Average Joes outnumber jocks when it comes to this category’s target consumers. Their needs are guiding new product innovation and, ultimately, rehabbing a bruised reputation.

The category of sports nutrition supplements may bring to mind a very particular group of consumers, namely, bodybuilders and extreme athletes who are highly educated on fitness and will try almost anything to optimize their workouts. But the truth is that this group represents the target consumer of the past. According to market research from Euromonitor International, the formerly core audience of bodybuilders and extreme athletes accounts for just 5 percent of total sports nutrition sales, as growing consumer education and awareness has made the category accessible to—and desired by—mainstream shoppers.

“People are more active today, and it’s not just the hardcore athletes and bodybuilders who are striving for endurance and less fatigue during a workout. Today’s ‘active lifestyle enthusiast’ may be a 20-something college student, a weekend warrior, soccer mom or active senior,” explained Bob Green, chairman of New Jersey-based Advantra Z, Inc. “They are all looking to sports nutrition supplements to help them increase energy, improve general physical and mental performance and overall toning, build definition and stay in shape.” 

“The consumer base for sports nutrition products is certainly widening, in that we’re seeing more ‘hobbyists’ enter the market in addition to the current ‘extremists’ such as bodybuilders and professional athletes,” agreed Scott Ravech, CEO of Georgia-based Deerland Enzymes. “With 66 percent of Americans active at least three days per week for 45 minutes, large numbers participating in sports and just under 20 million hardcore athletes, consumers of all ages and backgrounds are increasingly seeking out products that can help them maintain a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.” Deerland Enzymes projected that the category will experience a steady 7 percent compound annual growth rate over the next five years, reaching $7.2 billion in 2017.

But the category that owes its initial success to extreme athletes also pegs to this group its greatest challenges: bad press and questionable ingredients making it to market. “The original consumer of sports nutrition supplements—the extreme athlete/bodybuilder—was willing to ‘do anything’ to achieve his or her fitness goals,” explained Green. “So the sports nutrition formulas on the market at that time sometimes contained stimulants, banned substances and other unhealthy ingredients.” According to Green, this consumer actually preferred products that produce the now condemned jolt and crash, and took it as a sign the product was working.

Chase Hagerman, brand director at Texas-based Chemi Nutra explained that these early adopters were also more experimental than mainstream consumers populating the market today, and were drawn to the most cutting-edge products whether or not they were proven safe. The bad news is that when the dangers associated with these products hit the press, negative headlines sullied the sports nutrition category with doubt. The good news? Bad press has actually produced a more savvy and educated mainstream consumer that will research products and choose only the safest and most effective of the bunch. Ultimately, this will lead to a weeding out of unscrupulous companies and products; but in the meantime, manufacturers and ingredient suppliers have the opportunity to change the story with science-backed products and ingredients that are effective and safe.

Cleaning Up the Market 

“Third party certifications have become popular methods of verifying that a product and its ingredients are safe to consume at their intended doses,” said Hagerman. “Another trend has been for finished product manufacturers to create a line of ‘clean’ products whose ingredients are verified as not causing any red flags from organized, collegiate or high school sports. Product cleanup can also take the shape of manufacturers avoiding artificial ingredients and excipients such as flavors, colors and sweeteners. Discerning consumers want transparency in product formulations because they are concerned about what they put into their bodies.” 

According to Ravech, GMP (good manufacturing practice) certification is one way to ensure safety, and Deerland Enzymes boasts the additional NSF Certified for Sport seal. “The Certified for Sport registration helps minimize risk that sports nutrition products are manufactured with athletic banned substances such as steroids, stimulants, narcotics, beta blockers and masking agents,” he explained. “This assurance is particularly important for professional athletes, whose livelihood and future careers may be at jeopardy even for inadvertent consumption of a banned substance.” At Deerland, all raw materials and finished products are put through rigorous testing, said Ravech, including identity and microbial testing, and potency testing by activity instead of weight.

