Sports Nutritionals

Sports nutrition products can be loosely grouped into six functional categories. Strength and body-building supplements are primarily muscle/mass-building substances such as amino acids and protein mixes, used mostly by bodybuilders and participants in other sports focused on strength and weight gain, such as football. These are usually supplements or protein bars.

Fat burners/lean mass products are mostly muscle and central nervous system stimulants like caffeine or supplements that help to convert dietary fat into energy instead of fat tissue, such as l-carnitine and chromium.

These products overlap somewhat with general weight-loss products, but are marketed directly to bodybuilders and athletes or contain additional ingredients meant to enhance sports performance and build lean muscle mass without adding fat.

Short-term energy products often contain caffeine, or other natural substances like Siberian ginseng and simple sugars such as glucose and fructose. They are often combined with a variety of other substances, including creatine monohydrate, phosphate, and vitamin B2.

Long-term endurance products are designed to increase endurance for events such as distance runs, long cycling events, and triathlons. Substances used in these products include complex sugars such as branching glucose polymers, medium chain triglycerides, and various complex carbohydrates. These substances are often combined with several minerals and vitamins such as vitamin E, an antioxidant, and phosphate, a lactic acid modulator.

Recovery and treatment products are targeted to the various side effects that often result from exercise, and include anti-inflammatories, electrolyte replacements, homeopathic and natural pain relievers, and antioxidants.

General wellness or energy sports nutritionals offer many of the benefits above, but are designed for use by casual athletes or even ordinary consumers. These products generally have lower concentrations of active ingredients, and are thus intended to provide much milder effects—usually a slight energy boost and low doses of essential vitamins and minerals, perhaps with additional herbs and natural additives.

Sports nutrition products are typically divided into three product categories: beverages, bars & gels, and supplements. Each category offers a unique delivery system, and is distinctive in marketing methods and distribution channels.