The company is based in Australia and New Zealand, which are also home to leading sports nutrition brand Musashi.
“Our research shows that women’s sport has been on a strong growth trajectory around the world, particularly over the past two years. For example, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, will be attended by between 50,000 and 70,000 people.”
“Using my knowledge of sports nutrition, I researched the needs of female athletes and found that they are significantly different from those of male athletes. With that information, I set out to develop an entirely new brand.” Vitaco CEO Craig Carney said: Nutrients – Asia.
Carney added that the product development process consulted with female Olympians and sports nutritionists to come up with a formula that addresses the specific needs of female athletes.
For example, iron is an important mineral for both sexes, but women suffer from iron depletion to a much greater extent than men.
“Women need more iron than men, and iron deficiency in women is not necessarily caused by menstruation. Exercise and sports are two to three times more likely to cause iron deficiency than menstruation. That’s why we’ve increased the amount of iron in our products to meet the needs of female athletes.”
“Furthermore, female athletes are two to four times more likely to suffer stress fractures than their male counterparts, with calcium deficiency being one of the reasons why. Similarly, we have developed products with significantly increased calcium content to strengthen women’s bones.”
Other notable differences between male and female athletes include protein requirements and gut microbiome.
“Our products contain prebiotics and probiotics that enhance the absorption of minerals and proteins in the intestines, which is especially important for female athletes.
“There are no brands on the market that cater solely to female athletes. There are brands that claim to work for both men and women, but their needs are so different that such products do not adequately address them.”
Focus on ANZ
ATHENA is currently available online and at Chemist Warehouse and Coles Group stores in Australia, and in New Zealand at online sports retailers, petrol stations, Countdown, Woolworths Supermarkets, PAK’nSAVE, New World and Chemist Warehouse.
During a launch event at Melbourne Sport Expo, the brand received “encouraging feedback” about the protein bar.
“It’s too early to release any data on sales or consumer acceptance, but we are very confident in our brand. That said, any new brand is always a risk, so we’ll see how it performs and then refine it.” [our products]Before considering expanding into markets outside of New Zealand and Australia,
“Our retail partners have been incredibly supportive and just as enthusiastic as we are. Not only is it an exciting opportunity, but we’ve seen first-hand the incredible developments in women’s sport in recent years and are really pleased that we can play our small part in helping Vitaco support and develop female athletes locally and ultimately globally.” Carney said.
The company is currently focusing on increasing brand awareness through female athlete ambassadors and advertising activities.
Make training meaningful
Carney says ATHENA aims to help female athletes better prepare for training, improve their performance and recover better after exercise.
“Recovery is important. If you train hard on Monday but can’t recover quickly enough to train hard again on Tuesday, you lose the ability to make consistent and rapid improvements.”
“Another thing we found in our research is that female athletes sweat more than men and are more susceptible to dehydration. It’s important to stay hydrated with electrolytes and creatine during exercise and support recovery with a protein drink. That’s what our product aims to solve.”
The ATHENA range includes protein powders and bars made with a variety of ingredient combinations.
“The product everyone is talking about is Protein Water + Collagen, a refreshing blend of whey protein isolate, Tendo Forte Collagen and digestive enzymes to support your training. It’s a tasty, easy way to get your protein in.”
“Our Pre-Workout + Electrolytes and Creatine + Electrolytes supplement powders have also generated a lot of interest as they are unique ingredient combinations not seen on the market before.”
Specifically, Pre-Workout + Electrolytes contains creatine, amino acids, and electrolytes to support energy and performance, while Creatine + Electrolytes is formulated with creatine monohydrate and electrolytes to help boost workout results and build muscle strength.
“The sports nutrition sector is experiencing rapid growth. Most markets around the world have been growing at 10-15% per year for the past few years.”
“I think the category will become more fragmented rather than innovative new ingredients. Things will become more specialised rather than generic. For example, we will see more bespoke formulations for specific customer segments. ATHENA is a perfect example of this.”
In terms of product format, Carney believes protein bars will continue to be popular and thinks formats such as effervescent tablets and gummies could become a more convenient way of consuming sports nutrition.
“No doubt we’ll see more formats emerge, but realistically protein in a shake will remain the best option. It’s difficult to pack therapeutic amounts into a small effervescent tablet or capsule.”
“However, Musashi is working on encapsulating creatine and electrolytes, which are typically in powder form. We are leveraging our vitamin know-how and manufacturing capabilities to introduce supplement-type products into the sports nutrition space.”
Women’s health and active lifestyle nutrition will be a key theme at Growth Asia Summit 2024. Join us at the summit in Singapore to learn about market opportunities and gain insights from leading industry experts. Learn more here.
