| The role of food in total health care is not | | | | Competition factors for the Sports Nutrition |
| something new to mankind. The use of food to | | | | Market |
| maintain man's health is as natural as day and | | | | Product/brand differentiation |
| night. More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates, | | | | Because of greater saturation and competition in |
| considered as the father of medicine, said, "Let | | | | the marketplace sports nutrition products look |
| food be your medicine and medicine be your | | | | alike and sound the same. Maintaining a brand that |
| food." It is this principle that eventually led to the | | | | stands apart from the rest is difficult but a thing |
| explosion of the nutraceutical industry. | | | | to strive for. |
| The nutraceutical industry is concerned with | | | | Research-substantiated claims. |
| nutraceuticals, that is, " food or part of a food | | | | Consumers' ability to make intelligent choices |
| that offers medical and/or health benefits including | | | | should never be underestimated. People place |
| prevention or treatment of disease." | | | | more faith endorsements by university |
| All therapeutic areas such as anti arthritic, cold and | | | | professors and doctors and claims backed by |
| cough, pain killers, digestion, sleeping disorders, | | | | independent research than by endorsements by |
| blood pressure, cholesterol, prevention of certain | | | | celebrities. |
| cancers, osteoporosis, depression and diabetes | | | | Core products and strategies |
| are covered by nutraceuticals. | | | | A good strategy now is to focus development of |
| Products range from herbal dietary supplements, | | | | core products or integrating with large food and |
| actual food components in dosage form such as | | | | pharmaceutical concerns (e.g., Powerbar, |
| capsules or tablets to beverages fortified with | | | | BalanceBar). |
| vitamins and genetically engineered designer | | | | E-commerce |
| foods, functional foods, processed foods such as | | | | For small companies that cannot or will not rely on |
| cereal, soup and beverages. | | | | strong distribution relationships, e-commerce is an |
| Functional foods, the most popular term among | | | | increasingly attractive option. |
| consumers are modifieds food or food ingredients | | | | Basis for marketing strategy |
| that may provide a health benefit beyond the | | | | The factors for competition stated above have |
| traditional nutrients it contains. | | | | been gleaned from researches of what |
| Nutraceuticals is widely popular in the US, Canada, | | | | consumers are willing to pay for. Overall, |
| Japan, and Europe and has garnered $80 billion | | | | customers want: |
| dollars in revenues. The demand for nutraceuticals | | | | Something New |
| has been growing worldwide due to consumer | | | | Retailers and consumers clamor for "new," |
| awareness of the links of diet and disease, aging | | | | whether it means new forms of delivery (gels, |
| population, rising health care cost and innovations | | | | effervescent tablets, functional beverages), new |
| in food technology and nutrition. | | | | applications of or combinations with existing |
| Sports and Food | | | | products, or all-natural sports nutrition products |
| In the last decade, sports and fitness nutrition has | | | | that are free of artificial ingredients and solvents. |
| emerged as one large distinct category in the | | | | Excellent Tasting All-natural products |
| nutraceutical industry. Three main products | | | | Consumers are also looking for products that |
| contributed to the market's dramatic 2004 | | | | taste good and are easy to take. Taste is a |
| growth: | | | | major feature that can either make or break a |
| • low carbohydrate products - which grew | | | | product. The hunt is on for manufacturers to |
| by as much as 154% | | | | come up with better and new flavors. |
| • sports energy beverages - which grew by | | | | High quality and safe products |
| 18%; | | | | Regulatory agencies exist to protect the |
| • sports supplements - which grew by 6%. | | | | consumers. It is the responsibility of product |
| Now, the $2 billion-worth sports nutrition industry | | | | manufacturers to undertake sound research and |
| has moved away from the plain-tasting protein | | | | prove the efficacy and safety of their |
| powders into a bigger pool of choices for | | | | nutraceutical products. Products that are based on |
| customers. Available in almost any drug stores or | | | | false or misleading marketing should be and are |
| supermarkets are energy bars, meal replacement | | | | banned and condemned. |
| products, protein powders, individual items (e.g., | | | | Through product sales and advances in research |
| creatine, L-carnitine), amino acids, herbs, | | | | and development, the Sports Nutrition |
| prohormones (hormone precursors); vitamins; | | | | Nutraceutical Industry is now validating what was |
| minerals; and combination products. Because of | | | | proven, early on, by the fitness and nutrition |
| this the sports nutrition nutraceutical industry is | | | | pioneers -- sports nutrition products provide easier |
| considered a 'niche' market and an offshoot of | | | | access to a healthier way of performing and living. |
| the mainstream food industry. | | | | |