More than 11,000 competitors are expected to go to Tokyo for the postponed 2020 Summer Olympics, which will take place from July 23 to August 8, with the goal of winning a Gold, Silver, or Bronze medal as a mark of their sport’s finest performance. The Olympics are frequently used to motivate individuals to exercise more, eat more, and remain healthy, since the worldwide competition raises awareness of the need of maintaining muscles, bones, and joints in good form. In addition, this is also a chance for Beverage Brands, especially sport drinks brands to promote their products.
Sports nutrition is a rapidly growing field. According to a February 2020 “Sports Nutrition Market” report from Market Data Forecast in Hyderabad, India, the sports nutrition market was worth $15.6 billion in 2020 and is expected to nearly double by the end of 2025, reaching $31 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9% between 2020 and 2025.
Creatine, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), protein powders, isotonic/electrolyte drink powders, and ready-to-drink (RTD) protein drinks and sports drinks were among the ingredients/products studied in the research. Athletes and bodybuilders often take these items to promote general health, performance, and muscle building, while athletes and regular customers consume sports drinks to replace body water levels lost via perspiration.
Early in the epidemic, two forces influenced sales, according to Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md. On the one hand, supermarkets gained traffic at the expense of convenience stores, which account for 40% of sports drink sales. However, such losses were largely offset by gains in grocery store sales as shoppers stocked up on groceries.
Sports recovery, bone, and joint health products are no longer only for athletes, and as a result, have had to change to meet the requirements and expectations of a larger set of customers, according to Carla Saunders, senior marketing manager for Minneapolis-based Cargill.
Saunders also says that today’s sports nutrition customer needs solutions that promote overall wellbeing and a healthy weight, take into account label-friendly preferences, provide convenience, and, most importantly, taste great. To meet all of these demands, we’re seeing an increase in interest in developing products with less sugar or perhaps no sugar at all, but instead of using artificial sweeteners, businesses are turning to plant-based sweeteners like stevia. She states that protein is still popular in these goods, but it’s increasingly coming from plants. Brands are also capitalizing on customer demand for more functional additives that provide particular benefits. Besides that, inflammation is a popular target in the sports recovery market, and with the increased focus on immunity, we anticipate to see more products with immune-supportive chemicals in their formulation.
