Naturex makes play for natural sports nutrition consumer
The three products – WinDrink Prepare for pre-workout, WinGel Sustain for during exercise and WinBev Recovery for the post-workout period – contain natural sources of energy such as Asian ginseng, maca extract, guarana and yerba mate.
Naturex business manager Leslie Lannebere said that the company was responding to an expanding consumer base for sports nutrition as the category was being influenced by the mainstream trend for natural, clean labels.
“More and more people are aware of environmental issues and safety concerns, and therefore it is no surprise that there is a global shift toward natural ingredients. The sport nutrition category is impacted by these consumer insights.”
Mintel food science analyst Laura-Daisy Jones said this growth in sports nutrition was down to the ‘weekend warrior’ - consumers who were not necessarily interested in technical, synthetic ingredients but for whom terms like antioxidants and phytonutrients were well-known.
“The sports nutrition market has opened up, no longer is it just for serious athletes. Everyday active consumers are engaging more with the category as they seek products that will improve their energy and help them perform at their best,” she said, adding that companies needed to increase accessibility to sports nutrition products through a more mainstream positioning.
Boosted by botanicals
As a botanical player, Naturex was well positioned to cater to this global shift in demand for natural, said Thomas Ughetto, deputy director for nutrition and health at Naturex who gave details of the ingredients.
“Svetol, the most studied green coffee bean extract and our green tea extract are used in the WinDrink concept to improve lean mass and burn fat," he told NutraIngredient.
“This low calorie instant drink has been developed indeed for women who do exercise and want to manage their weight at the same time.
"We have added guarana, cocoa, and yerba mate for their thermogenic effect. At last, the Szechuan pepper is used to bring a tingling and numbing effect for a unique sensory experience."
Still science-based
But Naturex said its products were still technical enough to appeal to the traditional consumer base of bodybuilders and dedicated athletes, bolstered by ten peer-reviewed scientific studies - four of which were published clinical trials - and an NHCR-authorised health claim for chromium which contributes to the metabolism of macronutrients.
The WinGel Sustain also came in gel format so that it could be easily drunk during a workout.
Ughetto said: “Gels are a very convenient delivery form […] They are easier to handle and carry while running for instance than any bottle and can of beverages or liquids.
“This explains why it is a fast growing category in the sport nutrition market.”
According to 2015 data from Euromonitor International, the global sports nutrition market was worth €9bn.
The three beverages were presented for the first time at VitaFoods this year and will be available from July 2015.
