Sports nutrition

Japan sports nutrition leader Meiji eyeing 10% sales growth amid expanding market

05-Mar-2019 By Tingmin Koe

Meiji is aiming for 10.6% sales growth for its sports nutrition business amid a flourishing domestic market.

Brand New: Blackmores and Sirio Pharma featured among our latest brand stories

01-Mar-2019 By Cheryl Tay

From Blackmores' sliding shares and Sirio's sports nutrition progress to new innovations from Israel, China and Singapore, read our latest brand news in this month's round-up.

China Focus: Stricter regulations, sports nutrition, and hemp sales growth among our latest China stories

22-Feb-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Read about China's continuing '100-day operation', closer inspection of infant formula, and the latest business developments in the country's supplement and health food market in our latest look at China.

Sports nutrition success for Sirio Pharma as firm receives China licence approval

20-Feb-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Chinese firm Sirio Pharma has had its sports nutrition product licence approved in China, signalling new expansion opportunities for the company and its clients in the country's growing market.

WATCH: Fitlion and Beneo on the importance of personalisation in mainstreaming sports nutrition

15-Feb-2019 By Cheryl Tay

As APAC's sports nutrition sector continues evolving to cater to a growing number of consumers, we speak to two industry players who tell us what businesses can do to bring sports nutrition further into the mainstream.

Compound from Vietnamese herb shows promise in fight against sarcopenia

12-Feb-2019 By Hank Schultz

A compound isolated from Gynostemma longipes, a plant from a group of climbing vines in the gourd and melon family, has been shown to stimulate muscle growth in a mouse cell model.

GALLERY: The 10 most read APAC health and nutrition stories in January

11-Feb-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Here's a recap of our 10 most read nutrition stories in January, featuring regulatory updates from China and Australia, Nestlé's moves in the A2 milk market, the top APAC supplement trends to watch this year, and more.

Usana posts another sales increase as China’s direct selling clampdown looms

07-Feb-2019 By Hank Schultz

Network marketing company Usana reported $1.19 billion in annual revenue in its fourth quarter earnings statement. The company now derives more than 80% of its revenue from the Asia-Pacific region.

Celsius inks $6.9 million China distribution deal with Qifeng

01-Feb-2019 By Hank Schultz

Florida-based energy drink player Celsius Holdings has announced a deal that will both expand the company’s footprint in mainland China, as well as enable it to recoup money it has invested thus far in entering the market.

Brand New: The latest on sports nutrition in China, hemp supplements in Australia, and probiotics in Japan

01-Feb-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Read the latest news on aland's sports nutrition plans, Bod Australia's booming CBD and hemp business, Nissin's shift from cup noodles to nutricosmetics, and more in this month's brand round-up.

Marinova debuts proprietary fucoidan blend in clinical trial while eyeing sports nutrition entry

30-Jan-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Marinova has commenced a clinical trial to investigate the gut health benefits of its bioactive seaweed extract, Maritech fucoidan, on elite athletes, with the broader goal of entering the sports nutrition market.

Healthy Ageing APAC Summit: Industry-leading event returns to Singapore after hugely successful year one

30-Jan-2019 By Gary Scattergood

FoodNavigator-Asia and NutraIngredients-Asia are delighted to announce that the Healthy Ageing APAC Summit will return to Singapore in July, after a hugely successful first event in 2018.

Taste and price: Why protein powder continues to take centre-stage in China's sports nutrition market

24-Jan-2019 By Tingmin Koe

Taste, price and consumer understanding are the driving forces behind the booming sales of protein powder in China, according to leading industry players.

More data, better product development, greater brand awareness: Herbalife reaping benefits from sports partnerships

24-Jan-2019 By Tingmin Koe

Partnering with professional athletes is key to enabling sports nutrition brands to gather more consumption data, improve product effectiveness, and build brand visibility, according to Herbalife Nutrition.

More flavours: aland seeks to ramp up sports nutrition initiatives in 2019

21-Jan-2019 By Tingmin Koe

Chinese dietary supplement firm aland is planning to introduce more flavours for its sports nutrition alandv bars this year.

Trend Tracker: APAC trends and emerging markets, e-commerce in China, and why you should attend NutraIngredients' first Omega-3 Summit

18-Jan-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Read what industry experts have to say about 2019's top supplement trends and emerging markets in APAC, the latest in China's e-commerce sector, and why you should register for our upcoming Omega-3 Summit.

BAPP ashwagandha bulletin to help industry tell when roots have been adulterated with leaves

16-Jan-2019 By Hank Schultz

A new BAPP bulletin disseminates ways to detect the adulteration of ashwagandha products with undeclared material taken from the leaves or the stems of the plant.

Botanical boost: Traditional herbs and sports potential to fuel Indian beverage firm's global expansion plan

14-Jan-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Indian functional beverage firm Sipwise is hoping to drive its global ambitions with heavy investment in R&D and a variety of innovative functional drinks in the pipeline.

GNC bets on ‘experiential’ prototype store as Hayao investment starts to take hold

09-Jan-2019 By Hank Schultz

Embattled supplement retailer GNC enters 2019 with a new prototype ‘experiential’ store that is part of an ongoing effort to revamp its huge brick and mortar network.

Exclusive insights: Three markets to watch for APAC supplement industry growth in 2019

08-Jan-2019 By Cheryl Marie Tay and Tingmin Koe

With its booming population and growing middle-income group, APAC is the region to watch for supplement and health food growth. In our exclusive feature on which markets to keep an eye on, we feature sports nutrition in China, probiotics in South East...

GALLERY: The 10 most read APAC health and nutrition stories in December

07-Jan-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Here's a recap of our 10 most read nutrition stories in December, featuring infant nutrition in India, sports nutrition in APAC and the US, the continued popularity of Aussie supplements in China and more.

Probiotics for building muscle mass: Synbio Tech targets the US market with ‘world’s first’ sports product

13-Dec-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Taiwanese probiotics firm Synbio Tech is aiming for a strong entry into the US sports nutrition market with a probiotic strain capable of building muscle mass.

Botanical blend may have positive effects on endurance and muscle in young men: Indian study

13-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Tay

A botanical formulation featuring extracts from two popular Asian herbs may help to increase muscle strength and size, as well as endurance and total lean mass, say researchers in India.

Brand New: Hemp and skincare supplements in Japan, Vitagen Malaysia, and Blackmores feature in our latest brand round-up

12-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Marie Tay

In this month's brand review, we bring you news on Japan's first FOSHU-certified skincare supplement, the rise of Elixinol's hemp supplements in Japan, Vitagen Malaysia's public health education efforts, Blackmores' progress in...

Plant protein, sports nutrition and omega-3: Tom Oliver Nutrition tapping into surging categories to drive Asian growth

12-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Tay

UK supplement firm Tom Oliver Nutrition is tapping into several fast-growing categories in Asia to further its expansion in the region, focusing on non-animal sources of protein, sports nutrition, and omega-3.

Resveratrol and resistance: Taiwan study suggests combination to improve physical health and performance

05-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Resveratrol supplementation combined with resistance exercise can improve overall physical health and sports performance, according to researchers in Taiwan.

aland invests in Chinese precision nutrition start-up amid rising consumer demand

29-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

China-based supplements firm aland has invested in home-grown start-up Omicsfit to advance its portfolio of personalised nutrition products.

VITAFOODS ASIA 2018

WATCH: C2B product development is leading the way — Avida Health analyses innovation strategies and beauty-from-within trends in APAC

28-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Avida Health, a dietary supplement firm based in Singapore, believes that big data will help the company go a long way in developing new products.

Five pillars of growth: Herbalife outlines further expansion plans for China

26-Nov-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Herbalife has carved out five pillars of growth to support further expansion in China, which is by far its biggest sales market in APAC.

Vitamin D3 has protective potential against upper respiratory tract infection in athletes

21-Nov-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Supplementation with vitamin D3 could alleviate symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in athletes, especially during winter training, according to researchers in South Korea and the US.

Ripper roll-out: Sports nutrition brand targets Asia with NPD, charity, and demographic diversity

12-Nov-2018 By Cheryl Tay

US-based sports nutrition brand Ripper Nutrition has chosen Asia as its first overseas market, with a long-term plan to diversify its range of products to cover overall health and wellness for all life stages.

Products for pros: NZ sports nutrition firm targets elite athletes with comprehensive product range

06-Nov-2018 By Cheryl Tay

New Zealand sports nutrition firm PowerAmp Sports is aiming to develop a comprehensive product portfolio that is fully approved by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), starting with their range of hypotonic beverages.

Going global? Indian supplement firm Nutrimed taps into consumer education to fuel expansion plans

22-Oct-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Indian supplement firm Nutrimed Healthcare is using its team of nutritional educators and focus on online marketing to not only tap into India's growing infant and sports nutrition sectors, but to support its ambitious global expansion plans.

