Top Ingredients for Sports Nutrition
The global pandemic had a severe impact on the sports nutrition market. However, after experiencing a 33.5% pandemic-related decline from 2019 to 2020, demand has come roaring back! According to Grand View Research’s “Sports Nutrition Market Analysis Report, 2022-2030”1 the 2021 market saw a 47.4% increase over 2020—a significant level of growth.
Sports nutrition is a big market with lots of opportunities
Overall the global sports nutrition market size was $40.0 billion in 2021 and is forecast to hit $43.0 billion in 2022. Within this broad category, sports supplements accounted for over 50% of 2021 revenue.
The increasing demand for sports nutrition products ties into one of the big trends that we’re seeing in the supplements market in general: Consumers are exhibiting an increased focus on health and quality of life. It’s not just athletes who are turning to nutraceuticals and sports supplements to support their health and fitness goals. Lots of people are doing so…and this presents opportunities for supplement manufacturers to expand their product line to meet this growing demand.
What do sports nutrition products do?
From capsules and powders to drinks, foods, and more, sports nutrition products generally contain ingredients that are believed to help with one or more of the following:
- Energy and well-being
- Endurance
- Building and maintaining muscle
- Recovery, including muscle recovery
What are the top ingredients to consider including in your sports nutrition product line?
The following provides information on a number of ingredients, grouped according to the specific issues they can help address…
Energy, Endurance, overall performance, and well-being
Ashwagandha extract
Used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years, ashwagandha extract “promotes a youthful state of physical and mental health and expands happiness.”2
L-glutamine
L-glutamine can be beneficial for endurance and performance as it helps muscles be able to push a bit further.
Omega 3
In addition to its recovery properties (see below), omega 3 also has positive impacts on the heart. By decreasing heart rate and the amount of oxygen that the body burns every minute, omega 3 can have a positive impact on athletic performance3.
Building and maintaining muscle
Ashwagandha extract
In addition to its impact on well-being, ashwagandha extract can also increase testosterone levels in men4. Testosterone is important for building and maintaining muscle.
Creatine monohydrate
Creatine is an extremely popular ingredient in sport supplements because of how it enhances physical performance in sport. Creatine can increase muscle mass and strength, muscle power output, and lean muscle mass5.
Leucine
Leucine is a branched chain amino acid that supports muscle health by stimulating muscle growth and helping to preserve lean muscle tissue. It also provides muscle glycogen.
Protein
Supplement manufacturers have found that there’s a huge market for protein supplements, especially whey or vegetarian protein powders. When taken immediately after exercise, protein can help people of all ages and body types to build and repair muscle fibers.
Recovery and muscle recovery
Beta-caryophyllene
Derived from pepper oil, beta-caryophyllene is effective for relieving pain and reducing inflammation. Research has shown that it significantly reduces delayed-onset muscle soreness as well6.
Omega 3
Omega 3, such as what is found in omega-3 fish oil capsules, has anti-inflammatory compounds that speed up recovery after exercise.
Quercetin
Quercetin is known to be one of the ingredients that is good for recovery. One study, for example, showed that quercetin can increase isometric strength and reduce the muscle weakness that is associated with eccentric exercise-induced severe muscle damage7.
Tart cherry extract
Tart cherry extract contains many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenol compounds. When used for sports nutrition, it can reduce oxidative stress, reduce muscle damage, promote faster exercise recovery, and help with recovery of muscle strength8.
Capsules are an excellent choice for many sport supplements
Many consumers appreciate capsules because they are convenient, portable, easy to swallow and allow for precise dosing. Plus, from the branding standpoint, capsules offer supplement manufacturers a broad range of customization options, including custom printing on both the cap and the body of the capsule.
References
1 Grand View Research, “Sports Nutrition Market Analysis Report, 2022-2030,” published January 2022.
2 Uddin Q et al. “Phytochemical and pharmacological profile of Withania somnifera Dunal: A review.” Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science, vol. 2, no. 1 (2012): 170-175.
3 Supplement Factory, “The Top 10 most Popular Sports Nutrition Supplements”
4 Lopresti AL et al. “A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study examining the hormonal and vitality effects of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in aging, overweight males.” American Journal of Men’s Health, vol. 13, no. 2 (March-April 2019): 1557988319835985.
5 Mawer, Rudy, MSc, CISSN, “How Creatine Helps You Gain Muscle and Strength,” Healthline, May 29, 2017.
6 Amalraj A et al. “Preparation and characterization of liposomal β-caryophyllene (Rephyll) by nanofiber weaving technology and its effects on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in humans: A randomized, double-blinded, crossover-designed, and placebo-controlled study.” ACS Omega, vol. 5, no. 37 (September 8, 2020): 24045-24056
7 Bazzucchi I et al. “The effects of quercetin supplementation on eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage.” Nutrients, vol. 11, no. 1 (January 21, 2019): 205.
8 Hooper DR et al. “Broad spectrum polyphenol supplementation from tart cherry extract on markers of recovery from intense resistance exercise.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, vol. 18, no. 1 (June 14, 2021): 47
