The renewed interest in health spurred by first the Covid19 pandemic, and later by its aftermath, increased consumer focus on both diet and activity. While those two processes always have been the best prescription for overall health, their intersection generates foods and beverages that address Sports Nutrition.

A 2022 survey by the research group Mindbody published by US News earlier this year revealed that consumers are thinking about, and taking more responsibility for their health. Yet they are doing so with a more holistic approach that includes mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. And while the respondents considered mental wellness as being the most important of those, 78% made it clear that they recognized that being physically active helped improve mental health as well.

According to Marie Spano, MS, RDN, sports nutritionist and founder of Spano Sports Nutrition Consulting, “sports nutrition” can be defined best as “the application of science-backed food, supplement, hydration, and electrolyte strategies to help improve athletic performance, recovery and promote return to play after an injury.”

While sports nutrition is often targeted on athletic performance, health, and human performance, it is important for all throughout the lifespan. Spano stresses that it is “a broad field that covers everyone of all ages.” A sports nutritionist may develop a plan to help attenuate sarcopenia, muscle decline due to aging. Sports nutritionists are cognitive of joint, bone health, tendon and ligament health.

Focusing on what she thinks are some current top ingredients food and beverage makers should pay attention to when focusing on products targeting the sporting life, Spano suggests red amaranth, beet juice, tart cherry and other rich red fruit juices, curcumin, saffron, and the full suite of digestive health ingredient categories that includes prebiotics, probiotics, post-biotics, and synbiotics.

These ingredients range from being rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory polyphenols and can help reduce pain and boost strength and recovery following either strength or endurance forms of exercise. Some help boost nerve health and nerve development to where it’s been suggested it can benefit better cognition and elevate mood even more than exercise already does. Others work as a primary avenue to overall health and immunity across multiple systems, and that extends to physical performance.

David Feder, Prepared Foods' Executive Editor-Technical interviews Marie Spano for further insight into these ingredients, as well as thoughts on the types of foods and beverages they can be incorporated into by product developers targeting nutrition for sports, energy, and simply overall health for today’s active consumer. Watch the video above or listen to the podcast here.