If you thought this summer’s scorchers were hot, check out the sports nutrition market’s temperatures.

The numbers speak for themselves. And the numbers are beyond steaming, heading towards boiling over.

For example, Grand View Research sized the global sports nutrition market at an estimated $42.9 billion in 2022, with an expected compound annual growth rate of 7.4% from 2023 to 2030.

In the U.S. alone, market researcher SPINS LLC (Chicago) reports the sports/active nutrition supplements category at over $6.8 billion in sales for the 52-week period ending July 16, 2023, a 17.6% jump from the previous 52-week period—and a lava-like leap from the $2.5 billion recorded back in 2020.

It’s not just the post-COVID rebound that’s making the market sizzle, although that certainly didn’t hurt. According to Scott Dicker, market insights director for SPINS, it was “the expansion of the audience to include women and ‘casual’ gym-goers/athletes” who show growing interest in some of the category’s supplements that “have benefits beyond just exercise.”

Creatine is one such supplement, says Dicker. With $48.6 million in U.S. sales in the 52 weeks ending July 16, 2023, compared to $34.1 million in sales one year ago—amounting to a 42.5% increase—the ingredient is experiencing a rebirth of sorts.

 Once the domain of hardcore bodybuilders and emulating teenage boys, creatine attracted controversy back in the aughts, despite what proponents claim was a strong and safe scientific profile for helping support muscle growth, strength, and recovery. Today, the growth for creatine rests with audience expansion and emerging scientific research that shows promise for some cognitive functions, like memory and brain fog.

Dicker says that creatine continues to find renewed success as new audiences of women and the cognitive health–focused “flock to the well-studied muscle builder as new research is starting to support creatine beyond the gym.”

And then there are the TikTok influencers, but not necessarily the ones you’d think. According to this year’s annual Health and Wellness Trend Report 2023 recently released by The Vitamin Shoppe, the “creatine explosion,” as the retailer refers to one of its top-five trends, is partially driven by creative content from female influencers on TikTok, including those who spout the supplement’s benefits for maintaining bone and muscle health when combined with resistance training during and after menopause.

The report says that beyond bodybuilders and gym rats, creatine supplements are attracting more women, older demographics, and even vegans (who don’t typically consume creatine-rich foods), as research has shown it can support a host of benefits, from healthy aging and combatting muscle loss in older individuals to supporting brain function and memory.

Meanwhile, sports drinks continue their steady upswing, according to Circana, a Chicago-based market research firm (formerly IRI and The NPD Group). Since 2020, Circana has tracked double-digit gains for U.S. sports drink sales, with the latest report showing $11.35 billion in sales for the 52-week period ending July 16, 2023.

 The steady percentage gains in the past four years alone have been impressive: 12.6% in calendar year 2020 (ending January 3, 2021), 19.3% in 2021 (ending January 2, 2022), 13.4% in 2022 (ending January 1, 2023), and 10.6% in the 52 weeks ending July 16, 2023.

Likewise, energy drinks are enjoying similar success, according to Circana, with a 13.6% increase in U.S. retail sales in the 52-week period ending July 16, 2023, compared to the previous 52-week period, taking sales to $20.2 billion.

In fact, “the turbocharging of the already booming category of energy drinks” is the top trend from The Vitamin Shoppe’s 2023 report.

 The retailer also reported that its sales in the energy drink category “jumped over 40% at its stores in the first four months of the year, on top of a 12% gain in 2022.” In a May 2023 consumer survey commissioned by The Vitamin Shoppe, respondents who regularly consume energy drinks said they did so for the following reasons: to stay alert/focused (55%), for exercise/workouts (55%), and because they enjoy the taste (52%).

And SPINS reports that caffeine ingredients reached U.S. sales of a whopping $267 million in the 52-week period ending July 16, 2023, representing a 21% change from the prior 52-week period.

That makes sense given that caffeine is one of the most popular and prolific ingredients in energy drinks, as is another through-the-roof ingredient for this market: taurine.

Taurine is bursting with a 634% increase in sales, rising to $10 million in the 52-week period ending July 16, 2023, compared to a year ago, according to SPINS data.

Taurine’s sales explosion was “mainly buoyed by a lot of new products entering the market,” says Dicker. He goes on to explain that “taurine has received a lot of media buzz around longevity. With longevity a buzzy topic in general right now, it makes sense that any ingredient linked to it will see a sales bump.” However, he adds that the “longevity” of that sales bump remains to be seen.

Hydration Helps Quench The Sports/Active Nutrition Category

Ohad Cohen, CEO of ingredient supplier Gadot Biochemical Industries (Haifa, Israel), says that countless numbers of fitness enthusiasts are looking for products to assist in performance. “Within the sports and active nutrition category, hydration is trending,” he says.

The Vitamin Shoppe report tags hydration as its number-two trend in 2023, crediting innovative brands and young consumers with elevating demand for electrolyte products that are fun and flavorful.

The steep incline in hydration and electrolyte product sales—SPINS data for the U.S. demonstrate that the category grew by 68% in the 12 months ending in March 2023, on top of a 168% increase in the prior year, the report notes—represents a shift from the traditional audience for these products.

Previously it was athletes and those plagued by dehydration who were the category’s stalwarts, but the audience is morphing, with “young individuals over-indexing the average shopper by over 60% in this category, and boomers and seniors under-indexing the category by nearly 70%,” The Vitamin Shoppe reports.

Another hot ingredient is magnesium. The Vitamin Shoppe gave magnesium the last spot in its top-five trends in 2023.

