'Shadiness' of supplement market drove EXOS to create own sports line with Thorne

By Hank Schultz

- Last updated on GMT

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been a client of EXOS for years and is the company's brand ambassador.  But in general, the company says it does not rely heavily on athlete endorsements for its marketing.
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been a client of EXOS for years and is the company's brand ambassador. But in general, the company says it does not rely heavily on athlete endorsements for its marketing.

Related tags Nutrition

EXOS, a sports performance firm,  says the increasing murkiness of the supplement market drove it to create its own sports nutrition line manufactured by practitioner channel specialist Thorne Research.

EXOS, formerly known as Athletes Performance, is a firm that offers training support to high level athletes. Prospective NFL draft picks heading into the yearly scouting where their performance is measured against established norms are common clients. Also, through a subsidiary, the company manages corporate wellness programs and consults with the military on training programs.

Line addresses ‘shady’ market

The new line, called EXOS Performance Nutrition, was launched in March to address the need for high quality products tailored to the company’s strategy in working with its clients, Joel Totoro, nutrition solutions manager for EXOS told NutraIngredients-USA. It was also a response to to what he said was the complication of the market, with dozens of new players and product launches yearly, not all of whom could be relied upon.

“Supplements have been part of the methodology since we opened 16 years ago,”​ Totoro said. “We were always looking for who has the best whey protein, or who was a viable creatine provider. As the market changed and the supplement industry got more and more, you could say, shady, we wanted more of an opportunity to direct our own product line.”

Totoro said the line is a complete one, offering products specific to sports performance as well as those that address everyday wellness needs.

“We have athletes with very high specific performance needs but they have human needs that are common to everybody. We have identified products that address the most frequently lacking ingredients in the diet,” ​he said.

The product line is crafted around EXOS’ overall nutrition strategy, which includes the three pillars of Foundation, Boost and Restore, Totoro said.

“In the Boost category, those are the products that are specifically directed toward sports performance.  This is where you see some of the shady claims about thermogenic or energy effects. This is where DMAA hit the news, with companies adding almost amphetamine-like ingredients to products,”​ Totoro said.

NSF certifications

In order to forestall those concerns, Totoro said the company partnered with NSF on certifications.

“Because we put so much effort between ourselves and Thorne Research in product development we wanted to highlight that quality. We currently have eight NSF Certified for Sport products; we identified those eight as being products in spaces where the certification was most necessary immediately. But all of our products are made in Thorne’s NSF GMP certified facility,”​ he said.

“We wanted to vet a partner that would match our goals. Thorne is committed to quality and research and their product standards are the highest. We don’t want to be good enough, we want to be the best. We want to be the good guys in the supplement industry,” ​Totoro said.

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Pycnogenol® for Sport: eNOS and Beyond

Pycnogenol® for Sport: eNOS and Beyond

Content provided by Horphag Research | 21-Mar-2024 | White Paper

Engaging in physical activities immediately triggers a number of physiological responses from our body (1). First, our liver glucose output and adipose...

A Groundbreaking Prebiotic

A Groundbreaking Prebiotic

Content provided by ADM | 12-Mar-2024 | Infographic

PreforPro® is a clinically studied prebiotic that supports the growth of select beneficial bacteria in the gut by utilizing phage technology.

LocVita® D3: Tailored Formulas & Beadlet Solutions

LocVita® D3: Tailored Formulas & Beadlet Solutions

Content provided by INNOBIO Corporation Limited | 11-Mar-2024 | White Paper

LocVita® Vegan Vitamin D3 delivers specially formulated options that are sugar-free and organic, designed to accommodate various dietary preferences and...

MOROSIL:INGREDIENT OF THE YEAR

MOROSIL:INGREDIENT OF THE YEAR

Content provided by BIONAP BIOACTIVE NATURAL PRODUCTS | 07-Mar-2024 | Product Brochure

MOROSIL™ has won as Ingredient of the Year in the category Weight Management at 2023 Nutraingredient USA. MOROSIL ™ is a standardized extract derived from...

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars