Sports nutrition

Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) committee chair 'strongly rejects' further cuts to funding for environmental and health agencies. ©iStock.com/Piotr Adamowicz

ENVI chair seeks freeze on EFSA budget squeeze

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to fight proposals to cut 2017 budgets for EU agencies including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

In 2015 global volumes of energy drinks reached 8.8 billion litres – up 10% from the previous year despite political turmoil around the sector. ©iStock/Elisanth_

Germany overtakes US as top energy drink innovator

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

For the first time Germany has overtaken the US as the top energy drink innovator with the highest rates of new product development (NPD) in 2015, according to Mintel. 

'There will be a lot of head scratching and we will have to ask harder questions,' says researcher following disappointing study results. ©iStock/Gajus

Study delivers blow to nutrigenomic hopes – but damage not fatal

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Results of a huge EU-backed project have dashed hopes that phenotypic and genotypic information could boost the effectiveness of personalised nutrition programmes. But one of the researchers behind the project says the findings open as many doors as they...

BDA: '[The guidance] will enable us to exercise our duty of care to protect athletes, coaches and practitioners as well as promote clean sport.' ©iStock

'there are times when using supplementation is needed'

British dieticians issue safe sports supplement guide

By Shane Starling

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has produced a guide to help athletes “from the elite to the exercising public” buy and use sports nutrition products.

After a one-year weight maintenance phase, the diet resulted in 6% lower body weight, 10% total body fat and 17% lower abdominal fat. ©iStock.com/CharlieAJA

Protein pacing helps weight loss and maintenance: Study

By Eliot Beer

Protein pacing and calorie restriction can result in significant short-term fat loss, and compared to a 'heart-healthy' low cholesterol diet can significantly improve longer term weight management, a study suggests.

'We have spent a while on it - but it’s important to get this right.' ©iStock/Brian Balster

ESSNA set to strike on protein spiking

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) will in weeks finalise its guidance on so-called ‘protein spiking’ - the controversial practice of falsifying product protein content via nitrogen manipulation.

Dr Sinéad Bleiel founded AnaBio after studies to entrap materials through encapsulation.

Spotlight on Ireland

AnaBio looks to dairy for encapsulation

By Jim Cornall

AnaBio Technologies Ltd. is an Irish company providing encapsulation and commercial contract manufacture for the stabilization of food, pharmaceutical and animal health products.

Photo: iStock/itakdalee

Review looks at creatine’s untapped potential beyond sports nutrition

By Adi Menayang

Creatine is a well-known sport supplement ingredient that is starting to creep into mainstream sports nutrition applications as well. Researchers in Nebraska dug deeper into existing preliminary studies to explore creatine’s potential beyond the musculoskeletal...

Sports supplements: Doping culprits or doping scapegoats? ©iStock

Supplement shaming wins first Olympic gold medal

By Shane STARLING

It didn’t take long for a dope-busted Olympic athlete to blame a contaminated food supplement for his infringement and sportsmen and sports bodies to jump into the fray with ‘see? you just can’t trust supplements’ missives.

Bad Science author Dr Ben Goldacre at the IFT show

Is food marketing awash with bad science? If so, who is to blame?

Dr Ben Goldacre: ‘Does this food cause or prevent cancer? Honestly, there's no need for any more stories like that, they have almost no value’

By Elaine Watson

There was plenty of handwringing at the IFT show this year about the lack of scientific literacy characterizing the debate around food and farming, backed up by scores of press clippings about ‘franken-foods.’ But is the media solely to blame, and what’s...

'...with the same exercise you're preserving glycogen and producing much less lactic acid...' ©iStock

'this hasn't been seen before'

Ketone esters boost endurance in elite athletes: Study

By Shane STARLING

A ketone ester drink developed by an Oxford University start-up for the US Army has shown benefits to elite endurance athletes by unlocking “greater human metabolic potential.”

Demand for pills & powders is driving expansion at SternMaid. ©iStock

SternMaid builds second plant as outsourcing booms

By Lynda Searby

German contract manufacturer SternMaid is expanding again, citing growth in the European outsourcing market as a driver for investing in a second production plant for powdered foods and food supplements.

Action on Sugar turns its attention to energy drinks. ©iStock/HandmadePictures

UK report calls for ban on energy drink sales to under 16s

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A report authored by UK public health lobby group Action on Sugar has called on the UK government to curb energy drink consumption among young people – listing a ban on sales to under 16s as one policy option.

'We started out saying we wanted to be the Red Bull of the freezer cabinet. Now we want to go beyond that,' says protein ice cream start-up.

Protein ice cream: The Red Bull of the freezer aisle?

By Lynda Searby

Rising protein ice cream brand WheyHey isn’t stopping at being the 'Red Bull of the freezer aisle'; it wants to provide an alternative to the 'rubbish' food companies are serving up in every category, co-founder Damien Kennedy tells...

EU court rules that professionals cannot be expected to permanently have all up-to-date scientific knowledge necessary to evaluate each claim in advertising. ©iStock

legal uncertainty and B2B marketing rethink on the horizon?

B2B ads are not safe from health claim regulation: EU court confirms

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Court of Justice of the EU has confirmed that commercial communications addressed solely to health professionals must respect the nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) like any other marketing addressed to consumers.

Ascendis Health CEO says Scitec acquisition will unlock European and US sports nutrition markets.

Ascendis eyes August completion of €170m Scitec deal

By Eliot Beer

South African firm Ascendis Health is aiming to complete its acquisition of sports nutrition company Scitec International by the end of August, with CEO Karsten Wellner expecting strong growth even in saturated markets.

A report has identified herbal supplements driving much of the global sports nutrition market growth. ©iStock

Sports nutrition market to reach €36bn by 2020

By Eliot Beer

The global sports nutrition market will grow an average of 8.27% a year to reach US$40bn (€36bn) by 2020, with herbal supplements driving much of the growth, according to a report from TechNavio.

Iceland-produced astaxanthin debuts in US market

Iceland-produced astaxanthin debuts in US market

By Hank Schultz

The astaxanthin supply continues to expand as Icelandic manufacturer Algalif has entered full scale production at its facility near Keflavik and has launched a finished goods brand in the US market.

Natural is key for high earners - and they are willing to pay the price for it, finds Mintel report of sports nutrition. © iStock.com / Nikola1988

Sports nutrition insights

How to target active high earners

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Mintel research has found that high earners are key consumers of sports nutrition products in the UK, so how can manufacturers better cater to these cash-carrying competitors? 

Nutrient profiles would send a clear message to the industry: If you plan on using this health claim on X, Y or Z product, don’t bother filing it. © iStock.com / pixinoo

Caffeine claim calamity should give nutrient profiles wings

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Commission has started the first phase of its investigation into the need for nutrient profiles, with a report expected in spring 2017. Yet with the caffeine claim fiasco ongoing, it’s never been clearer how necessary the profiles are.

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