 Brittany Michels, RDN, LDN, CPT, The Vitamin Shoppe’s registered dietitian nutritionist, says that “there are estimates that up to 70% of the general population is deficient in magnesium.”

Magnesium is a mineral and an electrolyte, and Michels explains that “we lose magnesium via sweat and stress” and that “athletes, especially those with high sweat rates, are prone to magnesium depletion. The need for magnesium increases as physical activity levels go up.”

Beyond magnesium’s physical fitness–related benefits, including energy production, muscle relaxation and recovery, and normal blood pressure support, Michels says that “some research shows that magnesium may reduce the accumulation of lactic acid during hard exercise sessions, as well as exert a protective effect on muscle damage.”

Like many of the trends noted in The Vitamin Shoppe’s report, magnesium owes its meteoric climb, in part, to influencers. Although health professionals still rank number-one (24%) as the primary source of information for wellness trends, social media and influencers (21%), health and wellness websites (20%), and news media (19%) are not far behind.

Influencers, Technology, and Personalization Seen as Growth Trends

For a category that built its business through testimonials, celebrity athletes, and influencers long before social media was a thing, those rankings may not seem like much of a surprise. But there is a shift, whether subtle or not, in the mindsight that accompanies brands working with sports heroes or assembling a small army of everyday fitness fanatics.

Joel Totoro, RD, director of sport science at Thorne, a health and wellness company with deep roots in sports supplements and strong ties with celebrity athletes and ambassadors, believes that “with the continued rise and popularity of social media, celebrities, athletes, and influencers have a huge opportunity to connect and engage with audiences around the world.”

He appreciates that “social media enables them to bring attention to many topics, including health and wellness.” However, he also acknowledges the weight that comes along with working with sports heroes and other influencers, particularly in this new time of rapid and constant wall-to-wall noise.

Totoro says that while social media platforms “spark buzz and foster conversation, there is a huge responsibility and an important one to provide accurate information, education, and resources.” He adds that “celebrities and athletes that do this well rely on their networks of healthcare providers and experts to help highlight and share the right messages and avoid misinformation.”

Beyond supplements, Thorne sells a collection of in-home tests—for sleep, stress, and the gut, for example—that enable people to test their urine, blood levels, and saliva, relying on biomarkers to help determine what nutrients and hormones they may need more of, or less of, as the case may be.

Technology is one of two top recent innovations for this category, according to Totoro, who says that “technology plays a crucial role in shaping the sports supplement landscape. The availability of data from wearables to personalized nutrition and at-home biomarker testing has enabled companies to tailor supplements to an individual’s unique makeup and specific performance goals.”

The reason why this personalized approach is promising for future category growth? It’s resonating with consumers, says Totoro.

The gut-brain axis—a bi-directional communication system between the gut and the brain—is the next trend that Totoro wants the industry to be aware of because he says that “a healthy gut microbiome supports cognitive function, mood regulation, and stress management, all vital elements that separate the champions from the rest.”

He credits advances in research and testing with pushing the importance of gut health to the forefront. Totoro notes that “although a well-balanced diet can provide the body with essential nutrients, it’s the gut microbiome that acts as the gatekeeper to unlock its full potential.”

Totoro reminds us that “the gut’s ability to break down and absorb nutrients directly impacts energy levels, muscle recovery, and overall endurance,” all of which are important for consumers whether they are competitive athletes or those who simply enjoy an active lifestyle.

One of Thorne’s top nutritional supplements that has exhibited impressive growth in the past year is EnteroMend, with curcumin and L-glutamine, both functional ingredients that support gut health, according to Totoro.

Dicker is not surprised by the science-based hype for microbiome-related products. When asked about anticipated trends for the coming year or two, he says that “microbiome and mushrooms are two segments that are just scratching the surface of what can be true game-changing products for the active-lifestyle consumer and the consumer at large.”

While he advises that it’s hard to pinpoint which specific ingredients or strains will be successful, he tells the industry to be on the lookout “for the next generation of active-lifestyle ingredients to come from these buckets.”

Protein Priorities, Caffeine Consistency, Shroom-Boom

NSF International’s (Ann Arbor, MI) Principal Technical Manager John Travis identifies a few ingredients that he deems as ones to keep an eye on.

First, the grandaddy of sports nutrition: protein. “There is a continuing trend in the popularity of protein, likely driven by the research findings on its positive impact on athletic performance,” says Travis. “Researchers continue to study [this] impact, and the positive findings from those studies are not lost on the sports dietitians or the athletes they serve.”

Caffeine, acknowledged earlier as a super thriver from a sales perspective, is also one of Travis’s trending ingredients. He says, “It has been a staple of energy and preworkout products, and now it’s permeated hydration products.”

Based on what he’s seeing within the company’s NSF Certified for Sport program, Travis aligns with Dicker’s prediction of the shroom-boom, stating that “ingredients from fungi are also becoming more prevalent, likely due to the purported positive impact on cognitive function,” a necessary component of athletic performance.

Travis is also not surprised that “CBD is a trendy ingredient, with athletes seeking natural alternatives for their [pain]-relief needs,” a necessity given the intense workouts, conditioning, and physical competitions that athletes subject their bodies to on a daily basis.

The thought is that hemp cannabidiol (CBD) will become more widely accepted as policies and legislation are clarified and continue to evolve.

