Converging markets and EU regulation
The sports nutrition market has seen considerable yearly growth, with market research data by Grand View Research, suggesting that the global sports nutrition market could be worth up to 31 billion dollars by 2027. This is in part, due to several converging markets; nootropics, personalised nutrition, immunity, and healthy ageing.
It’s evident that cognitive health and personalised nutrition are the two markets that offer the most collaborative opportunities to drive innovative consumer solutions. However, before we explore these two areas more closely, Mike Hughes, head of research and insight at FMCG Gurus (a consumer expert consultancy), cautions that when it comes to any form of evolution in the market, it has to be the right time for innovation. That means not diluting product appeal by trying to target all consumers and getting caught in the middle.
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“The reality is that many performance nutrition consumers know what products are best suited to their needs, they will conduct research into ingredients and also take advice from a variety of specialist sources,” Hughes says. “On the reverse, if sports nutrition products targeted at the mainstream are given too much of a functional positioning, consumers may be put off because they see products as too medicinal (as opposed to a better-for-you snack) or any higher price tags that emerge because of this specialised approach.” There is certainly a market for personalised nutrition and that is something that will grow over the coming years; however, the sports nutrition market should not rush into this, especially if it means potentially alienating a mainstream audience.
Further to cognitive health and personalised nutrition, digestive health supplements are becoming increasingly common in sports nutrition formulations. For example, research suggests that the body will often experience a window of immunosuppression after hard training bouts, and this can ultimately lead to illnesses such as URTI’s. Specific strains of probiotics, however, have been shown to regulate gut immunity and reduce the severity of symptoms and duration of the immunosuppressive response after exercise. We’re also now seeing certain probiotic strains in sports powders and other products, specifically in some Asian markets.
Dr Orla O’Sullivan, senior research officer at Teagasc Food Research Centre, hopes to see athletes include microbiome profiling as part of their medical regimes and subsequently tailor nutrition and training plans based on the results. More research still needs to be done on the microbiota and athletic performance, however, O’Sullivan notes that in the future, probiotics and prebiotics developed for performance or recovery will have an increased uptake.
by Adam Carey
The EU has taken more action in recent years with world class legislation to make food products healthier and safer for consumers. ESSNA fully supports these efforts, particularly in light of increasing rates of obesity and noncommunicable diseases across Europe. Having said that, some adaptations are needed and ESSNA is working to ensure that the needs of sports people are taken into account appropriately in legislation. ESSNA continues to fully support the inclusion of sports food in General Food Law, in line with how the market is moving, but calls on policymakers to recognise the specific dietary needs of sportspeople.
The regulatory framework that covers sports nutrition products, under General Food Law, has supported innovation and continuous growth in the sector. Even more can be done to ensure that the industry can continue to serve its consumers and promote innovation in the sector, for instance, by promoting a greater evidence-based recognition of sports people’s specific nutritional needs within this framework, and harmonisation of certain provisions across Europe and with Britain post-Brexit.
The Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation has become both the main framework for communicating to consumers the intended and responsible use of sports nutrition products, and the main obstacle to doing this. The sector needs a proportionate, consistent and evidence-based assessment and authorisation of health claims—taking due account of the specific needs of sports people.