Market Overview

The market size of sports nutrition and fit body supplements for FY2018 was estimated as 48,460 million yen, a rise by 2.2%. Though some high growth rates during the period between FY2015 and FY2017 subdued, the market is still on the rise.

The market growth in the recent years stems from increasing consumption of protein and other supplements by the major users, i.e., athletes and sports players, and also from more attention paid to firm body making primarily among young people in the backdrop of SNS. In addition, the boom of “muscles” seems to be encouraging general people to do muscle training which is more effective when supplements are taken. Especially, proteins are taken easily since they have abundant products in the forms of drinks, bars, and jelly drinks. The beginners find it easier to start from these products and then move on to those in powder or use both types as they get used to taking protein, which is eventually contributing to market expansion.

Since more companies have begun studying sports nutrition, many products with various athletic-related functions have been developed and commercialized. They include those that control physical conditions of an athlete, those that maintain or improve the performance such as stamina, or those that alleviate fatigue, and etc. In addition to conventional sports supplement makers, the market players have expanded to food and medicine makers, extending the options for athletes and sports players to choose from, which are also affecting the market favorably.

Noteworthy Topics

Protein-Included Food Expanding

In the status where taking protein has been attracted attention by wide range of people from general people to professional athletes and sports players, the market that has been expanding tremendously in recent years is general food that has protein contained or enhanced.

They are in the forms of protein drinks and protein-included jelly drinks enabling people to take protein easily, or protein bars that allow people to take protein as if they are eating sweets.

Such protein-included food is available at the sales channel close to the lives of people like convenience stores, supermarkets, and drugstores, which increased light protein users as well as some users taking in protein between the meals or whenever they are outside. Protein-included food also contributed to broadening the range of protein users, by being the trigger of taking in protein and then of moving on to protein powders.

Future Outlook

The market size of sports nutrition and fit body supplements for FY2019 is expected to rise by 2.7% to achieve 49,770 million yen.

The market is likely to keep being on the rise, as the attention for firm body making likely to continue, in addition to increasing consumption of supplements by the major users, i.e., athletes (sports players) and school-club students. However, when considering light users may prefer food-types, like protein drinks and bars, so as to be able to take nutrition easily, the market of general food types has more potential to grow than that of supplements. 

As more studies for understanding the influence of food as well as food constituents to the body functions go on for the future, to increase the consumption of those nutrients other than protein and amino acid that occupy the majority of the market seems to be the key for further market expansion.

The trend of being interested in building firm body and of exercising among the middle and advanced age class for health maintenance and promotion or just as a hobby are likely to continue for the future. Because of diversification in lifestyle and in preference, together with the changes in spending time as a result of Working-Style Reform, the services for providing exercise are also likely to diversify. Since the demands for the supplements that have more efficacy expected by combining with exercises, and for those easy to take in during or after the exercises are likely to grow, more studies are expected, such as on new materials and nutrition as well as on the form and the taste of supplements in order for them to be easily taken.

Research Outline