Overseen by NutraIngredients’ section editor Nikki Hancocks, the line up commenced with a one-on-one interview with Philip Calder, professor of nutritional immunology at the university of Southampton.
Here, professor Calder spoke about the gut microbiome’s importance to athletes and active consumers in key areas such as performance, recovery, focus and immunity.
The session then moved onto Brad Schwan, senior director of marketing at ADM, where Schwan discussed the latest trends in sports nutrition, and asked what’s next for health and wellness innovation.
Speaking to NutraIngredients last week, Schwan said firms must understand consumer perceptions of 'health' and 'fitness' and provide products with the right ingredients, benefits and positioning.
Holistic benefits
“We need to think about how they think about wellness. Our research shows they think about it in a very holistic way.
“If you ask them why they exercise, strength and mental wellbeing are tied as the number one reasons,” he added. “Sports nutrition brands that address these more holistic benefits will see growth."
Research by ADM showed 84% of consumers saw mental health as being just as important as physical well-being.
Schwan said people turned to exercise as a form of stress relief and represented an audience that sports nutrition brands could better cater to with specifically formulated products that focused on mental wellbeing.
ADM also revealed another consumer health concern surrounding weight management with 51% of consumers expressing concern about being less active or gaining weight during the pandemic.
Along with professor Calder and Schwan, Mariëtte Abrahams, CEO of Qina, joined the line-up with a discussion on the microbiome’s role in personalised health, highlighted by the ongoing pandemic.
The presentation also covered the opportunities and challenges for sports nutrition firms looking to add a personalised aspect to their business as well as debating the benefits and dangers of tapping into the world of microbiome modulation.
Register to watch
The day’s proceedings rounded off with a panel discussion with the three presenters debating the topic, which took a deeper dive into their areas of interest.
The session continued the tone set by last week’s Performance & Recovery event, in which both sessions are now available to WATCH ON-DEMAND
The final episode of the Sports and Active Nutrition Broadcast Series, airing on 14 October, will focus on 'Brain Health' with a particular focus on eSports. REGISTER FOR FREE to ensure you don't miss the last session in the series.
There’s still time to register for this remaining session if you haven't done so already. All you need to do is click 'REGISTER FOR FREE' at the end of this article to take part in the series.
Head on over to the event’s main WEBSITE for more information on what you can expect from the last day of this three-day event.