Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition during COVID-19: Convenience declines, bulk protein remains solid, and the opportunity of virtual events

09-Jun-2020 By Stephen Daniells

While many sections of nutrition and dietary supplements industry have seen significant sales increases, there has been talk of declines for pre-workout products as gym visits stopped. But what are the brands themselves reporting, and what are the similarities...

Exploring nutritional risks among female athletes: Study

08-Jun-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Nutrition is key in an athlete's health and performance, with a variety of individual macronutrient and micronutrient needs based factors such as gender, age, and the type of the sport they’re involved in.

NutraCast Podcast: Optimum Nutrition's Sarah Lombard on sports nutrition trends

05-Jun-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Sarah Lombard, Director of Brand Marketing for Optimum Nutrition, joined the NutraCast to discuss how the sports nutrition category has evolved and where it might be headed.

PLT says BSCG certification will boost bona fides of new sports ingredient

04-Jun-2020 By Hank Schultz

Certifications will be an increasingly important part of the future sports nutrition marketplace, says PLT Health Solutions as it announces a new verification of one of its new ingredients.

Meta-analysis supports sports performance benefits of NZ blackcurrants

01-Jun-2020 By Stephen Daniells

New Zealand blackcurrants may offer a “small, but significant” improvement for sports performance, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.

NutraCast Podcast: George Stagnitti on colostrum research

29-May-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Colostrum is often thought of as a newborn's first meal — but it isn’t just for babies.

Weighing the risks of CBD in sports nutrition

20-May-2020 By Danielle Masterson

As cannabis legalization spreads across the country, professional sports leagues are updating their policies, while some players update their portfolios.

Ghost Lifestyle CEO on new partnership with AB Inbev: ‘It’s a formidable one-two combo’

20-May-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Disruptive sports nutrition brand Ghost Lifestyle has announced a partnership with beverage giant Anheuser-Busch InBev for a new range of ready-to-drink products.

Supplement marketer perseveres despite disruptions in GNC sales channel

19-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

FitLife Brands, a marketer of a variety of dietary supplements, posted modest sales gains despite disruptions caused by problems at GNC, which is the company’s primary sales channel.

NutraIngredients-USA Awards 2020: And the finalists are…

19-May-2020 By Stephen Daniells

NutraIngredients-USA is pleased to announce the finalists for the NutraIngredients-USA Awards 2020... the winners will be announced during a live broadcast on NutraIngredients-USA.com in July.

Review: Athletes have healthier, more diverse guts, but why that’s true is less clear

15-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

Athletes have greater gut diversity and more functional pathways within their microbiota than do their more sedentary peers. Why these facts are true is less clear, wrote the authors of a new comprehensive review.

From brains to hearts, muscles and immunity: Review highlights omega-3 benefits for athletes

15-May-2020 By Stephen Daniells

The first ever new systematic review of fish oil supplementation research in athletes adds strong support to a wide range of benefits of omega-3 supplementation for active individuals.

Developer promotes colostrum as weapon in immune arsenal

14-May-2020 By Danielle Masterson

With the focus now on immune health more than ever before, many consumers are exploring all their options.

Bifido probiotic may enhance effects of exercise and boost training results: Study

08-May-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Combining exercise with a bacterial strain isolated from an Olympic weightlifting gold medalist may synergistically increase endurance compared to training or the probiotic alone, suggests data from a mouse study.

Probiotic combination boosts amino acid absorption from plant protein: RCT

06-May-2020 By Stephen Daniells

A novel combination of two Lactobacillus paracasei strains may increase absorption of key amino acids in plant proteins, according to a new placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, crossover study.

Despite sales bump, brands that are not preparing for stormy seas ahead could struggle, consultant says

05-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

The dietary supplement industry as a whole is enjoying booming sales as consumer stock up on products to support optimum health. But an industry strategist warns that that sales bump is likely to be ephemeral, and brands that are not strategizing vigorously...

What’s driving sports nutrition segmentation?

04-May-2020 By Danielle Masterson

A new report out by Innova Market Insights has identified several new trends that are driving sports nutrition.

No difference found in caffeine's effects on exercise power among 'fast' or 'slow' metabolizers

04-May-2020 By Hank Schultz

A recent study looking at the effects of caffeine on brief, high intensity exercise found the substance improved performance, regardless of genetic variations in how subjects metabolized caffeine.

