When was the last time you really took a good hard look at your line of sports nutrition supplements? There's no doubt that on the first day that they arrived from the manufacturer they were high-quality sports supplements, but is that still the case today? It can be all too easy for supplement formulations, especially sports supplements formulations, to fall behind the curve.

Three signs that it’s time to reformulate your sports supplement line:

1. Somebody has asked you about the latest sports nutrition nutraceutical, and your response was, “What’s that?”
2. You’re losing shelf space with key retailers who are replacing your supplements with those from another sports nutrition company whose formulations reflect current trends.
3.  Sports nutrition blogs discussing the hottest, most interesting sports nutrition supplements don’t mention your products.

One way to avoid finding yourself in these situations is to stay current with latest nutraceutical studies and trends.

Keeping Up To Date On New Studies

Recent studies about existing and new nutraceuticals can be found in databases like PubMed, or summarized in e-newsletters like Nutraingredients-USA.com. For those who are new to the industry, the summarized versions of the latest studies (like those found on sites like Nutraingredients-USA) may be easier to digest. In addition to online newsletters and databases, information about such studies is often presented by raw material vendors during visits to manufacturers. If you’re not regularly perusing the databases and newsletters, as well as having raw material vendor visits, you don’t know which nutraceuticals are the latest and the greatest, and therefore whether or not you have the best sports nutrition supplements.

In addition to studies on new nutraceuticals, older and existing nutraceuticals often have new studies conducted on them demonstrating efficacy in a new form or in combination with other nutraceuticals. For example, a quick search of PubMed reveals that since the beginning of 2015 there have been more than 50 published studies related to "creatine supplements". The only way to know for certain that your product's creatine usage is based on the latest and greatest in scientific knowledge is by keeping up to date with the most recent studies.

What's the latest trend?

With regard to trends, if you look through blogs and magazines dedicated to sports nutrition, you’ll always find a discussion about some new nutraceutical that's touted for its ability to promote muscle growth or affect some other area of athletic performance. While these new nutraceutical discussions aren't always based on solid scientific findings, the trends and excitement that they generate as a result are very real. With the help of this information, it becomes possible to assess whether or not it makes sense to reformulate one of your existing products or introduce a new one in order to keep current and maintain your fair market share.

The Key to Long-Term Success

At the end of the day, the best way to keep your product (or products) ahead of the curve is by making sure that you and your company stay in the know. In this industry, a library of knowledge and an ear to the ground are the most valuable tool a business owner can have.