In addition to basic hydration before and during activity, energy and strength are key to great workouts. Carbohydrates help performance by replenishing muscles’ glycogen stores and by providing the fuel needed for energy throughout the workout. In a rush, wellness bars are a convenient, popular option for carbohydrate and protein intake. In fact, according to SPINS cross-channel data, the wellness bar segment is growing by 10.2 percent over last year’s sales, representing an estimated US$2 billion market.
Despite the recent rise in popularity of pre-workout supplements, the pre-workout drink is not a new concept. It’s essentially a functional fluid to increase performance and workout capacity, consumed much in the same way as sports drinks.
Pre-workout supplements may help increase alertness and contain functional ingredients proven to help performance, such as creatine to help with short-term strength and power. According to SPINS data, dietary supplements in the performance nutrition segment containing creatine as the primary functional ingredient are up 39.2 percent in sales over the prior year, representing $68.4 million in annual sales.
SPINS data also show that protein supplements and meal replacements represent a $3.7 billion market with 9.2 percent growth over last year. Recently, many people have switched to plant-based protein for their post-workout shake. While whey is likely still the most effective source for building muscle, certain plant proteins have been shown to provide similar gains.
Learn more about ingredients that help athletes perform and recover in INSIDER’s Sports Nutrition: Before and After Digital Magazine.
Scott Dicker is a nutrition researcher at SPINS and has applied his education in nutrition and dietetics, as well as his education and experience in sports nutrition, to the ongoing development of the SPINS Product Library. Dicker helps drive the development of the Product Library that leads to the identification of new trends and opportunities supporting retailer and manufacturer business plans.
By : Scott Dicker
Source : Natural Products Insider
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