What to Watch in 2020: Advancements in Sports Nutrition for Female Athletes
Where haven't women made their mark? In the 2016 Rio Olympics, 45% of all the participants were women - anew chapter written in the history of women's sports.
Not surprising when you focus on the fact that almost half the world is women (49.6 %) as data shows – And, not a nutrition market to be ignored when they have more buying power than ever before.
Are nutraceutical brands truly understanding the nutritional need of female athletes or are they still just producing pink bottles of sparkly fat-burner mojitos? 2020 is the time for these companies to create high-quality sports nutrition products for female athletes, formulas that will actually assist them with weight-lifting, endurance, recovery, post-workout regimes, and good overall health.
Why Do Female Athletes Require Special Attention Over Their Male Counterparts?
Hormones, hormones, hormones and much more!
Through the different stages of growth and maturity, women’s nutritive need changes, the same stands true in case of pregnancy and post-pregnancy; lactation and the period of menopause. Even in case of the regular menstrual cycle, women usually undergo a multitude of body changes that make all the difference in case of nutritive needs.
Iron and calcium are two key nutrients that plummet in women with all the body changes throughout their lifetime.
When it comes to sports nutrition, what are the nutritive imbalances that women face?
- Energy intakes usually don’t match the requirement.
- Lower than required fat, protein and micro-nutrient intake, to meet the daily nutrition need.
- More fat-loss oriented diet.
- Ignorance toward carbohydrate consumption.
- Inadequacy of iron, calcium, vitamin B-12, and folate that in turn affects the red blood cell formation.
You see, this is where sports trainers and female athletes themselves need to focus on to ensure optimal performance and good overall health.
What Are the Most Popular Ingredients for Endurance, Recovery, and Performance?
Research continues for advancement in the women sports nutrition with key performers being fat burners and proteins. But, the new research in case of ingredients sheds light on components like iron, antioxidants, beetroot powder, calcium, vitamin D, and creatine.
Moreover, probiotics can also be key role players in improving gut health. How you may ask? Well, overall good health is associated with a healthy gut - no athlete would wish to show up at workouts with low immunity, endurance, sore throats, and cramps – symptoms that most women endure through their menstrual cycles.
What Changes Can Be Made in the Nutraceutical Market to Tap Into the Potential of Female Sports Nutrition?
An athlete’s nutritional requirement is often determined by their training regime, that's nothing but an integration of intensity, frequency, and duration of the workout. This stands true for both genders and female athletes want to see products that specifically cater to their needs. The needs indicate fulfilling post-workout demands, endurance, relaxation and recovery after a long hard day of performance and workout.
Innovative ingredients that can help keep muscle cramps at bay, provide ample bone health and oxygen support for muscles along with the differentiating demands for vegan and clean diets - these are a few areas that can swing/influence purchase decisions in the women sport’s nutrition market positively.
Get In-depth Insights Into the Athletic Sports Nutrition Market for Women
Read our latest article in the Natural Products Insider magazine to understand where the female sports nutrition industry stands and its future.
How Can I Create My Own Line of Female Sports Nutrition Supplements?
For more information on how you as a brand owner can tap into the potential of the female sports nutrition industry, contact the team at NutraScience Labs!
We can help you create a customized, high-quality dietary supplement specifically formulated to meet the health and wellness needs of today's female athletes. Call us at 855-492-7388 or request a free price quote!
