Sports and energy categories blur

Sports and energy food and drink categories are blurring, according to Roberta Re, nutrition research manager at Leatherhead Food Research in this exclusive video from the Vitafoods 2012 trade show in Geneva.

Re explained that products were increasingly “appealing to a broader audience”, offering mainstream consumers functions originally aimed at professional sports people, such as hydration. Such products were also being launched by brands commonly associated with sports nutrition, she said.

In addition, shoppers were using these products for occasions that were not sports-related, in order to get them through a tough working day, for example.

On the other hand, products and brands offering mainstream benefits such as a boost of energy were being consumed to prepare people for physical exercise.

Re, who gave a presentation about sports-related health claims at the Vitafoods conference, also singled out a number of future trends in the dynamically shifting market of sports nutrition and energy.