While bodybuilders and extreme athletes are often the target audience for sports nutrition products, these individuals actually account for only about 5% of total sports nutrition category sales. This highlights the importance of the mainstream consumer and what sports nutrition supplementation means for everyday health and active lifestyle needs. Indeed, sports nutrition is morphing into active nutrition.
Industry analyst firm Euromonitor reported that from 2008 to 2013, the sports nutrition market grew 8% annually to USD $8.8 billion, and the market continues to grow at approximately 10% annually. To leverage this market, it is critical for manufacturers to pay attention to a number of unique and emerging consumer segments in the space; specifically: