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GAINING THE EDGE
Exploring the new world of sports nutrition and how brands can stay ahead.
01
Sports Nutrition in Focus
Decades ago, sports nutrition products would be the sole preserve for bulky blokes in dilapidated gyms; munching or slurping synthetic looking bars and shakes.
Fast forward to today and the idea of getting more protein into diets is something more of us are now thinking about, whether you are a die-hard gym goer or not. In fact, almost 60% of UK adults are prioritising – or will try to prioritise – consuming protein as part of their diet in 2025 (Tesco 2025).
Beyond protein, there is a massive percentage of the population who are turning to a new wave of sport nutrition products. In the UK 56% of people claim to consume a sports nutrition product more than once a week (Mintel, 2024). No wonder formats such as gels, electrolytes, mood enhancing adaptogens, functional supplements and pre-workout mixes have become all the rage for those looking to enhance performance.
But these category lines aren’t so clear-cut. In a fast-moving market, there are plenty of interesting developments happening across products and formats, especially when it comes to ‘healthier snacking’.
Sports nutrition brands are looking at ways to improve their taste credentials and embrace indulgence, whereas FMCG brands are strategically thinking about range extensions and creating new consumption moments and entry points for their brands.
Working with brands like TRIBE and UFIT, we’ve seen the need for sports nutrition brands to have a clear and ownable position and design to cut through in this busy category, to not only help their customers gain the edge, but gain the edge over their competitors.
TRIBE / UFIT / Barebells
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Cleaning Up The Act
We’re more conscious than ever about what we are putting into our bodies, especially with the on-going conversation around ultra-processed foods (UPFs). While not all sports nutrition brands can claim to be completely UPF-free, the shift is clear—if people choose something processed, they want it to serve a purpose beyond just empty calories. It’s about functional nutrition rather than harmful fillers.
In a survey by Prinova (2023), being made with natural ingredients was one of the top drivers for making a sports nutrition purchase, with 34% ranking it in their top three selections. As a result, the sports nutrition category is evolving, shedding its outdated image and embracing a more health-conscious, transparent approach.
Clearly shifting away from the traditional “bro-coded” aesthetics full of dull grey products, muscular imagery, bold typography and hard to pronounce ingredients, the category’s design language is complementing this new approach, geared towards a cleaner and more natural palette, both in style, but also in product.
As people begin the process of figuring out which supplements to take and when, it can quickly become overwhelming.
For non-competitive athletes (the majority of us), simply finding the time and energy to incorporate all these supplements into daily life can feel like a challenge. With an overwhelming number of options, this creates a clear tension: the more you learn about nutrition, the more supplements you realise you could be taking.
To address this, brands are simplifying their offerings, making it easier for consumers to get what they need without the guesswork. Companies like Huel, MyProtein, and AG1 have introduced their own versions of ‘superblends’—comprehensive, all-in-one solutions that deliver all the essential nutrition you need in one easy hit.
AG1 / Huel / MyProtein
03
Focus Me, Hydrate Me
When it comes to performance, sports nutrition is becoming much more holistic, being not just for the body but also the mind. Welcome to the wonderful world of nootropics and adaptogens.
Ingredients such as functional mushrooms, known for their focus-enhancing properties, are gaining popularity with 44% of Brits ‘fairly interested’ in eating functional mushrooms for health and wellness purposes. (YouGov, 2024).
We’re also seeing this play out with the brands we work with at Outlaw. Leading “Better For You” brand Tribe, who grew retail sales by 82% to £2.3m last year capitalised on functional ingredients with the launch of their ‘Protein + Focus’ range, featuring a range of protein bars with eight additional adaptogens including Lion’s Mane.
Dirtea / Mother Made / Tribe Protein + Focus
Across the counter are vitamins like B12, calcium, and Vitamin D, known for combating high cortisol levels and the UK’s gloomy weather. With HSIS reporting that one in five adults are deficient in Vitamin D (HSIS, 2024), it’s no surprise Brits are eager to top up their stores.
