Nutrition plays a pivotal role in carving a healthy human body. Over the years, the demand for nutritious food and drinks has shown positive growth across the world, especially in the sports nutrition sector. Athletes have become very cautious about their intake and this has led to a massive transformation of the sports nutrition sector. According to a research firm FMCG Gurus, consumers are taking a more proactive, holistic, and long-term approach to health. Sports nutrition products are more popular than ever before. People are looking to improve their overall health and are actively looking for “better for me” products. High protein and low sugar alternatives to traditional snacking products are becoming a big opportunity for many brands and manufacturers. This means that there is a significant opportunity for brands of nutritious, better-for-you products to target these consumers. However, consumers and athletes have gone one step ahead and now they are looking for products that have more natural ingredients than artificial elements. Keeping this demand in mind, many companies have up with innovative products that are aligned with the current requirements. Plant-based supplements, organic drinks, nutribar, etc. are some of the products that have now become a hot-selling cake.
According to the report by Research and Markets, a research firm headquartered in Dublin Ireland, global energy drink sales reached US $57.4 billion in 2020. The industry is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% between 2020 and 2025. This growth is attributed to rising incomes an increase in sports activities and urbanization. A greater network of channels through which these drinks are sold, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and eCommerce sites, is expected to help fuel sales growth in this industry. Similar trends could be witnessed in the Indian market as well with this sector showing positive growth at a CAGR of 25-30%.
On similar grounds, the demand for nutritional supplements with organic elements has increased among athletes and youngsters. Sports personalities such as Virat Kohli, the Williams sisters, and Lewis Hamilton have revolutionalized their respective domains and showed to the world how omitting meat products from platter can enhance an individual’s performance.
Commenting on the same, Vaibhav Garg, Founder, of Purecise said, “Plant-based food act as a catalyst for human body, especially in case of athletes. It provides the perfect fuel for the human body and enhances its performance to great extent. The reality remains that we are herbivores and our body’s physiology functions at its optimum best when we consume plant-based fof ods.”
Energy Drinks Taking an Organic Turn
Mixing Protein With Natural Ingredients
Energy Drinks Taking an Organic Turn
The energy drink market is relatively new to India as well as to the world. Energy drinks are a type of drink containing stimulant compounds, usually caffeine, which is marketed as providing mental and physical stimulation. While these drinks are gaining popularity among consumers there is also a strong warning from health practitioners about the harmful effects of excessive caffeine intake which could lead to death. The holistic health and wellness movement has led to a shift in the category forcing consumers to opt for some organic solvents that can supplement energy drinks.
However, now many producers of such drinks are away from traditional sugar-fuelled and caffeine-charged formulations. They are now focusing on adding more natural substances that allure more consumers and increase their global footprints. The energy drinks in the Indian market are composed of five different ingredients which include vitamins, sugar, caffeine, Taurine, and Guarana. The other ingredients present in energy drinks are ginseng, yerba mate, water, green tea extracts, ginkgo biloba, green coffee extract, carnitine, sodium, potassium, magnesium, inositol, flavors, and benzoic acid. The energy drinks are available in three different product types which include Drinks, Shots, and Mixers.
Catching the idea of adding organic elements into energy drinks, Sipwise Beverages was established in 2015, and currently, the company is offering three brands What!f, a cold beverage; and an herbal range of coolers beside another brand, 1947 an energy drink made from natural caffeine extracted from tea with a proprietary fiber called inulin.
Harish Mohan, Founder, of Sipwise Beverages stated, “Naturally extracted elements enhance the power of any energy drink and that becomes the USP of it. Currently, this sector is very niche and has not been explored to its full strength so companies that move in first will certainly going to have an upper hand.”
Presently, the Indian energy drink market is dominated by Red Bull which is an Australian brand but some other producers are catching up especially, the Indian startup sector which is currently on the spree of exploring this domain.
Another energy drink startup called Fyre is also focusing on providing consumers with an energy drink that is filled with organic substances. Unlike sports or party hard energy drinks, FYRE is a ‘one-shot’ energy drink for the ‘work-hard’ category that is being sold at an 80% lower price point compared to leading energy drink brands.
Elaborating further, Rahul Manek, Founder, Fyre said, “Energy drinks have already written many success stories in countries such as USA, Japan and Canada and it is exploring the Indian market. Addressing people’s concern over the elements used in these drinks, we are providing them an Ayurvedic energy drink which will satisfy all their needs.”
Mixing Protein With Natural Ingredients
Protein shakes and mixers are very popular among the young generation, athletes, and sports people. It is considered that adding protein powder to a glass of milk or a smoothie is a simple way to boost one’s health. Though mostly these powders are made by extracting protein from plants (soybeans, peas, rice, potatoes, or hemp), eggs, or milk (casein or whey protein), these substances are also mixed with sugars, artificial flavoring, thickeners etc. that can have an adverse effect on the human body. Apart from that, excessive amounts of these supplements can hamper the functioning of the liver and kidney and can also lead to organ failure. Many health experts suggest that nutrients should be consumed in a natural form rather than through pills or concentrated supplements.
However, now many companies have eliminated these artificial substances from their produce, replacing them with organic elements. DREXSPORT is one of the companies that is constantly working on providing organic supplements to its customers. DREXSPORT’s Wild Whey and Wild Muscle are the cornerstones of DREXSPORT’s success.
In order to address customers’ concerns of health-related issues associated with dietary supplements and protein powders, DREXSPORT has come up with a 100% natural and clinically tested Organic Protein Powder that shall not only ensure boosted performance and fitness but comes with other differentiated attractions like cost-effectiveness, delicious taste, and premium quality. These organic compositions produced by the company have zero side effects and provide similar results as their counterparts.
Another Mumbai-based company called Olena was created to promote plant-based nutrition across the country. The company’s wide range of supplement products includes multivitamins, plant proteins, super greens, vitamins, and antioxidants. Olena is an FSSAI-certified firm and it sources its raw materials from countries such as France, the USA, and many more. With a long list of 20,000 customers, the firm is planning to spread its wings deeper into the nation. As per the company, plant-based nutrition is an emerging market in India and Olena competes with notable players such as Oziva and Big Muscle.
Kinnary Nensee
