While it is common knowledge that the traditional demographic for the sports nutrition sector has shifted, new challenges remain. And with so many converging markets, it can be difficult choosing which part of the sector to focus on. Some areas of the market remain consistent. For example, Tony Gay, technical sales specialist at Prinova, highlights younger consumers—men in particular—as continuously attracting products that target energy boosts and mass building. Interestingly, Gay notes that nutritional principles for women are becoming increasingly similar, largely due to the evolving notion of what it means to look good. Brands such as Gymshark have pioneered an image more cognisant with muscle definition, making women look towards supplements associated with muscle building, such as BCAAs and pre-workouts with creatine. And while consumer motivation and interest in products varies, the underlying reasons for supporting one’s health do not differ greatly between demographics, cites Reguant. Thanks to increasing proactive health mindedness, consumers are striving to optimise health at every age, recognising the consequential effects of inactivity and poor health. Moreover, he notes that brand owners should recognise that today’s consumers are savvy, with many increasingly researching quality and efficacious products before making a purchasing decision. They also look for recognisable ingredients which ensure credibility, with over half of consumers globally saying that science-backed ingredients are important to them when purchasing products.
The evolution from ‘Sports’ to ‘Active’ nutrition
For brands looking to innovate in the sports nutrition space, partnership and knowledge-sharing are becoming crucial, especially when formulating complex ingredients. As such, organisations should look towards trusted partners to provide analytical and healthcare specific insights when formulating products. Liat Simha, founder of NutriPR, says many brands are seeking and incorporating health professionals within their product development strategies. However, many healthcare professionals are sceptical about supplements for sports, either due to perceived quality concerns or actual benefits, notes Bentley. At SierraSil®, Bentley has addressed these concerns with regulatory compliance, third party certification—through Informed Choice—and quality research. Another option is to look towards personalisation. Pavlidou outlines that looking towards exercise type and fitness goals may be the way forward—something traditionally done at the elite level of the sector. Aided by the “big opportunities in wearable tech and personalised nutrition,” this is becoming increasingly possible, with companies such as Mixfit and Hexis offering tailored solutions to active consumers and elite athletes alike. Moreover, wearables provide athletes with the opportunity to conduct N-1 studies on themselves, something which SierraSil® has been experimenting with WHOOP bands, supplementation, and recovery.
Big opportunities in wearable tech and personalised nutrition