Sports nutrition

Amway notches $11.8 billion in sales in 2014

07-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

Amway, the world’s largest network marketing company, reported $11.8 billion in sales, a 4.4% growth over the $11.3 billion in sales the company notched in 2012.

Asia-Pacific sales growth drives USANA's strong results

07-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

USANA Health Sciences, a network marketing company based on sports nutrition, weight management and general health nutritional products, posted an impressive 10.6% gain in net sales for its fourth quarter of 2013. Net sales hit $186.3 million for the...

Canada OKs enhanced health claims for Ixoreal's KSM 66 ashwagandha

07-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

KSM-66, an ashwagandha root-only extract from Ixoreal BioMed, has been approved in Canada for health claims that include stress reduction, sports nutrition benefits and support for healthy testosterone levels.  The approval of the claims, which go beyond...

Infographic

Protein still sports nutrition king, but watch out

06-Feb-2014 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Protein is still the bedrock of sports nutrition says Euromonitor, but non-protein products are expected to grow faster in several important global markets like Australia, Canada and Indonesia.

Mexican astaxanthin producer to become vertically integrated

06-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

Another natural astaxanthin player is increasing its manufacturing capabilities with the announcement that Piveg, Inc.  a carotenoids manufacturer with business offices in San Diego, CA and production facilities in the central Mexican city of Celaya,...

New study supports Sensoril's psychomotor benefits in healthy subjects

05-Feb-2014 By Hank Schultz

A new study on the ashwagandha ingredient Sensoril shows its ability to significantly improve cognitive and psychomotor performance during simple reaction, choice discrimination, digit symbol substitution, digit vigilance and card sorting tests in healthy...

Vitamin C and E supplements hinder endurance training: Study

04-Feb-2014 By Oliver Nieburg

Athletes supplementing with vitamin C and E could be harming their endurance ability, a study by Norwegian researchers suggests.

Driven Sports ‘completing destruction’ of remaining Craze

04-Feb-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Pre-workout product Craze has been removed from the market and remaining inventory is being destroyed, as its manufacturer Driven Sports reacts to media attention and published tests.

Algatech says longer shelf life a differentiator for its astaxanthin

31-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

Companies are striving for ways to differentiate their ingredients in the red hot (pun intended) astaxanthin sector.  The latest effort has been made by Israel’s Algatechnologies, which has announced a longer shelf life for its algae-derived 10% astaxanthin...

Sports nutrition popularity boosts price of some pre workout supplement ingredients

28-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

Strong demand from consumers for sports nutrition products is working its way backward into teh supply of the popular ingredients for these products, sending their prices up, according to a survey from ingredients supplier GWI.

$130 million in financing to underpin Twinlab management buyout

27-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

Capstone Financial Group will act as advisor and help raise $130 million in financing to underpin a planned management buyout of Twinlab Corp. and attendant formation of a new entity aimed at future acquisitions.

DSM introduces new astaxanthin form, responds to critics of its 'nature-identical' approach

24-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

DSM has announced a new form of its AstaSana nature-identical astaxanthin—a 10% fluid suspension—and in doing so has responded to recent questions raised about its synthetic ingredient.  

‘Important implications for protein formulations’: Leucine-enrichment can boost low-protein beverages for muscle growth

21-Jan-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplementing low-protein beverages with leucine can produce the same level of muscle synthesis in young men as a beverage with five times the protein levels, says a new study.

'An interesting new application': Pine bark extract may boost fitness and muscle recovery

17-Jan-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements with extracts from French Maritime Pine bark may boost endurance and reduce cramping by controlling oxidative stress, according to a new study.

Hydration product marketer pursues focused strategy to reach target market

16-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

Having a good product is one thing. Branding and marketing it effectively is another, and Vipe Desai, founder and CEO of HDX Hydration Mix—a company marketing a healthy hydration supplement—knows this better than most. Desai helped introduce Red Bull...

Warning letter underscores FDA view of extraction and concentration as factors in NDI status

03-Jan-2014 By Hank Schultz

A warning letter from FDA to Star Scientific, makers of an antioxidant supplement called Anatabloc, underscores again the agency’s focus on the status of New Dietary Ingredients.

Resveratrol researcher and player refute high-dose study findings

02-Jan-2014

A study that found high doses of the polyphenol, resveratrol, could inhibit exercise benefits in older people, has been attacked in the same journal that published the original work back in June for methodology and statistical errors.