One important victory pushing CBD into the mainstream was last year’s June announcement by Major League Baseball (MLB) that officially opened the door to league and MLB club sponsorships with CBD companies, available to those companies that are NSF Certified for Sport. Four months later, MLB and Charlotte’s Web, a market leader in hemp-derived CBD products, announced an exclusive multiyear strategic partnership, making Charlotte’s Web pioneers with the first CBD sponsorship deal with a major pro sports league. According to a press release, this deal provides CBD visibility to MLB’s professional athletes, millions of fans, and communities.

 Making the deal happen required a rigorous approval process that brought the two legacy brands together and filled a major gap in the sports channel for an NSF Certified for Sport portfolio of CBD products for players and consumers demanding safe, natural options to support recovery, help keep calm under pressure, and help sleep cycles and focus. Charlotte’s Web’s ReCreate Daily Edge was the first broad-spectrum hemp-derived tincture to be Certified for Sport by NSF.

A huge part of the growth in the sports/active nutrition market comes from the mainstreaming of sports nutrition products through an expansion of audience to include more active-lifestyle consumers.

A few years ago, Dicker unofficially coined the term as “the sportification” of non-athletes, an inclusionary approach that he says has led the category to “being for everyone.”

He explains that “the thought is that what is good for elite athletes is probably good for [everyone else] too,” at least from a fitness standpoint. Dicker continues, “With a great emphasis on healthy living and remaining active as long as possible, combined with a softening of marketing in this category to not only appeal to the ‘hardcore’ athletes, the category has become a staple of an ever-growing number of consumers, including women and older generations.”

Fit Lifestyle Opens Up New Opportunities for Industry And Consumers

This leads to another top-five trend from The Vitamin Shoppe’s 2023 report—and this one’s a big one, like a gigantic, fully open umbrella that aims to protect that broader consumer outreach with a welcoming approach. The approach encourages sports enthusiasts and the vitamin crowd to coexist, using some of the same sports and wellness supplements, sometimes for some different reasons. What’s also intriguing is The Vitamin Shoppe’s success with this concept to allow consumers to comfortably cross over to territories they previously wouldn’t have approached. Dare we say it’s a kinder, gentler movement that finds moms with kids in some of the same aisles as gym rats with bulging muscles.

Identified by The Vitamin Shoppe under the trend “Fit Lifestyle,” it builds on the interest from traditional sports supplement users to “expand into wellness supplements that address holistic needs.”

Here’s the concept: not only are more traditional sports nutrition categories, like protein, preworkouts, and creatine, representing a majority of sales at The Vitamin Shoppe, but gym goers and sports nutrition customers are increasingly integrating more foundational health products—such as supergreens powders, stress-support formulas, immunity products, and multivitamins—into their supplement routines.

What’s more, savvy brands were quick to drive this initiative forward. Brands traditionally known more for their proteins and preworkouts are now expanding with holistic health products to meet the demand, helping lead the way for the trend.

“This cross-pollination of brands, product categories, and customers led The Vitamin Shoppe to create a new merchandise concept in December 2022 called Fit Lifestyle, which brings these whole-body wellness products from sports nutrition brands into a cohesive, shopping-friendly display at stores,” the report notes.

Brian Hoke, chief merchandising officer at The Vitamin Shoppe, added in the report, “‘Fit Lifestyle’ is about complementing primary sports nutrition categories with categories that promote balance, recovery, and overall well-being—and what’s best is it’s with products from the same brands the sports nutrition customer knows and trusts. Our goal is to keep this customer thriving, in and out of the gym.”

And it’s working. According to The Vitamin Shoppe, the Fit Lifestyle concept was an immediate success with customers, and robust initial sales led The Vitamin Shoppe to increase its original sales forecast for the initiative by 40% in 2023.

The concept begs the question: will this work both ways? How far will the traditional vitamins-only customer travel into the unknown world of sports supplements? And will they need to learn another language? If the creatine trend is any indication, borders may already be broken down.

Jack Gayton, divisional vice president of merchandising at The Vitamin Shoppe, tells 

 “Anecdotally, I can say that we have seen customer crossover from our vitamins and minerals categories into the Fit Lifestyle category. Our super-branded greens have been doing very well, along with our hydration products.”

So perhaps there’s a common language after all?

Then there is the continued strong interest in creatine to which Gayton says that “while most of those sales are from sport-minded customers, we are seeing the traditional vitamin customer, especially those in the 40-50+ age group, getting into creatine for its cognitive benefits.”

Gayton breaks news that “next year, we are going to expand on our Fit Lifestyle position and focus on longevity and products that can support staying vibrant as you age. I think that will be a trend all customers will have interest in, regardless of age.”

Staying Active Intertwines with Benefits, and Vice Versa

So, what does this all mean for the marathoners, the daily five-mile cyclists, the pickle ballers, and the Pilates proponents? And the mom who says she just likes the taste of protein bars?

Dicker says it means there is stronger focus on total wellness. “The dots are being connected that staying active leads to many health benefits like increased sleep quality, better cognitive function, and immune support. The same is true in reverse: sleep quality leads to being able to have more energy and stay active,” he says.

To pull a Martha (Stewart)-coined phrase, “It’s a good thing.”

For Dicker, the holistic crossover approach “makes more casual ‘athletes’ less apprehensive about buying these products now.” Using creatine as an example, he says that was a product that women typically stayed out of; however, social media, with women advocating the actual use of creatine—the whats, whys, and hows, along with explaining the health benefits—made it less scary for women to try it out, even if they were a casual gym-goer instead of a power lifter.

Dicker adds that “once you’ve tried a form of supplementation, and you hear about the benefits of another, it is not as daunting anymore.”

