Outlook 2017: Sports nutrition

THE GLOBAL sports nutrition market is expected to grow to USD 37.7 billion in 2019 at a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent from 2013 to 2019.

The demand in the Middle East in particular is growing alongside the awareness for health and sports. Banin Shahine, Fitness Manager, Fitness First Middle East, gym and fitness club, says, “I think the UAE needs such products. We live in a desert and nothing can be planted or grown here. All the food that we eat is imported. Also, people now are more open to the idea of supplementations and I think it will become very common to consume them in the coming three years. The good thing about UAE is that every product in the market should be approved by the government where they take product tests and then approve its sales in the UAE markets. So whenever you want to buy something in Sports Nutrition after consulting your nutritionist or doctor, ask about the municipality approval certificates.”

Elsewhere the market for sports nutrition is expanding from more mature markets such as North America to developing regions such as Europe and Asia Pacific thanks to the population growth, soaring income levels and standard of living levels.

In comparison, countries such as India and China offer many opportunities for this industry given the surge in national and international sporting events as well as increased global participation. The growth in China’s functional food and dietary supplement industry will continue to grow according to China Health Care Association.

The association representative confirmed that the health food market, classified as either functional foods or dietary supplements will continue to growth between 10 to 15 percent per year, adding that this sector has grown from RMB 260 billion in 2010 to RMB 400 billion in 2015. Last year, over 15,000 domestic products were available while international ones were less than 2,000.

However, new research from Mintel suggests that the popularity of sports nutrition products in the UK is diversified, coming from everyday exercisers and professional athletes. The report suggested that UK consumers used 66 million pounds on sports nutrition products in 2015, up by 27 per cent from 2013. Young consumers and high-earners were the core users of such products while the top two sports products used are protein-based.

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Shahine adds: “To be an athlete, you have to be well educated about the food you are eating. Most athletes are well educated and know about nutrition and importance of nutrition. They also realize how it can affect their performance. So, almost all athletes have a sports nutritionist they refer to, they do some experiments on their bodies, take courses, and do some researches as well.”

Data provided by Fitness First suggests that that five most important nutrition diets or drinks in the region are detox dieting, Ketogenic diet or high protein low carb diet, Gluten free diet, 30,30, 40 (30 percent Fat, 30 percent Protein, 40 percent Carbohydrates) and Carb (Carbohydrate) Cycling.

However Shahine suggested that the demographics of people consuming sports related nutritional food or drinks in the region is limited.

“Unfortunately the percentage of people consuming sports related nutrition is low at 30 percent, although there is a significant growth in doing sports among UAE people. One of the reasons could be because many people do not have enough knowledge about the importance of combining nutrition and sports. They think that sports are the only way to reach their goals.” 

Challenges

Despite the robust market for sports nutrition, the segment has its share of tough challenges.

A UK medicines regulator review to coincide with 2016 Olympic Games found out that 69 tainted products were being sold on sixteen online retail outlets, similar to the one conducted by The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) coinciding with the 2012 London Olympic Games which revealed that 128 unauthorized medicines were being sold on 36 websites.

Shahine of Fitness First added: “There are a lot of challenges we face, one of the major ones being time, especially here in Dubai (UAE). A lot of people do not have time to eat on time, or even prepare their food with commitments such as constant travel schedule, recovery challenge, etc.”

There are certain health hazards of consuming sports nutrition products if consumption goes unattended or if the products are dubious to begin with. In 2014, seven types of herbal products and dietary supplements were banned from sale after concerns that they could be hazardous to one’s health.

“There are a lot of good products in the market, as well as fake ones. These can affect the body in different ways, as it can have side effects, especially the ones that have high amount of chemicals which can harm the liver and kidneys. Besides, any sports nutrition consumed, should be prescribed by a sports nutritionist or doctor especially for those who already have health problems, like thyroid, heart problems and blood Pressure.”