2013 warning letters: NDIs, beverage vs supplement, and brand holders' obligations among important themes

20-Dec-2013 By Hank Schultz

Reading through the warning letter tea leaves, Denver-based attorney Justin Prochnow has come up with some important themes from the Food and Drug Administration.  Obligations of brand holders, status of liquid products and the regulatory status of new...

Finished product testing requirements puts pressure on multiple ingredient products, expert says

16-Dec-2013 By Hank Schultz

Setting specifications for products and testing to make sure the lots going out the door meet those specs is a key facet of meeting GMP requirements.  But if a company has a product that might include many ingredients, how does it formulate a realistic...

Immune health forming larger part of sports nutrition sphere

13-Dec-2013 By Hank Schultz

Immune health is an increasingly large part of the thin edge of the wedge that is sports nutrition, one of the hottest categories in the dietary supplement sphere.

Targeted digital marketing helps company succeed in brick-and-mortar space

12-Dec-2013 By Hank Schultz

NutraClick, a Boston, MA-based nutritional products company, has found success building its business model on a targeted online advertising strategy. The company was so successful, in fact, that a major chain came to them to request they place their products...

Nutroganics signs deal to bring South African sports products to US

11-Dec-2013 By Hank Schultz

In another development in the super-heated sports nutrition space, Nutroganics, a firm that specializes in acquiring healthy lifestyle businesses, has signed a deal with South African firm Ultimate Sports Nutrition  to bring USN products to the US market.

New test aims to measure 'wellness' via metabolic state, developer says

03-Dec-2013 By Hank Schultz

Nutraceutical technology development firm Health Enhancement Products Inc. has a new urine test in field trials that will measure a participant’s ‘wellness’ level via biomarkers for oxidative stress, the company announced recently.

Dispatches from #FIE2013

Protein has a big ‘ordinary’ future, says Glanbia

27-Nov-2013 By Shane STARLING

Irish dairy ingredients specialist Glanbia Nutritionals once filled its sights almost exclusively with the sports nutrition sector, but the explosion of interest in protein means the ‘ordinary’ mainstream food industry is a bigger and bigger target.

Leucine: Where whey protein gets its magic

27-Nov-2013 By Maggie Hennessy

Scientific support for the role of protein in building and maintaining lean muscle, maintaining weight and aging healthy continues to grow, but not all proteins are created equal, according to nutrition and exercise physiology expert Chris Mohr, PhD,...

More woe for OxyElite Pro as Euro ban widens

25-Nov-2013 By Shane STARLING

Italy, Portugal and Ireland have joined a growing list of nations to ban pre-workout supplement, OxyElite Pro.

Dispatches from SupplySide West 2013

We don’t see the pre-workout sector going in the right direction post-DMAA: Chromadex CEO

22-Nov-2013 By Stephen Daniells

New ‘suspect alkaloids’ are finding their way into the controversial pre-workout supplement sector, and potentially dangerous products will continue to flourish in the marketplace while there is wider support from the industry, according to the CEO of...

Dispatches from SupplySide West 2013

Magnesium is 40% of our business and it keeps growing: Albion

22-Nov-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

It has been described as the ‘hottest ingredient in the mineral category’, and leading mineral supplier Albion most definitely agrees as sales of its magnesium ingredients now account for 40.6% of Albion mineral sales.

Hi-Tech sues FDA over 'bullying campaign'

21-Nov-2013 By Hank Schultz

Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, the Georgia-based company from which FDA seized $2 million worth of products that contained DMAA, has sued the agency in federal court claiming the agency has bypassed standard rulemaking procedures in favor of a “bullying campaign”...

FDA seizes another $2 million worth of DMAA products

19-Nov-2013 By Hank Schultz

The FDA moved to seize more than $2 million worth of DMAA-containing products from Georgia-based Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals Inc.  US Marshals seized the goods after agency investigators determined they contained 1, 3-Dimethylamylamine HCl (DMAA) or its chemical...

Glico Nutrition targets US sports nutrition growth for novel maltodextrin

12-Nov-2013 By Stephen Daniells

With a successful GRAS status under its belt and a Glico Nutrition and a large-scale human clinical trials set to conclude in early 2014, Glico Nutrition of Japan is eyeing a larger slice of the US sports nutrition market.

UK warns against another USPLabs pre-workout supplement

12-Nov-2013 By Shane Starling

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned consumers off VERSA-1, the second pre-workout sports supplement made by Texas-based manufacturer USPLabs containing the disputed ingredient, aegeline.

Following on Hawaii liver injury reports, USPlabs issues national recall of OxyElite Pro

11-Nov-2013 By Hank Schultz

Sports supplement manufacturer USPLabs has recalled lots of its OxyElite Pro products after receiving a letter directing the action from FDA motivated by reports of liver illnesses in Hawaii associated with the product.  FDA also it directed the recall...