Of the sports and active nutrition market, “The overall category struggled in 2020 but came roaring back in 2021 and hasn’t looked back, being the fastest-growing category in Vitamins, Minerals, Supplements (VMS) [for] the past few years,” says Dicker.

Perhaps that’s the best news of all for companies in the sports/active nutrition category—its rise from the almost-ashes to red-hot lava heights—proving that reinvention is possible and victory is attainable.

Grand View Research. Sports nutrition market size, share & trends analysis report by product type (sports supplements, sports drinks), by application, by formulation, by consumer group, by end-user, by sales channel, by region, and segment forecasts, 2023 – 2030. 

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sports-nutrition-market

Data from SPINS for 52 weeks ending July 16, 2023; 52 weeks ending July 17, 2022; and 52 weeks ending July 18, 2020. Data pulled for the Sports/Active Nutrition category covers these subcategories: creatine, hydration and electrolytes, intra- and postworkout, preworkout, supplements performance other, weight management formula, and protein supplements and meal replacement.

Data from SPINS for 52 weeks ending July 16, 2023, compared to the 52 weeks prior.

The Vitamin Shoppe. Health & Wellness Trend Report 2023. 

https://press.vitaminshoppe.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Vitamin-Shoppe-Health-Wellness-Trend-Report-2023.pdf

Data from Circana, a Chicago-based market research firm. Circana’s sales statistics represent U.S. retail sales data in the grocery, drug, mass market, convenience, military, and select club and dollar retailer segments.

Press release. Major League Baseball, pioneering CBD brand Charlotte’s Web strike groundbreaking deal. October 12, 2022. 

https://www.nsf.org/news/major-league-baseball-pioneering-cbd-brand-charlottes-web-strike-groundbreaking-deal

Articles

As the sports and active nutrition market reclaims its glory, which ingredients and products are the champions?

Sports and Active Nutrition: Which ingredients and products are winning?

Like an old shoe, minerals just comfortably fit the dietary supplements category. They’re essential to hundreds of bodily functions, assisting enzymes in chemical reactions. They’re the backbone of, well, bones. They keep your fluids fluid. They help make your muscles move and keep your nerves steady. And that’s just for starters.

But don’t call them basic. Because ingredient companies are zhuzhing up the category, making minerals both more interesting and additionally attractive to brands and consumers alike. How are they doing so? By exploring new delivery methods and by piggybacking on the popularity of what some might say are sexier supplement categories.

Gummy Popularity Is Sticking for Minerals

“Minerals had a history of being a box that was checked in a formulation, and much thought wasn’t given to the form of the mineral,” says Michelle Martin, president and COO at mineral ingredients supplier Cypress Systems Inc. (Madera, CA). “Today’s supplement consumer is more educated and realizes form matters.”

Oliver Riemann, senior marketing and business development manager at Albion Minerals, part of Balchem Corp. (Montvale, NJ), agrees. “Nowadays, consumers are seeking convenient and enjoyable ways to incorporate essential minerals into their daily routines,” he says.

And what the consumer wants, the consumer gets.

Riemann notes that “in response to this shifting demand, in recent years we have seen a boom in new, more convenient delivery formats emerging on the market.” He explains that Albion’s research and development team “has worked diligently to integrate our minerals into a variety of new formats such as gummies, effervescent tablets, and powdered supplements, by doing [our] own trials in our lab in Utah to have the best possible preconditions to support and consult our customers whenever challenges in their formulation occur.”

The gummy format is far from new, but it is still growing in popularity, with many companies formulating minerals for use in the gummy market. Gadot Biochemical Industries’ (Haifa Bay, Israel) CEO Ohad Cohen advises that “consumers are demanding more gummies with minerals, and we have the experience in minerals to provide gummy manufacturers with their quest to include calcium, magnesium, and zinc in their formulations.”

Recognizing that gummies “have become one of the fastest-growing categories in the nutraceutical market,” Gadot developed a magnesium citrate that Cohen says is a “bioavailable source with high concentration, perfect for incorporating into gummies.” He adds that this advancement addresses food technologists’ challenges in creating effective and palatable mineral gummies.

But Gadot is not just about gummies. When it comes to minerals, the company is known for its “tailor-made solutions for different applications” beyond gummies and softgels, and also for fortified and functional foods and beverages.

Martin, too, is on board with innovative product-delivery methods, stating that “brands are becoming very creative in how they’re incorporating minerals into their products.” For instance, she advises that Cypress’s minerals “have been used in a wide range of applications, including immunity shots, functional sparkling waters, protein powders, gummies, crackers, and even lactation cookies.”

And Martin is not just touting the number of applications and flavor profiles, but points to “the rate at which a body can utilize what it consumes” as being Cypress’s “top priority.” That’s what impacts consumers’ health and the effectiveness of the finished product, she says.

Cypress also has a line of yeast-bound minerals featuring its flagship branded ingredient SelenoExcell, says Martin. “Through a specialized fermentation process,” she advises that “minerals are absorbed into the cell wall of the yeast, transforming it into a food-form ingredient that makes it more bioavailable to the body.”

Martin further shares that “yeast, in general, is growing in popularity as the plant-based nutrition trend attracts increased attention.” She maintains that “as functional foods grow in popularity, food-form minerals are an easy and effective solution.”

While almost everyone is hopping aboard the chew-chew train, at least two companies remind us that not everyone is ready to throw out other tried-and-true forms.