Premier League appeal: Singapore e-commerce and nutrition outfit scores deal with Burnley FC

02-Oct-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Singapore-based e-commerce portal Fitlion has become the official nutrition partner of English Premier League club Burnley FC, in a deal that will focus heavily on a personalised approach for each player.

Functional beverage surge for VitHit in Australia with bumper Coles deal

01-Oct-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Irish brand VitHit expects its upcoming APAC debut to open doors for further expansion within the region for its sole product: a range of six functional bottled beverages developed as a healthy alternative to sugar-sweetened drinks.

Revenue rockets at Swisse parent firm Health and Happiness as probiotics perform well

04-Sep-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Health and Happiness (H&H) achieved a revenue of RMB4573.6m (about US$669m) in the first half of 2018, which is 28.8% higher than the same period last year.

Indian sports nutrition retailer Muscle and Strength powering ahead with store openings

03-Sep-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Indian sports nutrition retail chain Muscle and Strength India has opened its fifth store within just six months of being in business, and is capitalising on its growing popularity to educate consumers.

Marine oil supplement fails to produce beneficial results in non-asthmatic elite runners: RCT

29-Aug-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Supplementation with a marine oil lipid extract derived from New Zealand green-lipped mussels does not benefit resting pulmonary or muscle function in non-asthmatic elite runners, according to a recent population study.

Selective on sports supplements: Vitafoods Asia speaker highlights differing needs of professional athletes and weekend warriors

23-Aug-2018 By Cheryl Tay

A leading academic says there is more scope for sports nutrition products to be tailored to different levels of athletic ability, and for more rigorous research to support their efficacy.

Natreon says organic stamp on shilajit ingredient backs quality message

20-Aug-2018 By Hank Schultz

Natreon has announced an organic certification on its PrimaVie shilajit ingredient. As this is not an agricultural commodity, the company views the certification as more of a statement of overall quality rather than primarily a verification of its production...

Celsius insulated from trade war by having production within China

16-Aug-2018 By Hank Schultz

Having production in China has insulated fast growing energy drink brand Celsius from any potential fallout from President Trump’s trade war. Celsius has more than doubled its store count to China to 25,000. The brand is now sold in 47 cities in the country....

Sales of Japanese 'dorinku-zai' tonics drop as younger generation opts for energy drinks

30-Jul-2018 By Tingmin Koe

'Dorinku-zai', a type of tonic drink in Japan, is facing a dwindling market as more consumers, especially the younger generation, are opting for energy drinks.

USANA tops $300 million in sales for quarter

26-Jul-2018 By Hank Schultz

USANA Health Sciences has reported record revenue in its second quarter, driven largely by results in mainland China.

HPA-China to host annual sports nutrition summit a day before FIBO China Expo in Shanghai

20-Jul-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Health Products Association-China (HPA-China) has announced it will be hosting its annual International Sports Nutrition Industry Summit in Shanghai this year on August 15.

Exclusive: Video / Analysis / Infographics

China in Focus — Sports Nutrition: Sector is soaring…but how much is going under the radar?

18-Jul-2018 By Gary Scattergood

Speak to any industry insider in China and one of the hottest topics is sports nutrition — everyone agrees that the sector is soaring, even if nobody is sure by exactly how much.

Exclusive: Video / Analysis / Infographics

China in Focus – Omega-3: The importance of sport, personalisation and protecting reputation

17-Jul-2018 By Gary Scattergood

China's omega-3 market appears to be at a tipping point, with slowly rising consumer awareness being buoyed by both the ingredient's sports nutrition potential and growing opportunities for personalised nutrition.

Questionable sources of sports supplements among Saudi users a cause for concern

16-Jul-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Less than 50% of Saudi supplement users purchase their supplements from licensed stores, pharmacies and medical clinics, with the rest buying these products online, overseas, or even from peddlers.

Exclusive: Video / analysis / infographics

China in Focus – Probiotics: From sports nutrition to weight management, the market is booming

16-Jul-2018 By Gary Scattergood

China's probiotics market is going from strength to strength, with suppliers and industry experts reporting rapid growth. Therefore, we have made the sector the subject of the first of our in-depth three-part China in Focus features.

Trends in Asia's sports nutrition sector: Lines blurring between sport and general wellness

05-Jul-2018 By Tingmin Koe

From the rise of plant-based protein products to consumers taking nutritional products actively, the line between sports and wellness products has blurred.

Healthy Ageing APAC Summit 2018

Generation gains: Which health concerns are driving supplement purchases across age groups?

13-Jun-2018 By Cheryl Tay

The latest insights into the health concerns driving supplement and functional food purchases across different age groups have been revealed at our first Healthy Ageing APAC Summit.