Another way for manufacturers to ensure a cleaner label is by tapping into time-tested branded ingredients. Advantra Z, Inc. prides itself on the 20-year track record of its namesake ingredient. “This is a chance for manufacturers to build brands with staying power,” said Green, of the vast opportunity to clean up the category. “While the responsibility of meeting GMPs technically falls on finished goods manufacturers, it only follows that manufacturers look to ingredient suppliers for scientifically supported ingredients that follow strict quality assurance and quality control guidelines. Branded ingredients not only often meet these criteria, they provide a quality value—plus the safety, security and support—necessary for the long term viability, confidence and stability of a consumer brand.” 

Formulators need not be scared away by the common misconception that branded ingredients are significantly more expensive, added Green. “It’s value, not price, that’s important,” he explained. “Of course, a branded ingredient will cost a bit more than its generic counterpart. But the price reflects the greater value to the manufacturer, retailer and consumer. The investment in research, quality controls and testing, patents, and marketing support provide a clear advantage to the manufacturers who use branded ingredients, and help both manufacturers and retailers build consumer confidence via scientific support, safety and efficacy.” In the end, the price difference can be as little as one-third of one penny per capsule or tablet to include a branded option, he said, “an insignificant amount considering the product quality and added value.” 

And as a scrutinizing magnifying glass is centered on the nutraceuticals industry, ingredient suppliers and manufacturers are rising to the challenge and even surpassing expectations. “Since nutra became focused on meeting, or in some instances exceeding, the regulatory rigor of pharma, its reputation for quality and thus its relationship to the consumer improved,” said Michael Crabtree, technical director of Minnesota-based Bioenergy Life Science, Inc. “If you examine the state of the sector today, and consider ways to broaden its appeal through natural formulations that tip the balance toward safety and business sustainability, both of which are functions of innovation, it makes sense that as the world population continues to grow, as does the number of active individuals seeking to use supplementation to improve sport.”

Trends Leaderboard 

Indeed, as the audience for sports nutrition products widens, so do product offerings. An active senior, for example, will have completely different fitness needs from a young mom or college-aged weekend warrior. What they have in common, though, is that they’re all going to the sports aisle of their local supplement store to find products that will keep them active and healthy.

On the heels of negative press, one trend that stands out to Crabtree is the call for a natural label. “The public has become very savvy about the advantages and disadvantages of energy products, particularly those containing high amounts of caffeine and/or sugar,” he said. As such, energy product manufacturers may look to the company’s Bioenergy Ribose, a natural source of sustained energy, as an additive or alternative. According to Crabtree, Bioenergy Ribose is a functional sugar that can replace chemical sweeteners in formulations and also add a health benefit. “Ribose is the structural component of nature’s bioelectric capacitor,” he explained. “Like the skeleton of the cellular battery, it unites the biochemical components which come together to make life happen. Energetically, ATP (adenosine-triphosphate) is the universal energy currency at the cellular level. Without ribose there can be no ATP; without ATP there can be no biochemical reactions on which life depends.” Crabtree said that ribose can boost the body’s ability to deal with supply/demand mismatches, translating to better sleep, increased energy levels, less stress, reduced muscle soreness and stiffness, more effective workouts, and increased quality of life—what he calls a “positive feedback loop from within.” 

Another trend coming out of this ever-widening audience is hybrid products, or offerings that cross-pollinate market categories. “It’s always interesting to go into convenience stores or retail supplement stores and see the concepts that make it to market,” said Crabtree, pointing to the rising appeal of functional foods that offer multiple benefits. From mints and gum to transdermal creams, sports supplements that meet many needs in one product will have success going forward. “For example,” he said, “if an energy beverage is both satisfying and provides nutrient delivery, or, if perhaps a mint can perform the duties of both breath freshening and stimulation prior to exercise, these are, functionally, products with multi-faceted benefits that complete portions of an individual’s daily routine without the need for multiple purchases.”

“Variety and convenience are key trends,” agreed Green. “Athletes of all kinds are looking for a range of options in how they receive sports nutrition supplements.” Advantra Z is being tapped for use in functional food and beverage applications ranging from chews and bars to cookies and meal replacements, in addition to traditional offerings. The ingredient activates thermogenesis, which is a natural process that increases the resting metabolic rate. The constituents in Advantra Z also bind to beta-3 adrenergic receptors, resulting in an increase in the body’s ability to break down fats, which are further metabolized to produce energy, Green added. “Equally important, Advantra Z works without causing negative cardiovascular and central nervous system side effects,” he said, explaining it doesn’t cross the fatty membranes of the blood-brain barrier because it is not lipophilic, or attracted to fat. “Advantra Z actually prefers retention in peripheral tissue rather than passage into the brain, where negative central nervous system side effects can occur,” he said. “Plus, it makes minimal contact with alpha-1 and -2, and beta-1 and -2 (excitatory) receptors, which are responsible for causing negative cardiovascular side effects.” 

