From serious athlete to “weekend warrior,” there’s a sports nutrition product to fit ever need.

The sports nutrition market continues to be a home run both for manufacturers and natural products retailers alike, as the non-athlete or “weekend warrior” has been added to the lineup card.

The market, which traditionally encompasses food, beverages and sports nutrition supplements, continues to grow at a healthy rate. According to analysts at ReportsnReports.com, the global sports nutrition market is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1 percent in terms of revenue over the period from 2014 to 2019. A similar report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. projects that the global market for sports and fitness nutrition supplements will reach $6.17 billion by 2018.

According to the ReportsnReports.com forecast, the growth of the sports nutrition market is predominantly driven by the increased awareness about sports nutrition products among consumers, many of who are not considered “serious athletes.” The report also cites the increased use of marketing tools to create awareness among consumers as another boot to the penetration of sports nutrition products in the global marketplace.

Moreover, the global sports supplements market, of which North America holds the largest market share, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.1 percent from 2014 to 2020 to reach an estimated value of $12.5 million alone in 2020, according to a market reports published by Persistence Market Research “Global Market Study on Sports Supplements: Protein Power witness highest share in product segment by 2020.”

“There are always several factors (for growth), but one of the biggest drivers is greater awareness of how nutrition aids performance,” said Marc Stover, director of marketing at Twinlab (American Fork, UT), maker of Vita Fuel performance multivitamin for athletes. “Sports nutrition is truly shifting to the mainstream. This is mostly driven by the internet and especially by mobile devices where images, information, motivation and tools are constantly being thrown at the consumer through social media.”

The Persistence Market Research report states that historically, consumers of sports nutrition products, including sports supplements, have been bodybuilders and athletes. It points to the growing consumer base as including lifestyle and recreational users, who prefer to take sports supplements for health and fitness reasons, as having helped reshape the market. Consumers are increasingly demanding healthy and convenient lifestyle solutions and sports supplements are one of the preferred options to meet this need, according to the report. This is where both manufacturers and retailers have an opportunity to cash in on the emerging market.

“This continued and impressive growth can be attributed to a number of current market trends and shifts,” said Lisa Lent, founder and CEO, Vitalah (Watonsville, CA), creator of Sport Oxylent 3-in-1 supplement drink for energy, stamina and recovery introduced at Expo West. “First and foremost, the sports supplement market is benefiting from a widening consumer spectrum and increasing placement in more mainstream and mass market outlets. New and growing consumers groups include, mainstream consumers and everyday ‘active lifestyle’ consumers—a shift from the more serious or extreme athlete that dominated the market previously. A large portion of growth has also been within the youth segment. Finally, the broader macro trend of an increasing demand for natural products and a shift away from synthetic ingredients is also a significant factor.”

A Matter of Convenience

In addition to engaging the “weekend warrior,” or those consumers who are simply aiming for a healthier lifestyle, there are several other trends in play when it comes to the emerging sports nutrition market. For example, sports nutrition products aimed at women continue to be a hot growth area, as is the demand for convenience.

“I think convenience is key and is why products such as bars, liquid suspensions and squeeze packs, sports drinks and others have boomed,” said Marci Clow, MS, RDN at Rainbow Light (Santa Cruz, CA). “People want something that they can throw in their gym bag or that is easy to use when they are on the go. Protein powders still top the charts as the most popular, with plant-based proteins gaining market share.”

“One of the major growth drivers of the sports supplement market is protein,” added Don Cox, senior vice president of R&D for Biothera’s Healthcare Group (Eagan, MN), maker of Wellmune, a 100 percent natural food, beverage, and supplement ingredient for the immune system and found in the new GainZzz post-workout recovery supplement from Force Factor (Boston, MA). “Performance athletes are recognizing that protein has multiple benefits including athletic performance and muscle recovery. But what is sustaining this growth is that protein goes beyond specific performance gains. Whether you’re a ‘weekend warrior’ or a hard-training athlete, protein is becoming a recognized tool for achieving athletic goals and ultimately, a healthy lifestyle.

“And convenience is also very important as we are seeing bars, RTDs (ready to drink) and gels being developed to meet the needs of an on-the–go consumer.”
While new delivery methods for sports nutrition supplements are indeed finding their way to market, but not everyone believes that the old guard is giving up without a fight.

