Marketing Popularity of Sports Nutrition Products to Continue to Grow The sports nutrition market continues to witness a surge in popularity, as everyday consumers turn to such products for a variety of reasons. Such occasions can range from consumers wanting products that help facilitate exercise routines, to offering a convenient health boost as they look to maximize wellbeing, to seeking out alternative treats that are deemed guilt-free and offer taste and nutrition at the same time. As these products continue to grow in popularity, addressing concerns about the taste and texture of products will be crucial for the sector to increasingly compete with traditional snacking markets. Over the last ten decades, the sports nutrition market has become increasingly mainstream, shifting from a specialized and niche sector associated with avid gym goers, to one that is turned to by everyday consumers seeking out better-for-you solutions. In the wake of COVID-19, this is a trend that will continue, as consumers look to address overall levels of health, improve their eating and drinking habits, and engage in more physical activity as they take a long-term approach to health maintenance. Indeed, consumers want products that help facilitate health routines and also snack products that they deem to be conveniently nutritious and guilt-free. In the last eighteen months, consumers have significantly re-evaluated their attitudes to health and wellness as a result of the pandemic. Initially, consumers were concerned about their vulnerability to complications arising from the virus. However, these concerns have now become more broader, with many recognizing that many diets and lifestyle related problems which were in existence before COVID-19 threaten their long-term health. For instance, research conducted in 2020 found that 24% of consumers say that their health has deteriorated in the last two years, 41% have experienced a health problem that has impacted their quality of life, 23% say that their diets are unhealthy and 6% admit that they do not engage in any form of exercise. Ultimately, consumers want to address this as they want to stay fit and healthy until as late in life as possible. This is why research conducted in 2021 shows that 76% of consumers say that they are making attempts to eat and drink more healthily, whilst 35% say that they plan to increase the levels of physical activity that they engage in. All of these attitudes are something that will drive demand for sports nutrition products amongst mainstream consumers. Research conducted in 2021 shows that 44% of consumers are seeking out products that are either naturally high in, or are fortified with functional snacking for health benefits, compared to 24% who said this two years earlier. Additionally, 78% of consumers also say that they associate protein with boosting the immune system. These three figures show that consumers are seeking out products that feel offer a convenient health boost via the promotion of active ingredients, 42 food Marketing & Technology • August 2021
Marketing something which will benefit the sports nutrition market. It is also worth noting that 43% of consumers also say that they are turning to comfort food and drink more frequently for moments of escapism. In times of uncertainty, consumers can often turn to products to help alleviate guilt, however such consumption occasions can help create feelings of guilt afterwards if they are seen to conflict with wider health goals. As such, consumers will want products that offer taste and nutrition simultaneously, again something that will drive demand for sports nutrition products. As need states amongst consumers continue to evolve, the opportunity for the sports nutrition market to compete with traditional snacking categories such as chocolate and confectionery continues to grow. However, despite the positive sentiment that can exist around the sports nutrition market, it is important to recognize that barriers to purchase exist. For instance, consumers can have concerns about the taste and texture of such products and irrespective of concerns over health, are unwilling to trade-off between enjoyment and nutrition. If sports nutrition brands can continue to enhance the sensory aspect of consumption, it is a product sector that will continue to grow considerably over the next five years. fmt food Marketing & Technology EFFICIENT SENSORS FOR DAILY FRESHNESS Precise level measurement Compact flow measurement Smart conductivity analysis Connected Smart Sensor Solutions – Precise. Proven. Clever. www.baumer.com/dairy Key No. 100336 Robust pressure measurement Reliable foam detection Fast temperature detection
