Consumers Want to Take it Personally with Customization
The outlook of consumers navigating the sports nutrition market appears to be no different than more mainstream segments, Williams said, in that it is appealing for individuals to have a wide range of choices, and the ability to tailor their products to fit their individual needs. The rise in products with gluten-free claims put this trend on the map in sports nutrition, due to the way it highlighted differentials in what people need in order for these products to be accessible.
Compounding this is the fact that sports nutrition products are being sought out for a greater number of applications, extending well beyond the typical energy-boosters that once served as the be-all-end-all in nutritional support of athletic performance. Williams pointed to the advent of diets which involve monumentally shifting macronutrient intake in order to lose weight, such as a high-protein or keto diet.
Examples of novel nutritional needs which are permeating the sports nutrition market include another one of Innova’s top food trends, which is using food as a means to improve mood and/or emotional health. “Endurance and energy are still important, but it’s also becoming increasingly important to target emotional health and lifestyle these days,” Williams said. She highlighted the prevalence of CBD in sports nutrition formulations, along with a long line of adaptogenic herbs and other ingredients considered to have nootropic properties, all of which are becoming “hero” ingredients that the sports nutrition segment ought to keep an eye on.
Additionally, Williams said that sports nutrition applicaitons are becoming increasingly technical, with a greater demand for products meant to be taken at certain times of the day, or those which prove to be most beneficial either before, during, or after a workout. She also pointed to two products emphasizing a move toward not only techincal, but technology-based nutrition solutions, such as the Vejo blender bottle, or Unlimitech's Smart Mask, which is worn to determine an individual's resting metabolic rate.