2016 trends: Sports nutrition goes mainstream

Sports nutrition moving ‘beyond the athlete’ was among the top 10 trends for 2016 outlined by Innova Market Insights at an exhibition this week.

Find out more from Innova’s director of innovation Lu Ann Williams in this exclusive podcast, which was recorded at Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) in Paris on Tuesday (December 1).

“If you think about the way the sports powders really started, I think everyone has this image of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr Olympia and the muscles,” she told FoodManufacture.co.uk.

‘Gone completely mainstream’

“What has certainly happened over time is that it’s gone completely mainstream. It’s not just for athletes, it’s just about healthy living.”

Listen to this podcast to hear Williams describe how small firms have driven the growth of niche products like kale, craft beers and non-alcoholic beers.

She labelled this trend ‘small players, big ideas’, adding: “Thought leadership is absolutely 100% being driven by small companies now.”

View our photo gallery of the top 10 trends for 2016 here.

For more information on snacking trends, watch this exclusive video interview with Williams from earlier this year.   

Top trends for 2016

1. Organic growth for clear­-label

2. Free-­from for all

3. The ‘flexitarian’ effect

4. Processing the natural way

5. Green light for vegetables

6. Creating a ‘real’ link

7. Small players, big ideas

8. Beyond the athlete

9. The indulgence alibi

10. Tastes for new experiences