Energy, sports performance - Part 1
Trends
Growing demand for energy, sports foods and drinks.
Markets in Motion
Need a quick snapshot? When an object is moving too quickly, your image could be blurry. That’s perhaps the most appropriate way to describe energy and sport performance foods and beverages. Both product types represent growing, fast-moving categories and Innova Market Insights increasingly finds an overlap—a blurring of the lines—in the features and benefits of sports drinks and energy drinks.
Meanwhile, consumers now are expecting even more of these products—just like mainstream offerings—when it comes to clean labels and other attributes. They want energy and sports products to deliver honesty, transparency, convenience, a better health profile, and consideration of plant-based ingredients. Innova Market Insights is tracking the convergence of these trends in the energy and sports nutrition arena.
BY LU ANN WILLIAMS
Photo courtesy of: Getty Images / FilippoBacci
New Energy Options: Innova has monitored energy drink launches with “clean caffeine” during the past three years. Green tea is the most common ingredient while green coffee beans and tea extracts also are additional sources. Some products combine clean caffeine sources with other compounds associated with energy, such as yerba mate. Credit: Yerbae LLC
Energy drinks dominate the energy category
North American consumers looking for energy support find the most options within the beverage category. Innova defines energy drinks as ready-to-drink beverages marketed with the added benefit of awakeness or alertness. (Powders, ready-to-drink sports beverages, liquid concentrates, and gel formats with an energy benefit are categorized as sports nutrition.)
North America was the second top region for energy drinks launches during a recent one-year period, with Europe as the leading region. Approximately one-fifth of global energy drink launches are released in North America. However, price differences between North America and other regions lead to a larger and dominant North American share for energy drinks sales value.
Energy drinks highlight ingredients and benefits
North American consumers look for various features in energy drinks, led by taste/flavor as the attribute that most influences purchasing decisions. Not surprisingly, flavored energy drink launches demonstrate solid growth. The top five flavors are fruit flavors, led by orange and berry; while lemon, lemonade, and coconut are fastest growing. Innova also has spotted trends with indulgent new offerings—such as a sparkling mandarin drink with a note of creamy marshmallow flavor; drinks prepared with cold-pressed fruits such as berries and citrus; and others with spices that include the popular turmeric and ginger.
Phosphates Dual Role
By David Feder, Prepared Foods
Phosphates are a common ingredient used in food and beverage products. Phosphates typically are used for their versatile function in formulations to do everything from preserve and stabilize colors, textures, and flavors; act as a buffer or leavening agent; and extend shelf life to support metabolization of mineral enrichments such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. Lately, however, the phosphorous compound has been receiving attention for its possible beneficial effects in health, particularly pertaining to sports and activity.
Phosphate compounds play an indispensable role in metabolism, especially as a key component of adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP).These are organic molecules that serve as the energy “currency” that drives cell processes ranging from chemical synthesis to muscle contractions and nerve impulses. In sports and performance, phosphate supplementation has been investigated as conferring possible performance enhancement, stamina, and recovery benefits to some athletes.
Two recent studies indicated that short-term phosphate supplementation (as tri-sodium phosphate) could provide ergogenic benefits for some cyclists. In one study, “Effects of Short-Term Phosphate Loading on Aerobic Capacity under Acute Hypoxia in Cyclists,” (Nutrients; January, 2022), phosphate supplementation led to an increase in aerobic performance under conditions of acute hypoxia (low oxygen) for those subjects whose physiology responded to such supplementation.
In the second study, “The Effects of Sodium Phosphate Supplementation on the Cardiorespiratory System and Gross Efficiency during Exercise under Hypoxia in Male Cyclists,” (Nutrients; October, 2021), results indicated that tri-sodium phosphate “promotes improvements in the efficiency of the myocardial and cardiorespiratory systems during exercise” and could be “beneficial for endurance exercise performance in hypoxia.” It was found to lower the heartrate and increase the heart’s stroke volume while reducing heart muscle oxygen demand and possibly improving exercise tolerance. While more studies need to be conducted, these promising results suggest a dual role for phosphates, elevating them from support player to key component in better-for-you products.
Whey to Go! Ghost LLC partnered with Mondelez International Group on a limited-edition OREO "Mint" Whey Protein Powder. A serving delivers 25g of protein for post-workout recovery. Innova finds that sports powders lead the sports nutrition subcategory. Credit: Ghost LLC
Functional ingredients support energy. Caffeine and taurine are the most widely used ingredients for promoting energy and alertness. Antioxidant ingredients such as vitamin C, turmeric extract, acerola, and camu camu are promoted for immune support. Functional botanical ingredients like guarana extracts, ginseng, milk thistle, and guayusa appeal for general health and well-being.
Health claims are important to North American consumers and energy drinks deliver on consumer expectations. “Sugar-free” and “no added sugar” claims are top claims and show particularly strong growth in energy drinks, as well as sports drinks. Use of bulk and non-nutritive sweeteners is growing. We also see strong growth in vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, sodium reduction, and weight reduction claims. Interestingly, B vitamins often accompany energy claims.
Consumers enjoy energy drinks mainly in the morning and afternoon, especially mid-afternoon. This is similar to sports nutrition products, which also are most likely to be consumed for breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack. End of Part 1
Lu Ann Williams is Global Insights Director at Innova Market Insights, provider of market research services including the Innova Database. With more than 25 years’ experience in the food industry, Lu Ann is a trend expert and frequent public speaker at events worldwide. She leads a team of analysts and works with global clients. Contact her at luann.williams@innovami.com
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