Betaine supplements may support muscle growth and improve body composition: Human data

11-Nov-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of betaine may improve body composition, performance and power of strength-trained men, according to the first human clinical trial to show such benefits.

UK medicines agency issues OxyElite Pro 'no-no'

08-Nov-2013 By Shane Starling

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has joined the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) in warning consumers off pre-workout sports supplement, OxyElite Pro.

Conclusion that herbal supplements causing more liver injuries disputed by expert

06-Nov-2013 By Hank Schultz

The incidence of liver damage caused on by herbal dietary supplements is on the rise, according to information presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.  But those conclusions have been questioned by...

Vitamin Shoppe: ‘Private label is an important growth opportunity for us’

06-Nov-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Growth in private label and one of its recently launched MyTrition products already a top selling product, Vitamin Shoppe is planning more new product introductions by year end, said the company’s CEO.

Kyowa Hakko's Sustamine continues market penetration with energy gel launch

05-Nov-2013 By Hank Schultz

Kyowa Hakko’s Sustamine sports nutrition ingredient continues to gain traction in the US marketplace with its latest launch in an energy gel.

Beetroot juice supplementation may boost time trial performance

04-Nov-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice for four days prior to a running time trial may boost performance, according to results of a study with trained female runners.

Durbin sends USPLabs letter about OxyElite Pro liver injury issues

31-Oct-2013

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, has sent a letter to USPLabs, maker of the OxyElite Pro product that has been associated with cases of liver injury in Hawaii, seeking information on the company’s business practices and ingredients.

Are bael and its aegeline content set for intense analytical & safety scrutiny?

25-Oct-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

It’s a sacred tree to Hindus and the dried fruit is used in teas, but could Bael (Aegle marmelos) soon be the center of intense scrutiny from the herbal community, analytical experts, and regulatory authorities?

Australia and NZ add to OxyElite Pro’s global woes

23-Oct-2013 By Shane Starling

Australia and New Zealand have jointly issued a warning against pre-workout sports supplement OxyElite Pro following its links to an outbreak of acute non-viral hepatitis in Hawaii that killed one person and affected 29.

UK, Denmark, Spain follow US and warn consumers off OxyElite Pro

22-Oct-2013 By Shane STARLING

British, Danish and Spanish authorities have warned people not to consume OxyElite Pro, following a similar US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning issued to manufacturer USPLabs after a Hawaiian outbreak of hepatitis linked to the pre-workout supplement.

Craze manufacturer disputes NSF's discovery of drug tainting

17-Oct-2013 By Hank Schultz

The news that NSF and two collaborators have found a methamphetamine-like compound in the popular pre-workout sports supplement Craze is being disputed by the product’s manufacturer, Driven Sports.

USPLabs gets warning letter for Oxy Elite Pro and VERSA-1, but claims aegeline ingredient has a long history of safe use

16-Oct-2013 By Stephen Daniells

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent a warning letter to Dallas, Texas-based USPLabs for its OxyElite Pro and VERSA-1 products, claiming the ingredient aegeline is not a lawful dietary ingredient, but the company says the ingredient is a...

Probiotics (Bl-04) may reduce common cold risk in active adults: Clinical trial

14-Oct-2013 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplements of the probiotic Bifidobacterium lactis subsp lactis Bl-04 may reduce the risk of the common cold (upper respiratory tract infections or URTIs) in active adults, says a new study from Australia.

Science, certifications drive export potential of US-made sports nutrition products, experts say

11-Oct-2013 By Hank Schultz

The sports nutrition market continues to expand, and with global demand rising, experts say opportunities are growing, too, for US made products in export markets.

Myth busting: Soy supplements are not an issue for bodybuilders, say researchers

11-Oct-2013 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Short-term supplementation with soy and whey protein does not lead to pro-estrogenic or anti-anabolic effects in bodybuilders, according to new research.

The ‘shady supplements industry’ vs ‘legitimate medicine’: A tragic tale often told

10-Oct-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Acute non-viral hepatitis is tragic, whether it’s potentially linked to a product labeled as a dietary supplement or not. It is also tragic when critics of supplements use it as a stick to beat the entire industry with, despite there being many unanswered...

FDA investigating liver damage reports potentially linked to products labeled OxyElite Pro

08-Oct-2013 By Stephen Daniells

A federal investigation is underway into reports of acute non-viral hepatitis in Hawaii, with many of the cases being linked to a dietary supplement product labeled as OxyElite Pro.