“Though gummies have gained significantly in popularity,” according to Yu Liu, PhD, research and development manager at Innophos (Cranbury, NJ), “softgels and capsules are different supplement forms that continue to be popular for end-consumers.” He believes that these forms are also “still a nice alternative to those with so-called ‘pill fatigue.’”

So, are minerals consumers really done with pills yet? Maybe, but maybe not. As Riemann reminds his colleagues, “While functional gummies are currently one of the fastest-growing categories, we shouldn’t forget that tablets and capsules are still dominating the market. So, it’s important to ensure we continue to maintain and improve the efficacy of these formats.”

Heeding the latest desires for friendlier delivery forms is just one challenge for this market. Another is bioavailability. And some would say that there’s not a more sizzling trend in today’s minerals market than minerals that are chelated—a process many agree that, compared to non-chelated minerals, makes mineral absorption easier for the body.

In fact, says Liu, in addition to embracing new delivery systems like gummies to appeal to a broader population, “improving the dynamics of nutrient absorption to boost nutrition through mineral chelation” is another key way of advancing the minerals category.

He’s got reason behind his rationale. Innophos recently compared three different USP sources of magnesium citrate compounds and their effects on the texture and stability of pectin-based gummies. The company summarized its study results in a new white paper in support of its branded Chelamax magnesium citrate ingredient for gummies.

Liu, who is a co-author of the white paper, proclaims that “bioavailability is a major concern as our customers are not just seeking out higher loading but also improved bioavailability, which we are able to provide with many of our chelated compounds.”

Meanwhile, Albion’s Riemann declares, “In the minerals space, common challenges related to bioavailability and side effects are being tackled with new research and science aimed at optimizing ingredients’ efficacy and supporting new product claims.”

He says that “multiple studies have shown that chelation can improve the bioavailability of minerals, which means they can be more easily absorbed into the human body and promote optimal tolerability—giving consumers a digestive-friendly experience in their daily consumption.” Riemann informs that the Albion portfolio predominantly comprises organic mineral amino acid chelates, like its well-researched branded iron ingredient Ferrochel, a bisglycinate chelate that, compared to the inorganic alternative, causes less gastric upset and doesn’t react with other nutrients.

“Consumers now have a better understanding about bioavailability,” says Gadot’s Cohen, adding that “organic mineral forms such as citrates, bisglycinates, and gluconates offer higher bioavailability compared to inorganic salts such as oxides, carbonates, sulfates, and phosphates.”

Cypress’s Martin agrees that “there is an increased buzz around chelated minerals, and it’s more than a trend. Scientifically, chelated minerals have been proven to have increased absorption, stability, and solubility while minimizing the negative side effects some minerals offer.”

Martin adds that “our brand was built on and remains dedicated to advancing the issue of bioavailability.” She shares that two years ago, “we saw a continued need for improved bioavailable minerals that yeast cannot absorb, so we launched a line of fully reacted chelated minerals.”

Here’s why. “Chelated minerals take inorganic forms of minerals and alter their physical and chemical properties by attaching them to an amino acid such as glycine, converting them into organic minerals. This chemical bond allows for better absorption,” Martin explains.

Overcoming Other Challenges in the Minerals Market

There are other challenges, too, for the minerals market, and they come with solutions that ingredients companies are happy to provide.

For example, Riemann advises that flavor and stability are still key challenges in the minerals category, especially when it comes to developing new delivery formats or combining minerals with other ingredients.

Speaking specifically to flavor, Riemann explains that “unpleasant tastes in mineral supplements can deter consumers from consistent usage and put them off repeat purchases. To overcome this challenge, we harnessed the latest cutting-edge technology to create ‘taste-free’ versions of the main ingredients in our Albion Minerals range.”

Albion’s Iron Taste-Free and Magnesium Bisglycinate Chelate Taste-Free are just two of the ingredients in the line that Riemann calls “virtually flavorless, making it easier for brands to formulate delicious and consumer-friendly products.”

Given the scope of Innophos’s white paper, Liu speaks specifically to the gummy segment when he says that “the texture is a major concern from large-scale multinational customers.” He notes that “they specifically call out grittiness, for example, as a significant textural concern for their products and are always on the lookout for new, improved mineral raw materials to solve this issue.”

Among the findings in the Innophos study on which the white paper was based was the result that showed that pectin gummies made with Chelamax magnesium citrate exhibited a more pleasing texture, less stickiness, and higher loading levels of magnesium compared to the other ingredients.

Liu also points to “the stability of the mineral in the gummy,” observing that mineral stability for product formulators “is top of mind as the mineral compound can degrade over time and the level of mineral decreases. Manufacturers compensate for this by adding significant overage of minerals to the supplement, which leads to increased costs.” Sidestepping this need is a major advantage.

Sports Nutrition, Health Conditions, Growth Opportunities for Minerals

It’s no secret that the sports/active nutrition category is on a roll. According to Grand View Research, the global sports nutrition market was valued at $42.9 billion in 2022 and is estimated to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 7.4% from 2023 to 2030.

 Cohen views the sports category’s strong growth as an opportunity for the minerals market, one that is driven by “mainstream consumers purchasing sports/active nutrition products and who are seeking convenient, on-the-go functional products.”

He’s thinking of the importance of minerals in sports and energy drinks. “Consumers are looking for beverages that contain sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium,” says Cohen. “Consumers want the right amount of electrolytes with less sugar. We see strong development in ready-to-drink (RTDs) and powder in sachets ready to mix with water.”

