The sports nutrition market saw quite a bit of action in the last couple years. Between U.S. Olympic swimmer Jessica Hardy testing positive for the stimulant clenbuterol, which she blamed on the dietary supplement she was taking, to Greek Olympic athlete Fani Halkia, who also came up dirty on her drug test, suggesting the vitamin supplements she took were the possible culprits, the sports nutrition industry is a busy market.
“The sports nutrition and weight-loss category is one of the biggest and fastest growing categories according to Nutrition Business Journal, which recently reported the category grew at 7.6 percent to $2.7 billion in sales for 2008,” said Scott Steil, president, Nutra Bridge. “Given the upward shift in both health education and individual responsibility for maintaining one’s own health, consumers have clearly made living a healthy, active lifestyle a priority. The robust growth in the sports nutrition market proves supplements are a core part of such a commitment.”
NMI’s 2009 Health & Wellness Trends Database reported 22 percent of consumers indicated they use sports nutrition products (amino acids, creatine, protein powders, sports hydration drinks, sports nutrition bars and sports nutrition supplements).
According to Mintel, the sports and energy drink segment gained 164 percent in sales during 2002 to 2007, due in part to the launch of numerous line extensions from Gatorade in the sports drinks sub-segment.
And this market isn’t just geared toward committed athletes anymore; its playing field stretches larger, including those who lead an active lifestyle. “For years, ‘sports nutrition’ products were designed for hard-core athletes and body builders,” said Bob Green, president, Nutratech. “The industry was all about bulking up, bodybuilding and performance enhancement; but today, sports nutrition products are attracting a much broader, mass audience. We’re now dealing with a new generation of consumers who have grown up knowing an active lifestyle has positive, long-term implications for health, fitness, weight management and longevity.”
FDA is becoming a major player, as it focuses its enforcement efforts toward sports nutrition. With recent GMPs (good manufacturing practices) put in place, the process from which a supplement is created to when it hits the shelves has changed, and is demanding a closer look and stricter guidelines. Many companies are “stuffing” their dietary supplements with FDA-approved drugs, or worse, steroids aiming to beef up the consumer, which makes the supplement an illegal drug and not a dietary supplement. In July 2009, FDA issued a warning, stating it found several products marketed as bodybuilding supplements with ingredients that are anabolic steroid alternatives and/or are steroid-like, but which contain synthetic, designer steroid compounds. “From a supplier point of view, the aftermath of the recent ingredient scandals involving sub-standard suppliers, activists, members of Congress and FDA are demanding action to prevent poor-quality ingredients reaching the consumer,” said Patrick Luchsinger, marketing manager – North America, Lipid Nutrition. “From an overall industry perspective, the supply chain needs can be better guarded with ongoing GMP certifications and quality assurance education.”
Abhijit Bhattacharya, chief operating officer, OmniActive Health Technologies, agreed that the supply chain needs closer scrutiny. “Adulteration, mislabeling, sub-optimal levels or deliberate spiking of supplements with inappropriate or unauthorized ingredients are some of the undesirable practices of a few unscrupulous suppliers,” he said. “With the new GMPs coming into force, responsible suppliers and formulators will be able to cooperate in assuring each other and the end consumers that the products entering the market contain the right level of ingredients, and the overall understanding of food safety and claim substantiation will ensure that responsible manufacturers following accredited safety certifications such as ISO-22000 food safety management systems and well-documented product literature will stand a greater chance of success.”
In addition to adulteration, bogus and unsubstantiated product claims have become an issue. These claims can potentially scare away consumers, undermine the dietary supplement industry as a whole, as well as cause large waves in the sports nutrition pool. “Product claims are continually under scrutiny as is product safety,” Steil said. “The key to regaining consumer trust and ensuring future success in the sports nutrition arena is found in building a partnership between ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, marketing companies and retailers. Suppliers need to invest significant resources in science and perform well-designed clinical studies in North America. Manufacturers need to use ingredients that have a proven track record. Marketers need to set realistic consumer expectations and then deliver a product that meets or exceeds them.”
Bhattacharya added, “It is important to look for the science and the data underlying claims for a product and its active ingredients.” And he couldn’t be more right.
