Let’s face it—the hustle and bustle of modern living can be exhausting. And while it’s not pleasant to admit, sometimes our daily pick-me-up in the form of a cup of coffee or an energy supplement is the only thing helping us to power through the day. This reflects a broader trend; to keep up, be more productive, and have enough energy left over at the end of the day. Consumers are looking for strategies to fight physical and mental fatigue. As a result, they are increasingly turning to supplements and functional foods to meet their needs.
This is why experts suggest the market for healthy energy will continue to be one of the largest and most successful categories in the supplement space. According to a Nutrition Business Journal report, in 2020, energy supplements represented 8.8% of total supplement sales. Estimates show that the energy category will be worth about $6,1billion by 2024.
The category is also evolving to be more benefits-driven beyond just “energy.” And as this market continues to grow and change here’s a countdown of our top five trends spurring success and innovation in the energy supplement space.
Mental Energy & Mood
The concept of mindfulness and emphasis on mental health has been a growing trend in the wellness space. Consumers are looking for solutions to stay energized and balanced as concerns of stress, anxiety, and mental health are rising. Amid our increasingly demanding and complicated lifestyles, consumer interest in the concept of “mental energy” is growing. It’s not just a caffeine jolt consumers are craving, but rather, sustained energy that helps to assist with focus, alertness, and performance throughout the day. OmniActive’s Consumer Insights shows that after the first cup of coffee, consumers are looking for alternative products to keep them charged throughout the day. Mental energy also relates to mood health, another top-of-mind concern. A healthy source of steady energy can help offset fatigue and promote motivation, which can go a long way for your frame of mind.
Personalization Matters
Consumers are looking for tailor-made products to support their individual needs—especially when it comes to their health and performance. Personalization in the supplement space isn’t new, but when it comes to energy, consumers are looking for customized solutions beyond a mere caffeine buzz.
Products speaking to specific energy needs are better positioned for success, according to NBJ. For example, products targeting needs like “office performance” or “sustained alertness” help solidify the context of the formula and better assure shoppers that this is something that can help them.
Clean & Ethical
When energy drinks first hit the market, they were packed with sugar, artificial flavors, and unrecognizable ingredients. Today, health-conscious consumers are demanding high-quality, naturally sourced, sustainable ingredients, that are safe and effective. As the energy category becomes more mainstream, products are being reformulated to be more sustainable and appeal to the lifestyles and values of consumers.
Supplement users also want something eco-friendly to meet their ethical values, and you’d better believe they are paying attention. Market research from Nielsen suggests 81% of consumers feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment, while 73% said they would change their consumption habits to reduce environmental impact. This sentiment was most prevalent among the highly sought-after millennial demographic.
Cognition & Focus
Mind enhancing “nootropic” formulas are growing in prominence, and there’s an argument to be made for energy-enhancing products supporting cognitive function and attention.
Formulas that increase mental function and performance—without the distractions of jittery side effects or the caffeine crash—are poised for success. High-achieving, performance driven consumers are also more likely to favor formulas that have clean, recognizable ingredients.
Brain Fuel for Sport & Play
Focus and alertness are becoming just as important as physical capabilities for active consumers. Gamers and gym goers are looking to operate on a higher level and are seeking out formulas to not only aid endurance but also focus their mind. Gaming is a sport where competitive advantage is almost exclusively determined by cognitive performance but has many of the same requirements as other sports – endurance for campaigns that can last for hours and recovery from prolonged play. And gamers are beginning to wake up to the fact that there are better alternatives to a steady diet of caffeine, high-sugar foods, and instant energy fixes to keep them competitive.
Meanwhile, the fitness and athletic space is a huge, mainstream audience that will keep the energy category growing. The “fit” consumers demographic, defined as those exercising 30 minutes three times a week (or more), makes up approximately 40% of the U.S. population.
Clinically studied solutions to address the needs of a modern, busy lifestyle
OmniActive offers two clean, scientifically validated ingredients that are aligned with these key trends and perfectly suited to help product formulators meet the demands of discerning energy supplement users: enXtra and Xtenergy.
With applications ranging from cognitive health to sports nutrition, enXtra is a proprietary extract of Alpinia galanga (a.k.a., Thai ginger), commonly used in Asian cooking. A caffeine-free alternative, this award-winning natural botanical formula is unique because it offers same-day benefits that you can feel to address the energy needs of consumers.
Sourced from green coffee beans (Coffea robusta), Xtenergy provides sustained, clean energy. Xtenergy’s extended-release formula is designed with the energy consumer in mind, delivering the nootropic benefits as caffeine, such as alertness, without the “crash” phenomenon. †
†“Crash” as when mental energy (measured by alertness/attention) and mood generally decline within the first 5 hours after caffeine consumption.