When it comes to functionality, it’s not just the product delivery method that matters. Apparently, consumers want their minerals with a side of multipurpose, please. This applies to all health concerns, sports nutrition and beyond.

In this regard, Martin finds that there “is a surge in mineral use within condition-specific formulas as the increase of knowledge in their specialized functions expands. With the notion that most consumers are no longer looking for just multis or low-quality ingredients, it makes sense that they are turning to these more personalized formulas to improve their health experience.”

AIDP’s (City of Industry, CA) flagship magnesium brand, Magtein, is known for its brain-support benefits, says Laurentia Guesman, AIDP’s business manager, food and supplement ingredients. Magtein contains magnesium L-threonate, phosphatidylserine, and vitamins C and D.

A newly published, double-blind, placebo-controlled study tested 109 healthy Chinese adults ages 18-65, with subjects receiving either 2 g/day of Magtein or placebo.

 A standard test commonly used in Chinese hospitals and academic institutions for cognitive evaluation was administered before and after the 30-day study period, with results showing significant improvements over the control group in all five subcategories of test results as well as in overall memory quotient scores.

Guesman further advises that AIDP’s newer magnesium product, ATAMg, is positioned for relief from symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Both Magtein and ATAMg offer high bioavailability and ease in formulation, she notes. She adds that “zinc was strong during COVID, but we are seeing a shift to magnesium for mental health, sleep, and muscle relief.”

Albion’s Riemann shares that “we are also seeing a rising demand for multi-ingredient solutions that contain several on-trend ingredients in combination for improved efficacy, or to tackle multiple health issues at once.”

Meanwhile, Cohen cites troubling statistics about mental health from Mental Health America showing that 21 million Americans have depression and that anxiety affects nearly 42.5 million people in the U.S. But he also sees some promising news. He discloses that an Innova Lifestyle and Attitudes Survey 2023 showed that nearly 25% of Americans have made changes in their nutrition habits to improve their mental and/or emotional well-being during the past year, while one in two American consumers have turned to natural products to help provide mood support and promote calmness.

Calling magnesium “the mental health mineral,” Cohen opines that “it has never been timelier for formulators who want to address mood support.”

Back To Basics for Forward-Looking Growth

“Today’s consumers seek not only effective and bioavailable mineral supplements but also demand products backed by science, transparency, and sustainability—aspects that brands simply cannot overlook,” Riemann reminds us. “Brands that partner with ingredient suppliers able to provide solutions that meet all, or most, of these criteria can achieve a significant competitive advantage.”

And minerals are well established in the book of good health. According to Martin, “The foundational role of minerals in our health and wellness is becoming better understood by consumers. They are non-negotiables. We need them to live and function optimally.”

In addition to the essentialness of minerals, here’s another heartening thought for a category that is solid. Truth be told, there is some comfort for consumers in what’s comfortable.

Gadot’s Cohen tells the story this way: new ingredients are introduced in the dietary supplement and functional food industry at “an increasingly accelerated clip. Several are so new that consumers are largely unfamiliar with them.” On the other hand, Cohen expresses that this “contrasts to minerals, which nearly every health-conscious individual is aware of.”

That’s surely an encouraging thought even as mineral companies seek innovation and creativity in a category of mostly stable ingredients. No matter what the kids say these days, basic doesn’t always mean boring. Sometimes, it’s what consumers need and what companies can feel good about—as long as they address challenges, stay relevant, and meet consumer preferences.

Innophos white paper: Chelamax magnesium: for a better gummy. March 30, 2023. 

https://www.innophos.com/gated-content/chelamax-magnesium-gummy-whitepaper

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/sports-nutrition-market#:~:text=Report%20Overview,7.4%25%20from%202023%20to%202030

Zhang, C.; Hu, Q.; Li, S.; et al. A Magtein®, magnesium L-threonate, -based formula improves brain cognitive functions in healthy Chinese adults. 

Mineral supplements are better than ever.

2023 Mineral trends: Gummies, chelation, stability, and more

If knowledge is power, it’s worth contemplating for a moment that the average consumer today has access to more knowledge than did the kings and queens of even a century ago. And one way these empowered consumers are exercising their newfound authority is by taking control of their health.

Their deputies in that pursuit are the apps, trackers, and at-home test kits that have eliminated layers of healthcare gatekeeping to deliver real-time data direct to individuals, who use that intel to inform everything from fitness plans to diet strategies.

Whether you call it personalized health or precision nutrition, it’s a revolutionary approach to wellness that’s settling in quite nicely around the digestive space, and for reasons that Stefan Weitz, cofounder, Jetson Health (Chicago), thinks are elementary: “Our guts,” as he sees it, “are like our fingerprints—uniquely ours.”

Supplement formulators see it this way, too. And by mining consumer data for insights into individual gut-health needs, they’re tailoring individualized solutions to meet them. “The good news,” Weitz adds, “is that these solutions are often simple, affordable, and relatively benign.”

While the degree of precision we’re witnessing today is a phase shift for the nutrition industry, consumers have long applied an element of personalization to their supplementation regimens. As Weitz says, “Just like when we choose that cherry-red lipstick over the muted mauve, we pick supplements that support the benefits we want.”

The difference now, he goes on, “is that there’s less guesswork and more science-backed decision-making.”

Romy Block, MD, cofounder, Vous Vitamin (Highland Park, IL), agrees. Instead of choosing supplements based on word of mouth, celebrity endorsements, or advertising—strategies that she claims “sub-optimize health”—personalization “engages the consumer in an interactive and iterative digital conversation around their own profile, representing a step-change improvement because we can now relate a particular product to an individual’s unique attributes.”