“Everyone wants to believe that a special new delivery vehicle, chews for example, will capture the public’s attention,” said Twinlab’s Stover. “Not that it won’t ever happen, it just hasn’t happened yet. Pills, liquids and powders are still the mainstay and are still growing, even though they may not seem sexy to folks developing products. Functional RTDs have potential to continue growing and convenience is definitely a main driver, but taste and performance are musts, too.”

“It’s very important for the supplement to be easy to take,” added Kerry Gobei, sports market specialist, Ultimate Omega-D3 Sport, Nordic Naturals (Watonsville, CA). “I think of taste as part of the convenience of taking a supplement. If it’s flavored well, then it’s convenient and easy to take, so compliance will be good. Packaging is also important. If it’s sized for travel it will go in the athlete’s bag. If not, it will get left behind because it’s too much hassle to take along. Potency is another part of the convenience equation. Each person has to determine what makes a product convenient for them, but taste, potency, and packaging are all factors.”

Building a Better Sports Supplement

Better ingredients mean better sports supplements, both for the serious athlete and those who simply want to he healthy and perform at their best. Sports nutrition products, as with athletes, come in all shapes and varieties, whether it be in the form of whey protein and amino acids for muscle building, energy and recovery, creatine for increased power and strength, D-ribose for high-energy workout routines, caffeine and green tea extract for weight loss, those for testosterone support, and omega-3s. And don’t forget about the newest trends like beet juice, which promises an endurance boost.

Historically separated into muscle building products and those for energy and endurance, sports nutrition products are all about choosing and selling those with the best ingredients to help athletes of all shapes, sizes and ages achieve their very best.

“The majority of the population is in the ‘weekend warrior’ group for sure,” said Holly Lucille, ND, RN, who is also a cross-fit trainer. “It is all about getting your skin in the game and keeping it there as we age. Things like BCM-95 curcumin are simple ways for every athlete, especially the weekend warrior, to prevent pain, inflammation and delay the onset of muscle soreness which is a deterrent to exercise.”

Another area of growing interest in the sports nutrition arena is in the use of ingredients to support the gastrointestinal tract, such as probiotics and enzymes, according to Scott Ravech, CEO, Deerland Enzymes (Kennesaw, GA).

“Excessive exercise wears down the immune system, and high protein supplements can cause GI distress,” said Dr. John Deaton, VP of Technology at Deerland. “Probiotics keep the GI tract healthy and support the immune system. Enzymes support proper digestion, which aids in nutrient uptake and less digestive discomfort. In addition to the digestive benefits, these ingredients also improve the absorption and utilization of protein.” Deaton added that Deerland Enzymes works with customers to formulate custom blends that incorporate the specific enzymes, probiotics and prebiotics that best serves the needs of athletes and those with active lifestyles.

Cox also pointed to consumers looking for additional benefits to give them the next athletic edge as the protein trend becomes imbedded, thus opening the door for immune health as one of the next big things in the sports nutrition market. “With immune health, every athlete—from hard training to the weekend warrior—can stay healthy, improve their energy and mental clarity, as well as stay ready to train and recover faster.”

Finally, another emerging area in the sports nutrition market is in the area of liquid collagen supplementation. A recent clinical study on BioCell Collagen from BioCell Technology, published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN), describes the potential of BioCell Collagen for protecting the connective tissue of the musculoskeletal system and enhancing recovery from intense exercise. The randomized, double-blink, placebo-controlled study was carried out by investigators at the Center for Applied Health Sciences (CAHS). Similarly, products such as Liquid BioCell SPORT from Jusuru International, a second wave liquid collagen supplement clinically designed to fuel peak athletic performance, has been shown to promote joint and muscle fitness and boost recovery after workouts. Its Bio-Optimized formula is said to replenish collagen and hyaluronic acid (HA) orally, in a highly absorbable form. California-based NeoCell offers its CollagenSport line of products with its 4-in-1 formulation that includes whey protein isolate, collagen peptides, L-glutamine and amino acids, and vitamins and antioxidants to refuel, recover, regenerate and replenish after workouts.

