When I look back on some of my favorite trends in the natural products industry, or even the entire nutrition space, I’m drawn to the small changes that make a difference in the health of everyday people’s lives. These incremental steps in the right direction are real, tangible markers of progress in our industry, like parents passing out post-game snacks that look a little less processed or an acquaintance asking about the microbiome (you all have these conversations too, right?). 

We all do our part in the industry to support innovations and sell more good-for-you products. Some of those products even trend over a period of months or years, but our work makes the biggest impact when trends become deeply ingrained consumer beliefs that drive purchasing decisions for generations to come. As an industry, we make that enduring change happen, and I hope we soon see active nutrition become more than a trend.

All kinds of active nutrition-related ingredients are currently trending, from cognitive support to muscle preserving compounds that promise to keep us moving for thousands of workouts to come. With Move Nutrition Network and WholeFoods Magazine’s recently announced partnership, we’ll continue to bring you the latest in active nutrition news and ingredient insights throughout the year to come. You can also visit MoveNutrtionNetwork.com to explore many of these trends in-depth. 

Meanwhile back at the gym, active nutrition itself is the trend.

People of all ages are showing up every day, doing cardio, lifting kettlebells, and thinking about the changes they are motivated to make for more energetic, healthier lives. Active nutrition consumers are doing what we all know we should: eating right, moving, and learning steps to keep their bodies, minds, and spirits in good shape. It feels like we all woke up one day and finally heard the message: good nutrition and fitness together make for a healthier, more enjoyable lifespan. 

How do we ensure the current active nutrition trend converts to a generational industry category sustained by deep-seeded consumer beliefs? Easy: We remain realistic about expectations and deliver what we promise. Active nutrition is not about making the Olympic team or even improving your 5K time by 30 seconds. That’s sports nutrition. Active nutrition consumers want to keep cycling, keep going to the gym, and feel good while doing so for as many years as they can. 

As an industry, we can help consumers achieve their goals through ingredient research that addresses active nutrition objectives. This means some sports nutrition products won’t necessarily transition to active nutrition. It also means that as a brand, if you want to play in the active nutrition space, products must fit within the everyday lives of active nutrition consumers. A formulation that costs $75 per month supported by clinical trials showing it produces a very small, positive result could be a “no-brainer” for an inspiring professional athlete looking for every edge possible. For a person who goes to the gym five days a week before work, but also thinks about rising grocery expenses while grinding out three miles on the treadmill, the $75 formulation is probably a hard “no.”

The temptation to jump on the active nutrition trend is huge. It’s the best kind of trend, because it crosses gender, age, and many socioeconomic barriers. The target demographic is huge, but as they say, with great opportunity comes great responsibility. Our active nutrition products had better work in tangible ways that everyday exercisers notice. Otherwise, we confine the promise of active nutrition to a passing trend that garners a lot of enthusiasm, along with a wide range of product quality, until it sputters as consumers doubt whether “this stuff really works.” It happens. Remember CBD circa 2020? 

Maybe it’s being a runner of 40+ years who never really cared to stray from mid-pack status that makes me enthusiastic about the possibility of active nutrition growing beyond trend status. I’m looking for everyday nutrition that sustains an active lifestyle. For me it’s always about the joy of exercising, whether that be running, riding a bike through the woods, or paddling across a lake. I want to wake up every day for as long as I possibly can and be excited about how I get to go out and “play” that day. That desire has been the same since I was eight years old and I hope it remains the same well past 80.  WF