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Naturally Fueling Americans [Sports Nutrition] Vol. 16 No. 1 January 2011 Energy Crisis: Naturally Fueling Americans By Alissa Marrapodi, Online Brand Editor The fast life is getting faster as Americans do their best to juggle work, school and play, while living active, healthy lifestyles. No longer are energy products just geared at sport nutrition; it’s trickled into all age groups. From the sleepy secretary with 3 p.m.-after-lunch lethargy to the student at late-night study sessions and the mom waking up for early-morning soccer games, Americans are running for the shelves looking for any energy boost they can find. The energy market’s heart is beating almost as fast as the speedy American’s is. SPINS reported (52 weeks ending Oct. 30, 2010) the energy drink and energy shot markets in the natural channel (excluding Whole Foods) are currently worth $6,803,607 and $ 1,328,767, respectively; in the conventional channel (food/drug/mass excluding Wal-Mart), they come in at $91,240,031 and $3,700,805, respectively. In the natural channel, energy drinks experienced a 16.6-percent increase in sales from a year ago; and energy shots skyrocketed with a 60.5-percent increase in sales in the past year. In the conventional market, energy drinks are up 4.1 percent from the previous year, and energy shots are up 57 percent from the previous year. “There’s no question that energy shots continue to be the biggest trend in energy drinks,” said Bob Green, president, Nutratech. Nena Dockery, scientific and regulatory affairs manager, National Enzyme Co., also acknowledged the popularity of energy shots, but feels it may wane. “Energy shots are still popular, but may have peaked as far as new product introduction because of market saturation,” she said. “Beverages will probably continue to be popular as they provide a hidden energy-producing benefit—water. Dehydration is a strong and often overlooked contributor to energy loss.” However, even though sales, with a focus on energy shots, are up, consumers are still hesitating when purchasing energy products. Mintel reported a 136-percent increase in sales from 2005 to 2009 in the energy drinks/shots market; however, manufacturers are having difficulties attracting new customers. A total of 74 percent of those surveyed say they don’t consume energy drinks/shots, and 69 percent of those non-users are not interested in trying them. Mintel’s Global Market Navigator (GMN) found Americans consume 3.05 L of energy drinks per capita each year, but energy drink market penetration remained flat at 15 percent of all adults aged 18 and older during 2007 to 2009. If sales are up, what’s “up” with consumers? What is their hesitation with the current energy products on the market? According to Mintel, energy drinks/shots non-users cited high prices (48 percent), too much caffeine (43 percent) and a general feeling that energy drinks/shots just aren’t good for you (43 percent) as reasons why they have not consumed any in the past three months. Sixteen percent of energy drink non-users and 14 percent of energy shots non-users stated they would be encouraged to try an energy drink or shot if free samples were offered at a store where they usually shop. Meanwhile, 14 percent of www.naturalproductsinsider.com Page 1 [Sports Nutrition] Vol. 16 No. 1 January 2011 non-users would be more likely to try energy drinks (11 percent for energy shots) if they had natural ingredients. Are consumers concerned with what’s in their energy shot? Or are they just interested in the end results, such as, does it make me feel alert? Does it keep me awake while a pull an all-nighter studying for finals? Does it give me the jitters and make me feel sick to my stomach? “Consumers are primarily concerned with end results,” Green said. “Does the product work? If it doesn’t increase energy, they won’t go back for seconds. It’s up to manufacturers, suppliers and retailers to educate their customers about why and how products work.” Dockery agreed, noting most consumers aim to avoid negative aftereffects. “Most of us do not like the jittery feeling that is a side effect of some energy products,” she said. “We want to feel alert, rested and energetic, without being queasy or shaky.” Oftentimes, whether the consumer is focused on the ingredients or the end result is dependent on why they’re buying the boost. So, why are consumers buying energy drinks? Mintel reported 17 percent of energy drink users (80 percent of energy shot users) consume them for an energy boost, 57 percent of energy drink users employ them to stay awake and 60 percent of energy shot users said they drink them for mental alertness. The important thing is they’re buying. Jumpstart Red Bull. Those two words have sparked quite a controversy in the beverage sector. Many countries have banned Red Bull, while many college students swear by its ability to help them pass their finals or run a marathon. In fact, some studies