Market Insights

3 Key Takeaways About the Active Nutrition Market & What The Future Holds

Chelsea Gannage Jul 7, 2021

On June 30, ClearCut’s Vice President of Business Development, Dan Harari, presented at the Naturally Informed Virtual Conference Series. The event gathered researchers, sports nutrition specialists, and industry professionals to discuss topics relating to the science, business strategy, and regulatory innovation surrounding the active nutrition industry.

During the event, Dan participated in a panel discussion alongside FMCG Gurus’ Head of Research and Insights, Mike Hughes, and American Botanical Councils’ Founder, Mark Blumenthal. Dan’s talk covered eCommerce trends in the active nutrition space, focusing on the ever-changing consumer purchasing patterns of pre- & post-workout supplements and protein powder over the last 24 months.

You can access a recording of the full presentation HERE, or if you’re tight on time, read on for ClearCut’s 3 main takeaways from the event:

  1. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge effect on the active nutrition market, specifically in pre- & post-workout supplements and protein powder. Looking at the last 24 months, pre- & post-workout supplement sales have increased since the early months of the pandemic, growing at a rate of 39% year-over-year (YoY). Protein powder sales have also steadily increased during the pandemic, taking a slight dip in December 2020, but continuing to grow in the months following, with a cumulative growth rate of 37% YoY.

  1. Brands claim various benefits for pre- & post-workout supplements, but products that market “pumps” are growing faster than “recovery” products. Products marketing “energy, focus & pumps,” hold 13% of the category’s market share on Amazon, growing at a rate of 47% YoY. Products marketing “energy & pumps” capture 6% of the market, but are growing faster at a rate of 62% YoY.
  1. Flavor options remain an important purchasing driver for consumers in the protein powder market. While classic flavors such as chocolate and vanilla hold the greatest market share, flavor mashups like chocolate peanut butter are gaining traction and growing at 51% YoY.

It’s clear that the active nutrition market continues to grow as consumers pay closer attention to their health and workout regimens since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Not only that, but increased demand may also indicate an acceleration in the overall evolution of the active nutrition market – shifting from an area that was once just for elite athletes and bodybuilders to now being more mainstream and including all types of active individuals.

If you missed the event and want to hear more active nutrition insights from ClearCut, check out the presentation HERE, or browse all of the conference’s on-demand session recordings HERE.

If you would like a copy of ClearCut’s slides from the presentation you can download those HERE.