The sports supplement market refers to protein supplements, non-protein supplements and herbal supplements. Protein supplements include powders, bars and ready-to-drink products. The key ingredients for protein powders include whey, soy and casein. The protein bars are the same as sports food bars. The ready to drink (RTD) protein supplements are available in the form of shakes, which do not require mixing or preparation before consumption.
The non-protein supplements on the other hand include amino acids, creatine and beta alanine. And the herbal supplements include supplements available in the form of tea bags, capsules, tablets, liquids and powders. Amino acids are indirect substitute to protein based supplements. Amino acid based supplements contain minimal calories. Creatine based supplements are helpful in developing muscle mass and enhancing strength. Beta alanine helps the body to store the most carnosine in the muscles.
The sports supplement market is also segmented on the basis of distribution channels, where the key distribution channels include supermarkets & hypermarkets, health food stores, fitness clubs, drug stores and others. The “others” include convenience stores, grocery stores, discounters, mass merchandisers and online retailing.
The surging urbanization and growing number of fitness centers and health clubs are the key growth drivers for the global sports supplement market. The key trends observed in the global sports supplement market include growing demand for caffeine-free products and increasing investment of companies in product development. The global sports supplement market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 9% during the forecast period. The high growth of the market is also reflected through the emerging opportunities, such as growth prospects offered by the developing economies and children emerging as new consumer segment in the market. The major restraints hindering the global sports supplements industry are stringent regulatory environment related to the use of ingredients and the availability of substitute products.
The global sports supplement market is dominated by Europe, which accounted for about 44% share in 2015. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at a faster pace, due to changing demographics and adoption of healthy living style by the consumers. Among countries, the U.S. was the largest market globally with 36% share in 2015. Among products, the protein supplements segment was the dominant segment in 2015; while among the various distribution channels, the supermarkets & hypermarkets accounted for the largest revenues of the market in the same year.
The major companies operating in the global sports supplement market include Atlantic Grupa (Atlantic Multipower UK Limited), Creative Edge Nutrition Inc., Enervit S.p.A, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, GNC Holdings Inc., Glanbia Plc., Herbalife International, NBTY Inc., Scitec Nutrition and Universal Nutrition.