More people are taking serious steps to improve their health and fitness. This presents an opportunity for performance nutrition companies to offer protein “plus” solutions for athletes and sports enthusiasts with gastrointestinal issues. And also for active nutrition companies to tap into the growing demand for protein products from a new demographic – the casual gym-goer who is more interested in their holistic health instead of simply maximising athletic performance. And, it all starts with the gut-muscle axis.
What is the gut-muscle axis?
The gut-muscle axis is the interaction between the gut microbiome and muscle function,1 and it’s particularly important for athletes, but also the casual gym-goer looking to improve their overall well-being by leading a healthier, more active lifestyle. New research into the interplay between gut health, strength and overall well-being might be key to unlocking these opportunities. The desire to live healthier for longer is fuelling growing interest in a proactive approach to health. There is also a growing understanding that our bodily functions are more interconnected than previously thought. It’s unsurprising then that a holistic approach that treats the whole person as one, rather than treating symptoms in silos, is gaining momentum. Globally, 6 in 10 consumers are more conscious about their overall health and well-being because of COVID-19, and 61% are interested in solutions for cognitive, digestive, heart, immune, skin and joint health, even when not suffering from health problems1. As part of this, more consumers are turning to exercise to improve their overall health, and demand for high-protein products continues to grow, with 81% of active consumers looking to increase their protein intake as part of a healthy diet1.
And what’s the key to creating unique products to tap into this market? Fermented dairy ingredients.
References
- Przewłócka, K. et al. 2020
