01.20.21
AstaReal, Beneo, and Gelita, three nutraceutical ingredients suppliers, recently provided some market insights into the role that nutraceuticals currently play in E-Sports, a once-niche collective of people who play video games competitively on a professional level.
Today, E-Sports are a booming market, having generated a revenue of more than $950 million in 2019, with more active gamers now than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic most notably in the U.S., France, the U.K., and Germany. Converging with other categories such as sports nutrition and energy drinks, the gaming community has its own unique nutritional targets which can be honed in on by the manufacturers of functional foods and nutritional supplements.
Just like in traditional sports, e-athletes are required to perform at their best during competitions, as sponsors and fans have huge expectations, and athletes have huge expectations regarding the demands on their own performance. Many gamers are looking for products with additional health benefits and scientific backing. The have diverse requirements, ranging from better concentration and reactivity to the prevention of wear-and-tear. E-athletes often suffer from back and neck pain, fatigue, headache, and irritated eyes, or have problems with the tendons and ligaments in their hands.
Performance and Protection
“The gaming nutrition market offers great potential. There are still relatively few products in this area, compared to the myriad of e-athlete demands. For manufacturers of sports nutrition products and dietary supplements, this represents numerous opportunities to position themselves and their products successfully,” Oliver Wolf, head of B2B Marketing at Gelita, said. “Our Biotactive Collagen Peptides (BCP) Tendoforte have, for instance, been scientifically tested for years in the field of sports nutrition and are equally suitable for sue in the e-sports sector.”
Gamer’s thumb, a common joint problem caused by overstrain, can be prevented with collagen peptides effectively, Wolf said.
Astaxanthin, another potential e-sports ingredient, is a rare antioxidant which crosses the blood-brain barrier. Clinical trials evidence its role in the in improving performative tasks related to concentration, memory, and mental agility, and it is also believed to attenuate irritated eyes, a common side effect of prolonged screen time.
“Many games also require an enormous degree of tactical understanding, quick judgment, and heightened attention span,” Andie Long, marketing and sales manager at AstaReal, said. “An e-athlete’s diet should therefore be similar to that of other competitive sportspeople and include nutrients such as natural astaxanthin, which improves concentration as well as physical and mental fatigue.”
Beneo points to a number of studies from the German Sport University Cologne which suggest that e-sports can, in some regards, be as physiologically demanding as other sports. One study, for example, found that during a competition gamers can produce cortisol at a level comparable to that of racecar drivers. This is combined with a high pulse rate, which can reach 160-180 beats per minute, the equivalent of a very fast run. Gamer’s energy demands call for solutions comparable to that of endurance athletes – functional drinks, bars, and snacks can help them to concentrate and stay relaxed during stressful situations.
Beneo’s sugar alternative, Palatinose, is formulated to deliver balanced and sustained energy from carbohydrates, making it a sweetener that avoids the typical “crash” associated with sugar, as it is formulated to allow glucose to enter the bloodstream more slowly, ensuring that blood sugar levels remain low.
“Many manufacturers continue to rely on their products delivering a quick kick via rapidly available carbohydrates such as maltodextrin, sucrose, or glucose syrup in combination with caffeine or taurine. However, this is suboptimal if you need power for a longer period of time and have to remain focused. Carbohydrates such as Palatinose, on the other hand, offer a balanced supply of glucose as energy source. In addition, scientists have found that the special way Palatinose provides energy can enhance a person’s mood and memory skills,” Thomas Schmidt, marketing director at Beneo, said, citing a 2014 clinical trial which found improvements in a number of cognitive performance metrics in children whose breakfasts were supplemented with Palatinose (isomaltulose) rather than glucose.
Today, E-Sports are a booming market, having generated a revenue of more than $950 million in 2019, with more active gamers now than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic most notably in the U.S., France, the U.K., and Germany. Converging with other categories such as sports nutrition and energy drinks, the gaming community has its own unique nutritional targets which can be honed in on by the manufacturers of functional foods and nutritional supplements.
Just like in traditional sports, e-athletes are required to perform at their best during competitions, as sponsors and fans have huge expectations, and athletes have huge expectations regarding the demands on their own performance. Many gamers are looking for products with additional health benefits and scientific backing. The have diverse requirements, ranging from better concentration and reactivity to the prevention of wear-and-tear. E-athletes often suffer from back and neck pain, fatigue, headache, and irritated eyes, or have problems with the tendons and ligaments in their hands.
Performance and Protection
“The gaming nutrition market offers great potential. There are still relatively few products in this area, compared to the myriad of e-athlete demands. For manufacturers of sports nutrition products and dietary supplements, this represents numerous opportunities to position themselves and their products successfully,” Oliver Wolf, head of B2B Marketing at Gelita, said. “Our Biotactive Collagen Peptides (BCP) Tendoforte have, for instance, been scientifically tested for years in the field of sports nutrition and are equally suitable for sue in the e-sports sector.”
Gamer’s thumb, a common joint problem caused by overstrain, can be prevented with collagen peptides effectively, Wolf said.
Astaxanthin, another potential e-sports ingredient, is a rare antioxidant which crosses the blood-brain barrier. Clinical trials evidence its role in the in improving performative tasks related to concentration, memory, and mental agility, and it is also believed to attenuate irritated eyes, a common side effect of prolonged screen time.
“Many games also require an enormous degree of tactical understanding, quick judgment, and heightened attention span,” Andie Long, marketing and sales manager at AstaReal, said. “An e-athlete’s diet should therefore be similar to that of other competitive sportspeople and include nutrients such as natural astaxanthin, which improves concentration as well as physical and mental fatigue.”
Beneo points to a number of studies from the German Sport University Cologne which suggest that e-sports can, in some regards, be as physiologically demanding as other sports. One study, for example, found that during a competition gamers can produce cortisol at a level comparable to that of racecar drivers. This is combined with a high pulse rate, which can reach 160-180 beats per minute, the equivalent of a very fast run. Gamer’s energy demands call for solutions comparable to that of endurance athletes – functional drinks, bars, and snacks can help them to concentrate and stay relaxed during stressful situations.
Beneo’s sugar alternative, Palatinose, is formulated to deliver balanced and sustained energy from carbohydrates, making it a sweetener that avoids the typical “crash” associated with sugar, as it is formulated to allow glucose to enter the bloodstream more slowly, ensuring that blood sugar levels remain low.
“Many manufacturers continue to rely on their products delivering a quick kick via rapidly available carbohydrates such as maltodextrin, sucrose, or glucose syrup in combination with caffeine or taurine. However, this is suboptimal if you need power for a longer period of time and have to remain focused. Carbohydrates such as Palatinose, on the other hand, offer a balanced supply of glucose as energy source. In addition, scientists have found that the special way Palatinose provides energy can enhance a person’s mood and memory skills,” Thomas Schmidt, marketing director at Beneo, said, citing a 2014 clinical trial which found improvements in a number of cognitive performance metrics in children whose breakfasts were supplemented with Palatinose (isomaltulose) rather than glucose.
