The sports functional foods category has boomed to reach a $1.38 billion market. It began about 10 years ago, when serious athletes demanded superior protein and energy sources. Proteins are valued for their role in muscle growth and repair, and in the formation of certain body hormones. Nutrition bar developers presented a highly fortified, protein-rich food delivered in a convenient form.
Mainstream consumers did not immediately embrace sports bars, which often were dry, hard and crumbly. Eventually, the sensory quality of products improved, and sports bars moved into the limelight. The Nutrition Business Journal reports the almost-$10 billion U.S. sports nutrition and weight loss product category showed the greatest growth at 15% in 2001.