tout Red Bull for its ability to improve aerobic and anaerobic performance during exercise, and significantly improve mental performance, including concentration and memory.1 Other studies question its negative effects on heart health due to its increased risk for blood clots and alterations in subjects’ cardiovascular profile similar to that of someone with heart disease.2 But no matter its pros and cons, consumers love Red Bull and the energy it supplies. One of its main ingredients, as with many energy drinks is caffeine. “There are individuals who have a negative view toward caffeine because of its addictive capability and effects on blood pressure in some people,” Dockery said. “However, much of the current health-related research regarding caffeine is actually positive. The same can be said for most ingredients, and often the negative attributes are only at very high levels or in sensitive individuals.” Caffeine has many faces. But contrary to common belief, caffeine isn’t bad. Sure, it has its downsides in excess amounts, but it’s actually linked to many positives. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) found when caffeine is used in moderation for enhanced athletic performance, athletes can bolster their performance, provided they use caffeine responsibly and are mindful of possible side effects.3 The organization released a 43-page position statement in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition detailing the performance-enhancing effects of caffeine and certain common misconceptions. Some of the highlights included: caffeine is effective for enhancing sport performance in trained athletes www.naturalproductsinsider.com Page 2 [Sports Nutrition] Vol. 16 No. 1 January 2011 when consumed in low-to-moderate dosages (~3-6 mg/kg); caffeine exerts a greater ergogenic effect when consumed in an anhydrous state as compared to coffee; caffeine has been shown to enhance vigilance during bouts of extended exhaustive exercise, as well as periods of sustained sleep deprivation; caffeine is ergogenic for sustained maximal endurance exercise and has been shown to be highly effective for time-trial performance; and caffeine supplementation is beneficial for high-intensity exercise. Green tea is another popular source of energy. It’s a natural source of caffeine, but, more than that, green tea is positively associated with weight management, diabetes, and heart and breast health. One study examined the effects of a catechin-rich green tea extract (GTE) on running endurance and energy metabolism during exercise in BALB/c mice.4 Running times to exhaustion in mice fed 0.5 percent GTE were 30-percent higher than in exercise-control mice, and were accompanied by a lower respiratory exchange ratio, higher muscle beta-oxidation activity and lower malonyl-CoA content. In addition, muscle glycogen content was high in the GTE group compared with the exercise-control group. Plasma lactate concentrations in GTE-fed mice were significantly lower after exercise, along with an increase in free fatty acid concentrations. An amino acid derived from green tea has been suggested as a natural method to offset the negative “jitters” of caffeine is L-theanine. Companies such as Blue California created L-TeaActive™, produced from green tea leaves and other natural ingredients using a proprietary manufacturing process. Scientific evidence, for example, confirms L-theanine stimulates the production of alpha brain waves increasing mental and physical relaxation without drowsiness. In a Dutch study, the combination of moderate levels of L-theanine and caffeine significantly improved accuracy during task switching and self-reported alertness and reduced self-reported tiredness in 44 adults administered 97 mg of L-theanine in combination with 40 mg of caffeine.5 Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) is a popular botanical used to induce thermogenesis and reduce the strenuousness of exercise. In a three-arm, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, exercise was less strenuous 83 percent of the time when supplemented with a product containing Citrus aurantium.6 Ten healthy adults, aged 20 to 31 years old, ingested one dose of a dietary supplement containing 21 mg of Citrus aurantium (as Advantra Z®, from Nutratech Inc.) and 304 mg of caffeine (dietary supplement as Ripped Fuel Extreme Cut®, from TwinLab) while resting and one hour prior to moderately intense exercise or a placebo/exercise control. In a study out of West Sussex, England, sedentary males who consumed a combination of Advantra Z, green tea and guarana had increased production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) at rest and during a treadmill test.7 Angling Your Energy Approach Traditionally, energy is thought of as physical; but there are many different types of “energy.” “Most people only think about physical energy when you say the word energy,” said Karen E.
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