Industry research
EU Sports Nutrition
Scope
Europe
Companies
74
Key takeaways
What is the scope of this industry report?
The European sports nutrition market comprises businesses engaged in the development, manufacturing and commercialisation of sports nutrition products, spanning protein powders and bars, gels, drinks, shakes and vitamins and dietary supplements (VDS). These businesses serve a consumer base that has broadened from professional athletes to fitness enthusiasts and wellness-oriented consumers. Market participants operate at varying levels of value-chain integration, from end-to-end product development and commercialisation to pure manufacturing or pure distribution.
As such, we segmented the market into:
Integrated players,
CMOs,
Distributors & retailers.
What does the Sports Nutrition landscape look like in Europe?
The European sports nutrition landscape varies by segment, with integrated players, CMOs and retailers exhibiting distinct operating models, differentiation levers and customer dynamics. Integrated players differentiate primarily through proprietary formulation, licensing and co-branding partnerships. CMOs compete on specialisation and formulation expertise in higher-complexity formats (e.g. bars, liquids), which raises switching costs for brands and narrows the pool of credible alternative suppliers. Retailers differentiate mainly through customer acquisition strategy rather than the product itself. In this context, omnichannel reach and channel partnerships (e.g. gyms and supermarkets) are becoming increasingly important competitive differentiators as customer acquisition costs continue to rise. Across segments, the market remains fragmented, although consolidation is expected to continue as players pursue M&A to expand brand and product portfolios, accelerate cross-border expansion through established regulatory platforms and strengthen their presence in adjacent geographies.
What does the Sports Nutrition landscape look like in Europe?
Investor-led interest has been high, with ~59% of identified assets being backed by financial sponsors (July 2026).
Investors are primarily attracted by:
Demand broadening from a wider health-motivated population, with GLP-1 and ageing-related muscle-loss concerns reinforcing protein-rich product demand,
Format premiumisation from core powders into recovery blends and on-the-go formats supporting pricing power and new revenue streams,
Omnichannel and licensing expansion broadening distribution reach at low capital intensity.
At the same time:
Whey cost inflation driven by GLP-1-linked demand outpacing processing capacity,
Food conglomerates (e.g. Mondelez International) expanding into high-protein snacks with superior distribution and marketing scale,
Fragmented EU ingredient regulation and lengthy health-claim approvals constraining cross-border scaling hamper investor appetite.
What are the key ESG considerations in the EU Sports Nutrition industry?
ESG topics primarily revolve around environmental and social challenges. Environmental issues relate to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock-based ingredient sourcing and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. To address this, players invest in alternative protein sources (e.g. plant-based, fermented), adopt circular packaging design and pursue resource-efficient manufacturing practices. On the social front, challenges are mainly driven by ethical sourcing across global manufacturing footprints, as well as ingredient safety and regulatory compliance risks. To address this, players are increasingly establishing direct, traceable partnerships with raw material suppliers and adopting third-party testing and certification programmes to verify label accuracy and screen for banned substances.
Company benchmarking
Market growth
Statista (March 2026) estimates the European protein powder market will reach ~$8.3bn in size in 2026 and projects it to reach ~$9.4bn by 2030 (+3.2% CAGR 2026-2030)
The global protein bar market generated ~$5.0bn in sales in 2025 and is projected to reach ~$7.5bn by 2030, demonstrating a +8.4% CAGR over the period (Technavio, March 2026)
Positive drivers
The addressable sports nutrition market continues to broaden from a niche athlete base to a wider population of casual, health-motivated consumers, with consumers seeking products for general well-being rather than muscle-building. This trend is further amplified by GLP-1 users seeking protein to offset appetite-suppression-linked muscle loss and older consumers attempting to offset age-related muscle loss, thereby reinforcing protein-rich product demand (OMMAX expert interview; Ingredients Network, July 2026; McKinsey & Company, May 2025)
Innovation pushes the category beyond core powders into a broader set of consumption formats (e.g. protein bars, on-the-go protein snacks, recovery blends), with an increasing share (+30% 2022-2024) carrying premium, indulgence- or clean-label-oriented claims (e.g. "no added sugar"). This format proliferation and claim differentiation support premium pricing and a broader set of consumption occasions, thereby stimulating demand (Euromonitor International, October 2025)
Integrated players and retail specialists are converging on omnichannel through in-store education, apps, personalised advice, retail collaborations and co-branding. This channel blending broadens consumer touchpoints and deepens first-party data capture, helping players optimise customer cohorts and strengthen customer stickiness (OMMAX expert interview; Retail Gazette, May 2026)
Negative drivers
Structurally higher whey protein costs as European prices have risen five-fold since 2023 due to GLP-1-linked demand growth outpacing processing capacity. This demand-driven cost pressure carries further risk from climate variability, threatening to disrupt critical ingredient supply (e.g. milk) further and reinforcing input cost inflation as a persistent margin risk across the value chain (OMMAX expert interview; NutraIngredients, June 2026; Dairy Industries, June 2026)
Competitive threat from food conglomerates (e.g. Mondelez International's Grenade, Ferrero Group's Power Crunch) that increasingly venture into the high-protein snack space. These conglomerates have extensive distribution networks, marketing capabilities and strong retail presence, enabling broad consumer reach across supermarkets, convenience stores and other mass-market channels (interview by Gain)
European sports nutrition players continue to face fragmented regulations governing ingredient composition (e.g. vitamins and minerals) and lengthy health-claim approval processes, which can delay product innovation and market launches compared with faster-moving markets (e.g. the US). This conservative regulatory environment increases reformulation and compliance costs while creating barriers to cross-border scaling, with incumbents often being unable to pass these additional costs on to consumers (NutraIngredients, June 2026; NutraIngredients, December 2024)
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