Germans' health and self-care prioritise act as protective factors for sports nutrition, keeping spend resilient and growth strong. Despite ongoing price pressure, sports nutrition usage is expanding faster than the…
Germany
Specialised Nutrition
Consumer Attitudes
simple
Germany Attitudes towards Sports Nutrition Consumer Report 2026
"Usage of sports nutrition products is growing faster than exercise participation. To extend value perceptions, adapt to training needs beyond muscle growth, such as stress relief or athletic abilities."
Hannah Sandow, Associate Director - Food & Drink, Germany
Germans’ health and self-care prioritise act as protective factors for sports nutrition, keeping spend resilient and growth strong. Despite ongoing price pressure, sports nutrition usage is expanding faster than the share of Germans exercising regularly.
This highlights the increasing value exercisers put on sports nutrition, moving beyond just sports-driven use. 66% of category users think sports nutrition products have benefits beyond exercise support, but only 21% have used performance nutrition during occasions not related to sports.
Avoidance of UFPs is high on Germans’ agenda, and a greater commitment to balanced diets is eroding the perceived need for sports nutrition. Combined with the category’s artificial perception, these factors represent a key barrier to use and wider implementation into everyday occasions. The issue is made worse by performance nutrtion launches with natural claims falling from 29% in 2023 to 19% in 2025 .
At the same time, strong interest in performance nutrition that supports immune or bone/joint health highlights clear functional gaps, with claim penetration far behind demand. Closing these gaps – particularly in a protein-saturated landscape – offers the most immediate opportunity to differentiate and attract new users.
This Report Looks at the Following Areas:
Usage of sports nutrition, depicting growth due to greater exercise frequency and improved value perceptions
Dominance of protein products in sports nutrition, discussing opportunities to differentiate in an increasingly crowded innovation landscape
Usage occasions for sports nutrition, being highly sport-specific despite Germans recognising performance nutrition’s wider relevance
Interest in sports nutrition with selected features, looking beyond muscle growth towards protein composition, digestibility and wider health benefits
Behaviours towards sports nutrition, addressing demand for personalised products, progress-focused offerings and injury prevention
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What you need to know
Outlook for sports nutrition
Opportunities
Stay agile to meet diverse training needs and rising demand for personalisation
Time to move beyond protein quantity
Progress over performance: dropping ambition can build everyday relevance
THE MARKET
Health priorities are high…
…helping to cushion sports nutrition spend
Broader healthy eating increases selectivity for sports nutrition
Slight uptick in weekly exercising as sports participation remains level
Exercise participation is on the rise, but a wealth gap remains
Technology redefines pursuits of health and fitness
Younger Germans’ digital habits shape how fitness information is accessed
Graph 1: behaviours towards health management trends, 2025
THE CONSUMER
Sports nutrition usage in Germany is growing
Use of sports nutrition is becoming a more regular occasion
Improving value perceptions boost growth of sports nutrition
Convenience remains key to standing out among high-protein claims
Graph 2: usage of sports nutrition products, 2025
Evolving training styles open opportunities for wider sports nutrition repertoires
Electrolytes can demonstrate added value
Graph 3: launch activity of non-alcoholic drink launches calling out electrolytes, 2021-25
Building everyday relevance for sports nutrition
Sports nutrition is still exercise-led despite recognition of wider relevance
Credibility is key when targeting wider consumption occasions
Dial up flavour and texture appeal with inspiration from wider food & drink trends to reach young non-users
Drop in natural claims despite rising clean label expectations
Anchor sports nutrition with culinary terms for a cleaner image
Going beyond protein
Protein goals are transcending quantity
Immune and bone & joint health top the list of interests for sports nutrition users and non-users alike
Graph 4: interest in sports nutrition with selected attributes, by usage of sports nutrition and exercise participation, 2025
Focus on prevention to widen user base
Soften sports nutrition’s ambition to focus on habitual progress
Demand for personalised sports nutrition peaks among young Germans
Anchor personalisation in exercise motivation
PRODUCT, INNOVATION AND MARKETING
Performance nutrition launch activity needs a further push to get back to old heights
Graph 5: performance nutrition launches, 2015-25
Sports nutrition moves into everyday snacking
Suitability claims require renewed attention
Crowded protein space drives the need for sharper differentiation
Performance nutrition moves beyond high-protein claims to refocus on vitamin and mineral fortification
Graph 6: consumer interest in sports nutrition with selected features vs performance nutrition launches with selected functional claims, 2025
Fibre claims are on the decline but could support gut health positioning
APPENDIX
Report scope
The consumer
Consumer research questions
Consumer research methodology
Germany generation groups
Other data source methodologies
Mintel Spark
Abbreviations
A note on language – Germany
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