Along with delivery conveniences, blends for pre- and post-workout are making waves for their ability to increase energy, endurance and power output without stimulants, said Greg Paul, PhD, global marketing director at DuPont Nutrition & Health in Missouri, maker of BetaPower, a natural betaine from sugar beet molasses used for strength, power output, endurance and muscle building. “Functional protein and protein blends are still the highest growth in powders, bars and now functional foods,” he said, citing blends that include protein alongside fiber, probiotics, digestive enzymes and diet or herb support. Paul points to the popularity of team fitness programs like CrossFit and Tough Mudder as catalysts for protein’s leading status. The industry is responding with new versions of yesterday’s favorites— according to Paul, today’s protein products can deliver as much as 30 grams per serving, whereas a few years ago, products tapped out at 15- 20 grams.

But while protein remains a category mainstay—Euromonitor projects protein products will grow 62 percent to reach $7.8 billion by 2018—it can often cause digestive discomfort in some consumers, said Ravech. As a result, there is a demand for products in the sports arena that support protein hydrolysis. Deerland Enzymes’ ProHydrolase has shown superior ability to break down whey, both in the lab and in clinical study, he said. “ProHydrolase is also effective on other types of protein, such as soy, casein, hemp and pea,” he added, which is important as vegetarians and vegans, as well as those allergic to soy, look to alternative sources. This emerging trend of using ingredients to support the gastrointestinal tract, such as probiotics and enzymes, makes sense for athletes. “Excessive exercise wears down the immune system, and high protein supplements can cause gastrointestinal stress,” said Ravech. “Probiotics keep the gastrointestinal 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.” ProHydrolase has been shown to increase the levels of amino acids in the blood, which can build muscle and aid in recovery, as well as decrease levels of C-reactive protein and associated discomfort. “Studies have shown that ProHydrolase breaks down 99 percent of the most popular protein supplements, degrades 99 percent of the peptides responsible for stomach discomfort, and is two to three times faster at protein hydrolysis than the leading protein degrading sports formulas,” Ravech said.

“I have found the biggest opportunity for growth in the sports nutrition industry is with ingredients that are acutely perceivable,” said Hagerman. “In other words, ingredients that deliver a result that day.” Though it’s perhaps new terrain for the natural products industry as a whole, where long-term use yields the best benefit, the pre-workout segment has experienced great success with same-day results. “Granted, getting an acute response from an ingredient is uncommon compared to products that work after weeks of supplementation,” Hagerman admitted. “But the truth is that consumers’ expectations these days are to receive immediate gratification, which is ironic, given that changes in body composition come from long periods of repeated exercise.” Chemi Nutra recently released Mediator Phosphatidic Acid (PC), which has been demonstrated to directly activate the protein synthesis machinery responsible for new muscle growth, and consequently, increased strength and fat loss.

Muscle building is also a target of Iowa-based Metabolic Technologies, Inc. (MTI), maker of BetaTOR. “BetaTOR is the pure, free acid form of HMB,” explained Shawn Baier, COO. “HMB has a strong following among sports nutrition consumers because it’s been clinically proven to increase strength, improve endurance and aid in recovery.” HMB, a metabolite of the essential amino acid leucine, aids in increasing muscle protein by decreasing protein breakdown and increasing synthesis. “BetaTOR is the newly launched, powerful delivery form of HMB, and is rapidly absorbed to produce higher peak levels in the blood as well as improved retention by tissues,” said Baier.

In the end, the market remains strong, said Sam Wright, IV, CEO of The Wright Group in Louisiana. “Aging Baby Boomers, rising health care costs, a culture of preventative behavior and emerging science has created a perfect environment for the growth of these products,” he said. “It is a perfect storm.”

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