No wonder she’s eager to see what the approach brings next. “It’s an exciting prospect that for the first time in our industry’s history, companies like ours have large-scale sets of consumer-level data to use in building evidence-based, personalized vitamins that were never meant to live on thousands of retail shelves but instead in the specific medicine cabinets of the individuals taking them,” she says.

And none of it would have been possible absent data. As Block notes, “The application of data science and artificial intelligence has been critical to the personalized-vitamin experience,” as it lets companies like Vous Vitamin do everything from predict shopping-cart behavior to tweak formulation specs “in ways that would have been unimaginable at our outset.”

In fact, argues Nathan Price, chief scientific officer, Thorne (New York), the convergence of at least three key technologies will drive personalized nutrition in theory and in practice, both now and for the foreseeable future.

First among them, he says, are “deep measurement technologies that let us make thousands of measurements at low cost from, for example, blood or stool.” Next up, he cites the emergence of “digital twins”: computer representations of an individual’s unique biology that help formulators “simulate expected benefits from intervention combinations,” Price continues.

The third critical tech that he predicts will shape personalized nutrition is, not surprisingly, those large language models that we’ve all heard so much about—think ChatGPT or Bard.

“The key,” Price emphasizes, “is to connect all three to trusted information sources to ensure the accuracy of what’s given back, as well as to inform the technologies with individual measurements for deep personalization. We’ve never had anything remotely like this before, and it leads to a democratization of knowledge at a scale that’s truly transformative.”

But whiz-bang technology aside, rank-and-file consumers also deserve credit for embracing the technology that’s fostered such a radical change in the first place, Block points out.

“There’s been a culture shift around consumers’ technology use,” she observes, noting that when Vous Vitamin first launched in early 2014, many consumers—particularly older ones—“were scared to shop online or enter credit-card information on sites beyond Amazon.”

While COVID-19 helped break down those barriers, so did the steady proliferation of tech-enabled direct-to-consumer services that have sprung up since. “And now,” Block says, “in 2023, consumers are very comfortable with ecommerce and subscription delivery-box programs”—which, conveniently enough, is how many personalized-nutrition products arrive on consumers’ doorsteps.

More of those products are landing there by the quarter, too, with many aiming directly at digestive health.

And it makes sense. As Price says, “Sixty to 70 million U.S. adults suffer from some kind of gut-health issue, so a large fraction of the population is looking for solutions.” That’s helped lift the global digestive-health market to a value of $47.8 billion in 2022, per Grand View Research, with compound annual growth of 8.2% predicted from 2023 to 2030.

When it comes to personalization specifically, Price notes that respondents to a 2022 McKinsey & Co. survey said they were much more likely to prioritize personalization than they were the year before, and that Comet Market Research placed personalization among its top-three picks for the gut-health market in 2023.

If consumers intuitively see gut health as suited to personalization, the evidence suggests they’re on the right track. “Microbiome science,” Price points out, “has advanced tremendously during the past decade, and it’s showing that the microbiome is intensely personal.”

 he led analyzing data from 10,000 subjects found that an individual’s microbiome “becomes increasingly unique beginning around age 50,” Price notes. “So your microbiome looks less and less like anyone else’s if you age healthily.”

Moreover, “Gut health is readily accessible via a stool sample,” he adds. All of which leads him to conclude that “personalized health’s emphasis on individual needs and preferences is transforming the formulation and marketing of gut health supplements that cater to specific gut health needs.”

And where do they get the data from which to tailor those bespoke formulations? From tests that consumers take often in the comfort of their own homes. As Price says, “The step change is how much more precise we can be with testing, and thus how much better people can know their own bodies.”

For example, microbiome tests like those that Thorne includes in its gut-health battery use what he calls a “microbiome wipe technology” to analyze the full complement of microbial genes in a consumer’s gut. The company then sequences the detected DNA “to identify what’s living in the gut, the diversity of the microbiota, and the balance between beneficial bacteria like 

 and potentially harmful bacteria,” he says.

Meanwhile, fecal occult blood tests detect amounts of blood in the stool small enough to elude sight. Further stool testing might identify parasites, bacteria, or pathogens that could cause gastrointestinal symptoms while also revealing signs of inflammation or other changes in the digestive tract.

Blood tests also spot infection and inflammation, as well as signs of malabsorption possibly associated with the gut, Price continues. “And metabolomics testing is emerging,” he adds, “with the latest science showing that information about the microbiome can be gleaned from small molecules made by the microbiome that are then absorbed into the bloodstream.”

Breath tests that measure exhaled gases such as hydrogen and methane can detect lactose intolerance, small-intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and conditions like fructose malabsorption, while assays of certain biomarkers—enzymes, for instance—open a window onto digestive function. Price notes as a case in point that low levels of elastase, a pancreatic enzyme that digests proteins, might signal pancreatic insufficiency and the downstream potential for nutrient malabsorption and deficiency.

Finally, gut-lining assessments scope out signs of inflammation and immune responses that might reflect a compromised gut lining, as is often implicated in “leaky gut.” And given the gut’s major immune role, Price points out, “Looking at various immune markers by testing gives insights into how the gut’s immune function is doing.”

Once all that data lands in formulators’ laps, the real personalization begins. “Let’s break it down,” Price says.

