As Gen-Xers join Baby Boomers in the fight to stave off aging, they are turning to activity. Talk to most people in their 40s and 50s, and they might tell you they are members of a soccer or rowing club, or some other sport group. A recent MetLife Inc. survey, “The MetLife Study of Gen X: The MTV Generation Moves into Mid-Life,” did just that and found 60% of those asked noted that, “exercise or sports are incorporated into their day-to-day lives.”
According to Infiniti Research Ltd.’s market research firm, TechNavio, the global sports nutrition product market is expected to grow by more than 8% until 2020. Continued growth will require investing in new ingredients, innovative products, and novel packaging to excite existing consumers, while sparking interest from new ones—including the occasional gym-goer and older adult market. These are the two segments with substantially fewer foods and beverages geared toward them.