But it’s not just Vitamin D we’re lacking. A 2024 PureGym study found that 75% of Brits drink less than a litre of water daily—far below NHS recommendations.
As a result, sports nutrition powders, tablets, and liquid additives are becoming the norm to counter under-hydration.
Whether it’s Vitamin D tablets, functional mushrooms or hydration powders, people are increasingly turning to supplements to support an active lifestyle—whether for work, during a workout or even an afternoon energy boost. It’s all part of a growing trend of understanding the optimal function of our body and how to maintain it.
Heights / Puresport / SIS / PRECISION / Styrkr
04
Flourishing Formats
The sports nutrition category is embracing an exciting array of formats, from pills, gummies, drinks and chews. What was once a category dominated by bars and powders has transformed, as convenient formats become points of parity.
Brands like Huel have capitalised on this, with their 2023 revenue figures showing an additional £27m in revenue from NPD launches alone, that’s 14.75% of their entire revenue.
In the last year (2024) demand for yoghurts and other dairy food with added protein, such as puddings and drinks, has soared by a third (34 per cent) according to Tesco.
Underpinning this growth in new formats is the idea of democratisation – as the category gets less specialised, so do the products.
Ovrload / UFIT / Huel
This has opened the market to even more players. Go into a supermarket today, and you’ll likely see a variant of your favourite product with added protein.
Mainstream brands are putting protein into almost everything, from yoghurt to muesli, bagels and even ice cream.
Graham’s recently expanded their protein line-up with the addition of a first ice cream after their protein range contributed towards more than 25% of their total sales across their portfolio.
Warburtons launched a protein range last year and brands like Wow Hydrate even have a range of flavoured protein waters with listings in Tesco and Iceland.
This shift reflects a growing demand for convenient formats but shows how mainstream brands can captalise on the hype for healthier formats.
WowHydrate / Warburtons / Graham’s
05
What does this mean for brands?
Have a clear promise
In a category where fundamentally, most of the products are the same, positioning plays a huge role in what you will be known for and how your audience will remember you.
The strongest brands in this category succeed by owning a clear and singular positioning. This core promise needs to run through the entirety of the brand, through packaging, product, comms and experience. Simplicity and a direct, no-nonsense tone of voice are essential.
Maurten enable humans to become greater athletes.
MyProtein stands for championing everyone to live healthier and active lives. Grenade bring healthier choices to those who snack.
The question every sports nutrition brand needs to answer is this: What is your defining promise?
Bolster Benefits
Brands are increasingly focusing on simplifying consumer routines by offering products that deliver multiple benefits from a single source.
By integrating functional ingredients such as nootropics for cognitive enhancement, hydration boosters, essential vitamins, and caffeine for energy, brands are not only streamlining daily consumption habits but squeezing out extra value to the end user.
This approach helps to differentiate and creates convenience; all without compromising on wellness or performance.
Huel / Puresport / High5 / Veloforte
Embrace indulgence
Whilst sports nutrition is closely linked to health and wellness, the leading brands in this space have started to revolt, taking principles and codes from top confectionery brands as a counterpoise to the earnest designs of the sports nutrition category.
Taste is a critical driver in this category, so frankly if you taste like wet cardboard, you won’t drive growth. By utilising some of the visual and verbal cues of indulgence and investing in product, you can quickly build distinction.
Stealing market share from the larger indulgent players’ brands also means you can go after a broader customer base, expanding usage occasions beyond sport and creating the conditions to go after a significant source of new business.
Create opportunities to partner
As brands diversify their offerings and launch new product lines, many are discovering the benefits of collaborating with mainstream brands to make protein and other sports nutrition products more accessible to a broader audience.
One of the clear advantages of this strategy is the ability to leverage the equity of the other brand to build trust, establish familiarity and reinforcetaste credentials.
Additionally, such partnerships expand the customer base for both brands, enabling them to tap into each other’s audiences and reach new demographics that might have previously been out of reach.
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