sports nutrition for young ones: impossible without BU/Merit Raising the Bar
Yet with more consumers discovering what sports nutrition has to offer, they’re raising expectations for the category.
Kennedy points to Hartman Group research finding that personalized functionality, along with “higher product-design expectations,” are emerging as powerful purchase drivers. “Consumers, especially younger ones, aren’t as willing to accept products that don’t meet their standards for quality ingredients, sustainability, flavor, or health,” she says. “That’s a tall order for many brands.”
Take plant-based proteins. “It’s no secret that plant-based protein ingredients have been linked to taste, texture, and purity challenges in sports-nutrition formulations,” explains Ryan Bracken, co-CEO, Merit Functional Foods (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), “especially those that traditionally relied on whey or dairy-based proteins. That’s a perception we’ve been working to uproot.”
He claims that Merit’s proprietary extraction and membrane-filtration technology not only maintain plant proteins’ nutritional profile but “provide a neutral taste and color that can work with whatever flavor profile an application may have, from a classic white vanilla to a rich salted caramel and beyond,” he says. “When consumers have positive experiences with these products—like improved performance, enhanced recovery, or great taste and texture—they’re more likely to make them permanent parts of their lifestyle. We’re seeing this happen in sports nutrition.”
https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/switching-gears-covid-crimped-sports-routines-but-it-didn-t-stop-sports-nutrition-needs