Kyowa Hakko launches new NO booster for exercise performance

01-May-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Kyowa Hakko USA has launched a new ingredient for exercise performance brands that combines its l-citrulline and l-arginine to boost nitric oxide production and levels more rapidly than l-arginine alone.

Brewer’s yeast extract may help recovery from challenging exercise: Study

28-Apr-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Consuming a beta-glucan-rich brewer’s yeast extract may reduce markers of inflammation and improve mood during challenging exercise, says a new study.

Getting "the edge": Are carb-rich diets as effective as sports supplements?

20-Apr-2020 By Nikki Hancocks

Common "edge" sports nutrition products are no more effective at promoting recovery than carbohydrate-rich, potato-based foods, according to new research funded by the Alliance for Potato Research & Education.

USADA leans on Zoom, Facetime to conduct virtual doping tests

17-Apr-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Like many taking their work online during the coronavirus pandemic, antidoping officials who collect urine and blood samples from athletes are conducting their work over Zoom and FaceTime.

News in Brief

New protein gel a 'game-changer' for sports nutrition

16-Apr-2020 By Nikki Hancocks

FrieslandCampina Ingredients has unveiled a new high concentration protein gel concept that “could be a game-changer” for sports nutrition brands.

Keto diet helps female athletes drop more fat, but not gain strength

15-Apr-2020 By Hank Schultz

A new study has found that a ketogenic diet helped trained female subjects lose fat while maintaining muscle. But it concluded the diet was ‘suboptimal’ for building additional muscle during a training regimen.

Nektium gets US patent on mango ingredient for ‘brain enhancing’ effects

14-Apr-2020 By Hank Schultz

Spanish botanical ingredient supplier Nektium has announced a US patent for its branded ingredient Zynamite, which is derived from the mango tree.

ZoneIn sports nutrition app: ‘It’s a really good time to help people at home’

10-Apr-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Launched in 2017, ZoneIn is a sports nutrition app that has found a place with some of the nation’s college teams to manage food and fluid intake. As more and more consumers shelter in place, the founders are ready to launch direct to consumer.

Potential probiotic isolated from Olympian may offer sports performance promise

10-Apr-2020 By Stephen Daniells

A bacterial strain isolated from a Taiwanese weightlifting gold medalist may decrease fatigue, and increase muscle strength and endurance, suggests data from a mouse study.

NutraCast Podcast: Shawn Arent on staying healthy and fit amid outbreak

03-Apr-2020 By Danielle Masterson

As universities and their athletic facilities remain closed, a major challenge for athletes is staying healthy and in shape during a time of self-quarantine and social distancing.

NutraCast Podcast: Momentous CEO Matt Wan on sports nutrition

27-Mar-2020 By Danielle Masterson

In this episode, NutraCast talks with Matt Wan, founder & CEO of Momentous, a sports nutrition startup dedicated to creating no-compromise products that support the improvement of personal performance.

Pomegranate polyphenols show conflicting results in strength training study

23-Mar-2020 By Hank Schultz

The polyphenols in pomegranate juice beneficially affected the balance of steroidal hormones among trained weightlifters but did not cut an inflammation marker, a recent study found.

CBD paves way for marijuana leniency in NFL

16-Mar-2020 By Danielle Masterson

As legal marijuana expansion continues, advocates point out that it is a safer alternative to prescription opioids for athletes to manage their pain. Thanks to a new agreement, NFL players have that option.

Pickle juice makes splash in sports nutrition category

11-Mar-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Often a pregnancy staple for many women, pickle juice is attracting a new audience. The salty beverage is gaining traction as a functional ingredient, particularly for athletes.

Indoor athletes at risk of vitamin D deficiency: Study

11-Mar-2020 By Danielle Masterson

College athletes participating in indoor sports may be vitamin D deficient, which poses a risk for injury or poor performance.

Sports Nutrition Summit 2020

Joseph Gray talks nutrition, research and his desire for more diversity on the trails

02-Mar-2020 By Danielle Masterson

NutraIngredient-USA’s Danielle Masterson sat down with 8-time world running champion Joseph Gray at the Sports Nutrition Summit in San Diego.

NIU’s Global Round-up: Ireland updates CBD recall list, Evolve BioSystems to conduct research in Asia, and more

02-Mar-2020 By Stephen Daniells

What’s happened across the Nutra-verse over the past seven days? Stay on top of things with our weekly round-up of key news from across the globe.

