The annual Sports and Active Nutrition Summit (SANS) organised by NutraIngredients USA is a pivotal forum for the sports nutrition industry. 
 

This year, Global Marketing Manager Paige Wilkinson and Technical Engagement Manager Rachel Marshall attended this premier event, joined a vibrant community of cross-functional leaders, from researchers and brand owners to formulation experts and regulatory professionals, united by a shared ambition to shape the future of sports and active living.
 

More than just a networking opportunity, the summit spotlighted emerging solutions redefining the boundaries of sports nutrition. From elite athletes to everyday health seekers, conversations focused on how evolving science, behaviour shifts, and industry dynamics are reshaping the way consumers fuel their bodies and minds.

Here are five standout insights from the event, and what they mean for your next wave of innovation:

1. Performance Nutrition is Powering the VMS Boom

The appetite for vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) continues to accelerate, with protein products being particularly popular and resilient in sales. Exercise-related solutions like pre-workouts and ready-to-mix protein powders are non-seasonal and have high repurchase rates, with around half of all households purchasing protein products.

This trends was affirmed in our interview with Olympian Tom Walsh, who shared that his diet includes Omega-3 for joint health, creatine for muscle build and repair, as well as caffeine gum for focus. He also shares about his use of ready-to-mix protein powders to support his protein intake through the day. 

2. Consumers Are Reimagining Sports Nutrition

Athletic performance is no longer the sole focus. Consumers, especially older adults are seeking tailored solutions to adapt their regimens for training recovery to address the changing needs of their bodies such as sleep, aging, longevity, stress management, and weight control.

Hydration products continue to be a significant area of consumer interest, with greater demand for post-workout hydration solutions in powder and ready-to-drink formats. The harmonisation of brain and body is also a key priority for consumers looking to optimise their performance at sports and beyond.

At Nutiani, we see physical and mental wellbeing as two sides of the same coin, and have developed solutions for active consumers to achieve their best in their sport and holistic wellbeing. 

3. Creatine is Making a Comeback

Creatine is experiencing a resurgence, as a tried-and-true solution for muscle and energy. This solution that debuted in the Olympics in 1992 is now making waves with more evidence of its benefits across different age groups and health benefits beyond sports, including brain health. There is increasing interest in creatine from women across generations with a growing body of research making the case for the ingredient as a supplement for pre-menopausal women to boost strength and exercise performance¹.

Industry leaders, including SPINS and William Reed Publishing, have been noting this renewed interest for some time, recognising creatine’s broader applications and appeal to new consumer segments².

This underscores a key opportunity for brands: to consider ways of expanding the potential of proven ingredients. Beyond creatine, other solutions like dairy-derived protein and peptides can be effectively repositioned to serve a wider range of consumer needs.

4. Nutrition Must Evolve with Gender-Specific Needs

A growing awareness of gender-specific nutritional requirements is driving demand for targeted solutions, particularly for women across their life stages. Active women can face undernourishment, leading to suboptimal performance, weight management challenges and reproductive challenges, highlighting a need for education and solutions to meet their specific needs.

Notably, research on women's health lags well behind that of men's health, with the tide changing to recognize that women are not simply ‘smaller men’ – they are biologically different in many ways, with very different hormones, along with changing needs across their lifecycle. During the significant physical transformations of perimenopause and menopause, nutrition brands can play a crucial role in providing specialised support. As Dr. Abbie Smith-Ryan noted in at the summit:
 

Women, especially mid-life women consumers, are still underserved with less understood needs even as this group of consumers are purchasing and consuming more supplements.

For men, key areas of concern include cardiometabolic health, sexual health, and cognitive function, all of which can be positively impacted by targeted nutritional interventions developed in collaboration with experts.
 

5. Education is the Bridge Between Innovation and Impact

Even the most rigorously tested solutions face barriers without the right consumer understanding. Experts suggest a benefit-driven positioning strategy, coupled with the integration of emerging novel ingredients alongside established, trusted ones.

As one summit expert noted, consumer desire for health benefits often outweighs knowledge of an ingredient. This implies that pairing new solutions with familiar complements to provide synergistic benefits can enhance consumer confidence and adoption.

Social media and technology remain pivotal in driving awareness, demand, and innovation within the nutrition sector. Whether B2B, B2C, or D2C, brands can leverage these platforms, including influencer partnerships, to educate and engage targeted consumer groups. The emergence of tools like ChatGPT as sources of consumer advice underscores the importance of optimising search visibility and platform engagement. Nutiani's experience highlights the value of market research, such as consumer segmentation studies, and strategic partnerships for active social listening, to maintain an accurate understanding of the dynamic audience.

Shaping the Future of Performance Nutrition, Together

As the boundaries of sports nutrition continue to blur into broader wellbeing, brands that anticipate consumer needs, and respond with science-backed, purposeful solutions, will lead the way. Whether you're innovating for elite performance, healthy ageing, or everyday vitality, the opportunity lies in connecting insight with impact. At Nutiani, we’re here to help you do just that. Let’s collaborate to transform your next formulation into a solution that truly moves the market.