of their health. Brands and companies looking to join or to expand in this exciting and fast growing segment need to have not just traditional nutrition products like grains of proteins, but also key differentiators, which will help new non-traditional active lifestyles. Brands also need to look for reliable, clinically proven products with a pedigree and those that embrace sustainability. products have to be simple, transparent, and clear input product constitution and their benefits. The new product like Arjuna's Rhuleave-K ®, which is a revolutionary all natural pain relief formula gives brands new areas to address beyond traditional nutrition. Composed of ingredients traditionally used in food and medicines for centuries, safe and effective for 100% Natural relief of musculoskeletal pains within three hours.

Natalia: 04:17

As brands look to expand into the sports nutrition market, offering a basic sports product is no longer enough. Consumers are more aware than ever before about their health especially having gone through the COVID-19 pandemic, demanding holistic products that tackle more than one concern at a time. Therefore, companies need to work harder to meet consumers’ wishes and demands. On that note, we heard from Will McCormack, Senior Business Development Manager at Synergy Flavors, part of the Carbery Group, who shared insights about the evolution of the sports nutrition market, emphasising the importance of further collaboration in the space.

Will: 04:56

So in terms of the evolution of sports nutrition market, there's been an increased focus on specific needs states, the most obviously immunity driven by the impact of COVID-19. Other related needs states that brands have focused their innovation pipelines on include mental acuity and focus, which could be argued as an extension of the broader energy category, relaxation, improved sleep quality and gut health. In terms of flavour innovation, collaboration is the name of the game. We've seen some major food and beverage companies licence their products for flavour collaborations with sports nutrition brands, and this is truly changed the game with respect to consumer expectations when it comes to the taste performance of their protein and their pre workout products in ready to mix and ready to drink formats. In terms of key considerations for folks who are maybe looking to enter the space, like it's a really challenging environment at this particular moment in time. Having strong business fundamentals is key, supplier and contract manufacturing partnerships that you can rely on to deliver. A really well defined strategy or respect to distribution channels and how packaging size and price points need to be vary depending on the channel will certainly help in terms of the likelihood of success. Developing and nurturing proposition that may only initially appeal for a relatively small group of customers, is something that I feel, is important as a brand pitched to the mainstream middle just isn't likely to appeal to anyone.

Natalia: 06:29

It does seem that the sports nutrition market segment has been experiencing a lot of shifts and changes among consumers’ target groups as well as well as their likes and dislikes, with innovation and collaboration being key terms being used in the industry to push brand owners with their product development and R&D. Another key trend that we are seeing in the sports nutrition segment is the trend of plant-based products. Tony Gay, Head of Technical Sales & NPD, Nutrition at Prinova Europe Limited, spoke about the trend, highlighting the most common ingredients and popular delivery formats as well.

Tony: 07:06

The sports and active nutrition market has evolved dramatically over the past 10 years to become more widely adopted by the mass market consumer. Now, the benefits of protein consumption is understood not just by those who go to the gym or athletes, but also as a part of a healthy diet, for those looking to improve recovery, support satiety, boost metabolism, and also provide benefits to their immune health. In addition, plant-based trend has attached itself to the active nutrition market, where many product launches both from existing and new brands are catering to this demand. Now there's a wide variety of products available, including shakes, bars, ready to drinks and meal replacements that include alternatives to the traditional whey protein; the most common being pea or rice protein, but also hemp, chickpea, fava bean, pumpkin seed, and even watermelon seed can be seen. For active nutrition companies looking towards their next big idea, plant based should be a top at the NPD list. This combined with the cost of whey been as high as seen for over a decade, with no sign of falling dramatically soon. Plants based proteins seem to be their logical choice to provide more economical solutions and cater for the plant-based movement. At Prinova, we understand the needs and challenges for manufacturers of plant-based products. So please do get in touch if you're looking for individual plant based raw materials, or if you need further support in formulating your next big idea.

Natalia: 08:42

Healthy lifestyles, obesity prevention, health awareness, muscle health, body strength, plant-based trends, innovation and collaboration are all things we are seeing influence the sports nutrition market. Those looking to branch into this market segment should certainly keep up with these trends. Thank you to Dr Binu, Will McCormack and Tony Gay for sharing their insights about the sports nutrition segment. Thank you also to Arjuna, Carbery and Prinova for their sponsorship. You will find more on the topic of sports nutrition through our content offerings at vitafoodsinsights.com. Keep an eye out for our sports nutrition thematic report coming out on the 28th of April 2022. For more information, please check the hyperlinks available in the shownotes. Thank you.

Vitafoods Insights: 09:34

Thank you for tuning in. And don't forget to check the shownotes that will allow you to link to the information discussed in today's podcast, as well as any sponsorship opportunities. Our monthly thematic episodes are published on the second Thursday of each month. So be sure to stay tuned, subscribe and even suggest to a friend. You can listen to all our episodes in your favourite platform or you can also check our episodes as well as other editorial content at vitafoodsinsights.com.