3

16 January 2018

Healthy Nutrition: FIBO 2018 to showcase the latest trends for studios and trainers

From millennials to baby boomers, dietary supplements are a trend that unites the generations. The global sports nutrition market is growing at a correspondingly strong rate: its volume will reach €12 billion in 2019, estimate the market researchers at Euromonitor International. Fitness studios and personal trainers can get a piece of the action, too – provided they have the right product selection. FIBO offers a comprehensive international overview in a compact space: about 200 of the more than 1,000 exhibitors from across Europe, Asia, the US and New Zealand will come to Cologne from 12 to 15 April to present the nutrition trends of the year.

Supplements are a popular lifestyle

It all began 2,500 years ago: athletes at the Olympic Games discovered that the right nutrition can enhance their athletic performance. In 500 BC, their power foods of choice included copious amounts of meat, bread, dried fruits and honey. The modern sports nutrition market developed in the 1940s, according to the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA). One of the pioneers was FIBO exhibitor Weider Nutrition. The company primarily satisfied the demand of bodybuilders and power sports buffs for practical food sources that would meet their additional nutritional requirements. And today? “Supplements long ago turned from an exclusive niche topic into a popular lifestyle”, FIBO director Silke Frank summarises the current market development. “That’s why the time is particularly perfect right now for studios and personal trainers to apply their competence to seize upon the nutrition theme.”

The Top 3 reasons why fitness fans are betting on supplements

Reason Number 1: Athleticism is the new status symbol. These days, a fit and healthy body is generally accepted as a sign of performance capability and self-discipline. That’s why exercise-supporting products are in demand. “The choice of dietary supplements of course depends on individual needs and the respective training goal”, says Thomas Mechtel, product manager of the Orthomol Sport family. “But in our experience, athletes increasingly understand that regularly supplied modular nutritional concepts are important for athletic performance.”

Reason Number 2: Speed is highly coveted. Time is a precious commodity in our hectic everyday lives. Accordingly, athletes want to eat well, but they don’t necessarily want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to do so. “Supplements are an excellent fit for this way of life”, says Simon Jurkiw, product director of the UK-based sports nutrition specialist Bulk Powders. “They’re time-saving and affordable, no matter whether we’re talking about additional protein for a healthy and fit body, special vitamins and minerals for a good overall condition, or fish oils for heart health.”

Reason Number 3: Convenience trumps everything. Maintaining an athletic lifestyle requires easy-to-consume products. “Sports drinks and nutritional supplements for when you’re on the go are extremely practical for that”, explains Iris Pohl, fitness expert of the sports nutrition and sportswear manufacturer Women’s Best from Austria. “Who, after all, would bring a couple of pounds of beef to the gym in order to supply his or her muscles with creatine, protein or BCAAs?”

Healthy Nutrition: The most sought-after products of 2018

Protein supplements are still the top sellers. According to Nielsen, a third of all consumers worldwide now rely on a protein-rich diet – be it to build muscle or to lose weight. Accordingly, 80 per cent of turnover in the sports nutrition market is generated by protein products. A broad assortment for a wide range of training goals will be on display at FIBO: WHEY products containing whey protein for muscle growth and regeneration, BCAA products consisting of the three essential amino acids to support muscle growth, and creatine products for muscle strength and muscle mass, among others.

All the market leaders and numerous startups from the nutrition sector will be on hand. At FIBO, they’ll be linking the bestsellers to new trends: Happy Aging, for example. Growing older in a fit and healthy way is an important issue for the big target audience of baby boomers, which gradually will be turning 60 over the course of the next fifteen years. It’s only logical, then, that special protein products for over 40-year-olds will be presented at the trade show – including WHEY 40+ by Linus Pro from Denmark – which are aimed at balancing the additional need for protein and calcium and ensuring healthy muscles and bones. Also trending up are healthy nutrition products with collagen for healthy cartilage and joints – including the energy bar from the Spanish manufacturer Paleobull and liquid collagen from Ironmaxx – which are of interest for sports nutrition and healthy aging alike.

Millennials as supplement trendsetters

Clean eating is yet another important trend for 2018. Millennials, in particular, care about clearly labelled, natural ingredients, including in their dietary supplements. FIBO will showcase a comprehensive selection: the US-based manufacturer Sunwarrior, for example, in its Ormus Supergreens product combines valuable nutrients from alfalfa, barley grass, wheat grass, oat grass, ginger and moringa (horseradish tree) with probiotic cultures and enzymes. The goal is to increase the performance of the body during exercise or in periods of stress. Paleobull draws on healthy extracts from mushrooms like reishi, whose antioxidant effect is said to boost the immune system. Vegetable protein products do more than just cater to the vegan diet trend. According to the manufacturers, protein from rice, peas or almonds is also suitable for many allergy sufferers. Among the companies at FIBO showing off their products, many of which are certified organic, will be Breadwinner, Hej Natural, Be Green, Harvest Republic and Foodspring. Isotonic beverages aimed at rapidly recharging the body after working out are now available in organic quality, for example with baobab, coconut water powder and natural electrolytes from Berlin Organics and in the organic electrolyte drink from Austria-based RoC-Sports.

FIBO brings order to the nutrition market

For the first time, a dedicated Healthy Nutrition Area will be carved out at FIBO. Located in Hall 4.2, the new Sports Nutrition Area will provide a quick overview of the topic in a compact area. About 50 key players and newcomers will present their new fitness and lifestyle products here – including Orthomol, Ovobest, Calory Coach and Dr. Goerg. They’re the perfect complement to the nutritional offerings in the Power segment, where some 150 companies like Ironmaxx, Women’s Best, Rocka Nutrition, Energy Cake and fittaste will be showcasing supplements for performance and health. Aimed at anyone in need of some inspiration on how to integrate supplements and superfoods into everyday cooking, the new FIBO Cooking Area in Hall 10.2 will for the first time feature live cooking shows focussed on healthy nutrition.

About FIBO

It’s the world’s largest international trade show for fitness, wellness and health: the industry’s key players come together at FIBO in Cologne. This is where innovations are launched. This is where international trends are set. This is where the industry comes to invest. Some 1,019 companies from 49 nations participated in 2017, meeting more than 150,000 trade and private visitors from around the globe. In 2018, FIBO will take place at the Exhibition Centre Cologne from 12 to 15 April. Kicking off the trade show on 11 April 2018 will be the 5th European Health & Fitness Forum, a meeting of about 400 leading representatives of the European fitness sector.

www.fibo.com