New consumers, new ingredients
The sports nutrition industry in 2020 is vastly different to that of 20 years ago. The market has seen an influx of new consumers and now consists of traditional performance athletes as well as everyday health-conscious individuals.
The sector is seeing considerable year-on-year growth, with many product developers seeking a unique path to market. Although full of untapped potential, success in the sports nutrition arena doesn’t come without its challenges. With a history grounded in scepticism, and consumer demands changing faster than brands can track, developers need a full picture of what the active consumer base wants, where innovation is happening, what type of challenges exist and how to win in this space.
Rick Miller, associate director of specialised nutrition at Mintel, first started practising as a sports dietitian over 10 years ago; he reflects that the vast majority of sports supplements were taken by athletes or very enthusiastic amateurs. In the past, he says, the average gym-goer didn’t really take protein shakes or any of the more exotic compounds, such as creatine, beta-alanine or L-carnitine, as they were really only available in specialist health or sports stores, which dissuaded uptake to a niche audience.
Fast forward a few years and the market as we know it today appeals to a wide pool of consumers—from weekend warriors to high-performance athletes—evident through the shakes, bars and fortified RTDs now retailing through local grocery stores and corner shops.
European Specialist Sport Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) chair, Dr Adam Carey, notes that sports nutrition businesses are thriving and constantly innovating to attract an increasingly diverse consumer base.
Rising consumer interest in products for mental fitness is gaining traction in the sports nutrition space, with multiple offerings already available. Dr Julia Wiebe, director of R&D and director of technical marketing at Nektium, highlights gamers, or eAthletes, as emerging consumer targets who actively seek solutions for focus, attention and enhanced reaction time. Additionally, she notes that working parents, shift workers, students, athletes and baby boomers in their late adult years also want to stave off cognitive impairment and lethargy. “These are significant opportunities for brands to focus on if they want to put perennial products on the market, as the mental and physical energy trend is here to stay.”
Consumers are now, more than ever, aware of the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices, both in terms of doing more physical activity and eating a healthier diet. This increased awareness has done wonders for the sports nutrition market, and consumers now span a plethora of different ‘active consumers.’
Miller identifies the ‘serious amateur’ as a primary target consumer group, noting: “The birth of higher intensity exercise classes such as CrossFit, F45, Insanity and Tough Mudder are driving consumers toward more extreme approaches to exercise. With extreme exercise comes the need for more extreme solutions in nutrition to support recovery, and this is where sports nutrition brands need to focus their attention.” He adds there’s an opportunity to personalise formulations for consumers who are aiming for more.
We’re also seeing the introduction of e-sports nutrition which includes gaming supplements such as nootropics, with consumers aiming to improve cognitive performance and focus. This emerging group of consumers presents an interesting opportunity for developers as they continue to drive a dual need for mental and physical performance. Originally looking for caffeinated, high sugar drinks and other such supplements, this group of consumers have become more health-conscious in recent years, fuelling their interest in dietary supplements and overall well-being. Wiebe shares: “We’re seeing the convergence of physical sports and eSports. Lifestyle and training regimes of professional athletes are being mirrored in gamers, and now the supplement industry is reaching them, too. Gaming is one of the favourite pastimes of millennials, and professional esports are becoming a major spectator sport with a global audience of gamers.” Just like other proactive consumers, gamers and eAthletes are seeking ways to boost a healthy lifestyle and improve their unique performance needs. In particular, Wiebe says gamers desire caffeine-free nootropics (especially botanicals) to boost focus, concentration and reaction times, as well as reduce fatigue.