If a test finds that a consumer’s gut microbiome is “out of balance,” for example, Thorne can recommend a prebiotic, probiotic, or postbiotic supplement to bring it back into line, Price says. So in cases where test results show scant presence of beneficial species like 

 a probiotic supplement containing those species might be in order.

On the other hand, armed with the knowledge that our microbiomes produce many B vitamins, test results failing to find the genes that code for a particular B vitamin’s production might suggest supplementing with the vitamin itself, Price explains.

“If malabsorption is an issue, indicated by fats being present in the stool,” Price goes on, “then a supplement to support bile function can be suggested.” Meanwhile, signs of inflammation or a compromised gut lining call for support from amino acids like L-glutamine, “or a compound like butyrate that strengthens the gut barrier,” he says. And if the gut’s immune response seems weak, the simple introduction of vitamins C and D, or even botanicals like Echinacea, might be just the trick.

Whatever winds up on the list, Price says, “It’s important to note that all supplement recommendations are tailored to personal needs based on test results while also taking into account overall health, lifestyle, and dietary preferences.”

Which, after all, is the hallmark of personalization. “We have greater flexibility in matching consumers to their most optimal nutritional regimens when we have data on their needs,” Block says. “We can now tell if a consumer has a complex GI condition like Crohn’s or colitis, or if they have digestive discomfort with certain supplements, like iron. We’re no longer forced to make blanket statements—like all consumers should take a daily probiotic—because we can find those consumers who will benefit most from this approach.”

In fact, she emphasizes that Vous Vitamin is “not in the business of trying to target probiotics or other gut-health supplements based on genetics or stool samples,” using instead dietary and personal-health data to decide whether or not a probiotic might even be appropriate for an individual’s daily supplement formula.

“The typical off-the-shelf multivitamin doesn’t contain probiotics, and the consumer is forced to determine whether or not they might need one and purchase it on their own,” she notes. “We use data to remove this burden and craft multivitamins with a more creative range of nutritional support, possibly including probiotics.” 

While Block is certainly bullish on personalized nutrition’s potential to improve consumers’ choices and gut health alike, she also acknowledges that the science behind the approach is still in its early stages.

For starters, “There’s a lack of consensus around what even defines a ‘healthy’ microbiome,” she notes. And at-home test methods remain limited. “Expensive and invasive testing creates friction with many,” she concedes. “It’s intimidating and off-putting to collect and send a stool sample, and it’s costly and dangerous from a privacy perspective to submit personal genetic information to a third party.”

Not all consumers are skilled at conducting at-home tests with the same precision as would be standard in a doctor’s office, either, she continues, adding that while results can look like a slam-dunk, “you really need to trust the source and understand what they’re saying from a scientific perspective; many genetic tests may show you if you have a gene, for example, but they don’t tell you if that gene’s active or passive.”

Price recognizes the constraints, as well, admitting that even Thorne’s own gut-health test presents only “a snapshot of a person’s gut health at a particular moment, which might not take into account changes triggered by factors such as diet, stress, or sleep.”

Data analysis poses further obstacles, he continues. Consider that the gut interacts with multiple body systems, including the immune, endocrine, and nervous systems, “creating complex associations that might not be fully captured or identified by a gut-health test,” he says.

And the products themselves are imperfect. As Jetson’s Weitz puts it, “Supplements sometimes promise the moon while delivering a bit of moon dust.” Even those formulated to a fare thee well can display different degrees of effectiveness in different bodies, given an individual’s genetics, metabolism, lifestyle, and ability to absorb and use active ingredients.

The upshot: We haven’t reached precision-nutrition singularity just yet. As Block cautions, “Ultimately, consumers need to weigh the cost and privacy risks of these methods against the purported utility that the information serves for vitamin selection and dosing. We’ve seen too many consumers told that they need to swallow a whole pharmacy every day when that’s clearly not warranted for them.”

Nevertheless, she and others in the space can’t deny their optimism.

“The future is exciting in this arena,” Block declares. “We look forward to better-designed scientific studies on the interplay of nutrition and the gut microbiome. Bio-banks are growing with testable material, and artificial intelligence is improving the analysis and comparison of results. We’re also getting more consumers into longitudinal studies where they’re retested at intervals, so we can observe changes based on interventions. This will produce enhanced knowledge, and over time we’ll improve products and the matching systems used to help consumers on their health journey.”

Price predicts more integration among wellness disciplines, too. “Healthcare practitioners, scientists, dietitians, and health coaches are collaborating more than ever, delivering more holistic and personalized care,” he says. “So personalized health’s emphasis on individual needs and preferences really is transforming the formulation and marketing of gut-health supplements. And in the future, we expect even more personalization.”

Grand View Research. Digestive health products market size, share & trends analysis report by product (non-alcoholic beverages, dairy products), by ingredient (food enzymes, probiotics), by region, and segment forecasts, 2023-2030. 

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/digestive-health-products-market

Wilmanski, T.; Diener, C.; Rappaport, N.; et al. Gut microbiome pattern reflects healthy ageing and predicts survival in humans. 

Personalized nutrition is transforming the digestive health space.

Nutritional Outlook Vol. 26 No. 7

Sports and Active Nutrition: Which ingredients and products are winning?

2023 Mineral trends: Gummies, chelation, stability, and more

Personalized health takes digestive wellness to a higher level

Why does creatine still dominate sports nutrition?

Summer of discontent

How to capture consumers who are keto or intermittent fasting

From barriers to breakthroughs: Pioneering multifunctional nutritional solutions for the health-conscious consumer

Setting the record straight: Why the supplement industry must fight social media misinformation