The female physiology and its response to physical activity requires tailor-made formulations far removed from the ‘shrink it and pink it’ approach, according to Daniel Herman, the director and founder of UK sports nutrition firm Bio-Synergy.
Speaking to NutraIngredients after giving a presentation at Food Ingredients Europe in Frankfurt, Germany, recently, Herman said his company had built a female sports nutrition range based on those needs after conducting extensive market research. That research showed while 50% of sports club members were women, 98% of them did not buy sports nutrition products.
“A lot of the big brands out there have literally taken the equivalent male product, put it in a smaller tub and applied a pink label without any thought of the female end-user and their specific micro- and macronutrient requirements,” Herman said.
He said women sought portable formats with nutrients like folic acid, vitamin D and calcium to battle problems like osteoporosis.