Buyer Beware

While the push continues to build or develop the next best sports nutrition product, there are caution signs that retailers and consumers alike may be wise to heed as they search for the next big thing in this emerging market. Most of these concerns center around the quality of ingredients in the supplements as well as the claims made by companies in promoting their products.

“I’m concerned with the additives and ingredients contained in many sports nutrition products that not only don’t have any nutritional value or health benefits but also have many potentially serious health risks,” said Lent. “Artificial sweeteners, preservatives, emulsifiers, and other additives are unfortunately still fairly common, although I hope this is changing with the current macro trend away from artificial and toward all natural. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is another huge area of concern, not just for me but for consumers in general, as reflected in the fact that the non-GMO verified label has become one of the fastest growing labels in the entire natural products industry.”

Utah-based Trace Minerals Research introduced its new TMRFIT SERIES sports nutrition line at Expo West that includes, Pre-Workout, Post-Workout and Liquid ZMA with ConcenTrace. Each product contains no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners, is non-GMO, gluten-free, certified vegan and is made for the elite athlete who wants clean supplements, according to the company.

Quality concerns are an issue in the sports nutrition marketplace, and many experts advise looking for the NSF Certified for Sport seal on products as a way to ensure label accuracy.

“Quality is my biggest concern about sports nutrition products,” said Nordic Naturals’ Gobei. “Consulting with a registered sports dietitian or certified personal trainer with sports supplement knowledge is a wise investment for consumers. A sports RD or CPT knows trusted brands. More often than not, they will recommend that people take NSF Certified for Sport products to guarantee the product to be free of harmful banned substances, and to be labeled accurately.”

“I find it disappointing that there are companies within the sports nutrition industry that are less than honest regarding ingredient claims,” added Peter O’Brien, director of sales at Tam Activation and a regional sales consultant for Ajinomoto North America, Inc. (Raleigh, NC), maker of the Amino VITAL sports nutrition live with 2,400 mg of amino acids for focus, hydration and designed to quickly revitalize muscle energy. “It is dangerous, dishonest and has a negative effect on the industry and the legitimate companies that are doing good work.”

Rainbow Light’s Clow warns against “miracle”-type claims in the sports nutrition category, with the potential for inferior quality ingredients with little scientific substantiation and overuse of stimulants.

“There are a lot of great products out there but buyers need to be aware of what they are putting into their bodies,” said Biothera Healthcare Group’s Cox. “This means understanding the research behind a product’s ingredients and claims. Products that are backed by clinical, peer-reviewed research remain the gold standard.”

Retail Reaction

Natural product retailers, such as Natural Body Inc. of Ozone Park, NY, need to be in the know when it comes to sports nutrition products and relies on distributors like Lone Star Distribution, a wholesale distributor of sports nutrition products with more than 10,000 retail customers, to help keep their shelves properly stocked.

“In tremendous retail store outlets like Natural Body Inc., sports nutrition can often comprise over 50 percent of a nutrition-health food store these days,” said Frank Fenimore Jr., VP of Lone Star Distribution. “Steve Calabrese, owner of Natural Body recently shared with me that sports nutrition is one of the fastest growing and most dominant categories in both his retail and internet channels. Ten years ago people might have entered a store for a vitamin and possibly a fish oil, whereas today protein powders and energy supplements are some of the most sought-after products.”

Education too, both for the retailer and for the consumer, is paramount when it comes to selecting the right products. “We offer a link to every one of our vendor partners’ websites for further product information, as well as publishing several articles from our vendors on ingredients, supplementation and particular products,” said Fenimore Jr. “The industry as a whole has grown as have the number of nutraceutical ingredients being used and so education and information at the fingertips of the consumer and retailer is vital to continue to grow the business and help meet consumer needs properly.” VR

For More Information:
Ajinomoto North America, (800) 682-0982
BioCell Technology, (714) 632-1231
Biothera Healthcare Group, (651) 675-0300
Deerland Enzymes, (770) 919-8907
Force Factor, (877) 492-7243
Jusuru International, (714) 678-1600
NeoCell, (800) 346-2922
Nordic Naturals, (800) 662-2544
Trace Minerals Research, (800) 624-7145
Rainbow Light, (800) 635-1233
Twinlab, (800) 645-5626
Vitalah, (831) 724-6300

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