‘Significant improvements in endurance performance’, says 1st meta-analysis of tart cherry benefits

02-Mar-2020 By Stephen Daniells

Tart cherry concentrate may boost endurance exercise performance, according to a new meta-analysis from Canada that pooled data from 10 separate studies.

Gencor’s Levagen+ aids muscle recovery by reducing myoglobin, lactate concentration – new RCT

02-Mar-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) supplementation could aid muscle recovery from repeated bouts of exercise, a Gencor-funded RCT has shown.

NutraCast Podcast: John Brenkus on supplements, sports and science

28-Feb-2020 By Danielle Masterson

On this episode of the NutraCast, Danielle caught up with John Brenkus, producer and host of Sport Science, 6-time Emmy winner, best-selling author and host of the “The Brink of Midnight Podcast.”

Sports Nutrition Summit 2020

Joshua Schall on marketing trends, challenges and predictions in sports nutrition

25-Feb-2020 By Danielle Masterson

NutraIngredient-USA’s Danielle Masterson caught up with Joshua Schall of J. Schall Consulting at the Sports Nutrition Summit in San Diego.

Singapore’s Envictus sells loss-making sports nutrition unit to NZ blender and packer

24-Feb-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Singapore-headquartered Envictus International Holdings has sold its sports nutrition unit, Naturalac Nutrition, to New Zealand dry powder blender and packer Hansells Masterton.

Modere launches cognitive, sports formulas while bucking downward trend for MLMs in US

18-Feb-2020 By Hank Schultz

Modere, a direct selling company focused on social media as a method of reaching customers, has delved into the cognitive support and sports fitness arenas with new products launched at a recent meeting in Anaheim, CA.

Meiji eyes 30% growth in sports nutrition business as Tokyo Olympics draws near

18-Feb-2020 By Guan Yu Lim

Meiji is aiming for a 30% growth in sales of its sports nutrition products this year, with the firm hoping to capitalise on the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Muscle, bone, joint care: Chinese sports nutrition firm CPT sees opportunities in elderly market

18-Feb-2020 By Tingmin Koe

Chinese sports nutrition firm Competitor (CPT) has launched three new products catered to active seniors’ lifestyles.

Sports Nutrition Summit 2020

CEO says sports brand was founded on delivering effects, not on hitting a margin

13-Feb-2020 By Hank Schultz

Kris Gethin, CEO of sports nutrition brand Kaged Muscle, said a sense of editorial responsibility led him to take the leap into becoming the leader of a sports nutrition company.

Sports Nutrition Summit 2020

Social media influencing: Finding the right formula

12-Feb-2020 By Danielle Masterson

Jim Stoppani, Shawn Arent and Joshua Schall weigh in on how brands can strike the right balance when using online influencers.

Sports Nutrition Summit 2020

Supplementation forms key part of Everton FC nutrition approach

12-Feb-2020 By Hank Schultz

Supplementation forms a key part of the nutrition protocol of Everton FC, one of the oldest clubs in English football. It’s part of a revamp of the club’s approach to fueling players, brought on by the team’s first dedicated head of nutrition.

Lumina: More and better reviews key to online success

11-Feb-2020 By Hank Schultz

Lumina Intelligence now has enough data for online product reviews to use it in a predictive fashion. For sports nutrition products the news is those with the most reviews and the best scoring reviews prosper; products with few reviews get dropped.

Austria’s Women’s Best enters Vitamin Shoppe nationally

05-Feb-2020 By Stephen Daniells

The Vitamin Shoppe has announced an exclusive US retail deal with Women’s Best, a digitally-savvy sports nutrition brand for women from Austria that has a huge social media presence.

Creatine plus HMB may boost testosterone levels in elite male endurance athletes

05-Feb-2020 By Stephen Daniells

A combination of Creatine plus HMB may increase testosterone levels and boost aerobic power, compared to Creatine or HMB alone, suggest new data from Spain.

From the editor's desk

Data supports notion that supplements are not at root of sports doping problem

31-Jan-2020 By Hank Schultz

Sports nutrition products continue to be a source of concern for regulators, but there are signs the situation is improving. And statistics back the notion that supplements are not the huge risk factor for athletes that they’re sometimes made out to...