Somewhere between Millennials and Boomers lies an often ignored demographic in the supplement space: Gen Xers.
"One-third of gym members are Gen X-ers and the average age of amateur triathlon and marathon runners is over 40,” pointed out Sarah Teeter, director of marketing for Optimum Nutrition.
Yet the age group is largely ignored in the dietary supplement aisle
“Our bodies change as we age, and the right nutrition is essential to meet the needs for these active adults."
After hearing from consumers in their 40s, Optimum Nutrition (ON) took on the white space and developed a new line for active 40-somethings.
"We listened to our consumers, and we learned that older athletes face challenges when it comes to recovery and muscle mass," added Teeter, who is also a former fitness competitor and former collegiate basketball player. "So, ON invested in our research and put our product development strengths to work to create Gold Standard fit 40 – our first collection of products specifically designed for the everyday athlete over 40."
Getting a head start on healthy aging
With a growing number of adults over 40 who maintain an active, athletic lifestyle, Optimum Nutrition launched the Gold Standard fit 40 family of products which aim to support muscle recovery, muscle endurance and joint health.
The 40+ line includes:
- Gold Standard fit 40 Muscle Recovery Protein is for muscle support. It contains 30 grams of blended protein (primarily whey protein isolate) per serving. It's specially formulated to contain 4g of L-leucine to help support protein synthesis, muscle recovery and muscle gain for aging muscles. It offers protein (ultra-filtered for exceptional purity and fast digestion), with 4g carbs and 2g sugar. The product is available in chocolate or vanilla flavors and mixes easily with water, milk or nut-milk for a post workout shake.
- Gold Standard fit 40 Training and Performance Booster is for endurance and contains Creatine and Beta-alanine to support muscle strength and function. It also replenishes energy stores which are depleted during high intensity training. Other ingredients include calcium HMB to support strength and recovery. Peak O2 to support performance and vitamin D (100% of RDA) for muscle and bone health. Available flavors include in fruit punch and cherry limeade flavors. The booster can be mixed with water or before or after a workout.
- Gold Standard fit 40 Active Joint Health combines UC-II collagen, turmeric and vitamin C to help support collagen synthesis and joint health. There are 45 capsules per bottle.
An unmet need in the marketplace
"My older, active patients face challenges when it comes to muscle mass, endurance and joint health – and I've experienced those issues myself," said Dr. Brian Cole, MD, MDA, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon and a team physician for several Chicago professional sports teams. "ON recognized an unmet need and has created supplements with the right ingredients to address each of these critical areas."
"Not all nutrition supplements are created equally," said David Strickland, chief commercial officer for ON. "ON's mission is to help committed and motivated athletes achieve their fitness and performance goals. The changing needs of our consumers demand customized benefits from their nutrition products, and our product development team has delivered the right solution for active adults to train as they age. We are grateful for Dr. Cole's expertise and advocacy as an authority in sports medicine."
"ON is proud to help people of all ages and abilities to achieve their personal fitness and wellness goals," said Teeter. "We listen to our consumers, and we learned from older athletes that they desire more convenient supplements to meet their nutritional needs. So, we relied on our strength in innovation, research and development to create Gold Standard Fit 40 – our first family of products specifically designed to meet the needs of active adults 40+."
Gold Standard Fit 40 debuts at Vitamin Shoppe retailers today.
Influencers, the microbiome, protein, formulation challenges and opportunities, and female athletic consumers are just some of the topics that will take center stage at the NutraIngredients-USA Sports Nutrition Summit in San Diego, Feb 3-5, 2020.
For more information and to register, please click HERE.