At the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting, IFT FIRST, one of the standouts at the Startup Pavilion was Levelle, which focuses on developing products with a focus on sports nutrition for women. The products are specifically made with women in mind, since less than 2.5% of all sports nutrition products are formulated for women, according to the company.
With organic ingredients and no engineered sugars, additives or artificial colorants, the company helps to address a gap in the market for sports nutrition products. Linda Alvarez, MD, co-founder and CEO, says "Products on the market are made based on men’s physiology and, while great for male athletes, they can cause a myriad of physical side effects in female athletes throughout the course of training and competition."
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Female-focused Sports Nutrition
- Creating sports nutrition products targeting women can disrupt the male-centered sports nutrition market.
- Organic Sports Nutrition Products
- Developing nutrition products that use organic ingredients can challenge existing products that contain additives and artificial colorants.
- Gender-specific Sports Nutrition Products
- Offering gender-specific sports nutrition products responds to the need for products that take into consideration the different physiology and nutritional needs of male and female athletes.
Where This Applies
- Sports Nutrition Industry
- Introducing products that cater specifically to the needs of female athletes could capture a portion of the $50 billion sports nutrition industry.
- Organic Food Industry
- Partnering with organic food producers may provide opportunities to source high-quality organic ingredients for sports nutrition products.
- Health and Wellness Industry
- Collaborating with wellness experts could assist in promoting the benefits of female-specific sports nutrition products and tapping into the growing health and wellness industry.
