The market for sports nutrition supplements in France

Food supplements are concentrates of various substances (vitamins, minerals, plant extracts...) in edible or drinkable form, with a nutritional or physiological effect as defined by the European Parliament Directive 2002/46/EC. They are between food and medicine, supposed to complement the former while avoiding the consumption of the latter.

Sportsmen and women, whether athletes or occasional, often have a much more demanding lifestyle than non-sportsmen and women. Their daily needs, especially in minerals, proteins and carbohydrates, are greater than those of inactive people. Supplements allow them to :

Make up for their nutritional deficits

Improve their performance, before, during and after exercise

There are 3 main categories of food supplements for athletes:

Those that have an effect on health, they provide the body with nutrients that the body may lack due to unbalanced nutrition;

Those consumed during the effort, they serve to maintain or even improve performance for a certain period of time;

Those allowing a better recovery.

The market for sports food supplements is booming and is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 6% by 2024. The growth of the French market follows the global growth of dietary supplements for sports.

This study does not cover energy/energy drinks (see the study on the Energy Drinks Market) nor sports food products (cereal bars, gels, enriched meals, etc.).