What inspired Indigo Herbs to launch its range of Vegan Protein Powders?
We have sold Hemp Protein powder for a few years, and it’s been very popular, one of our best sellers in fact, so we have been on the lookout for similar excellent quality protein extractions from other grains and seeds.
In tandem with this growing demand we have also discovered a whole no-meat athlete movement, in which many serious athletes are experiencing peak performance with a plant based diet. They face the same challenge as vegans – that is - to take on enough protein from a plant source to supply the complete group of essential amino acids and to support the body functions that reley on protein, such as rebuilding muscle tissue.
So it’s this customer interest and public demand that encouraged us to focus on bringing together a range of high protein powders from chia seeds, pea, rice, pumpkin seeds and edible blue-green algae’s.
What makes the Vegan Protein Powders unique?
This range is exemplary when it comes to quality. It is 100% pure and organic with nothing added. It is also dairy-free so it can be used by those that are lactose intolerant. This range of chia, chlorella, hemp, pumpkin, pea, rice, and spirulina powders provide between 36% - 76% protein per 100g.
What other products are suitable for athletes?
Many of our 100% natural range of herbs and superfoods boost vitality and physical performance, but there is one herb that is particularly notable, this is Tribulus Terrestris. It is widely used by athletes and body builders as it improves muscle building, stamina and endurance. We supply this herb as a fine powder that can be taken alongside a protein powder or superfood powder in a smoothie or shake.
How do you see the sports nutrition market performing?
“The sector has enjoyed a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10% during the last decade, in line with healthy food and more than double the 5% rate of dietary supplements as a whole. - nutraceuticalsworld.com
“TechNavio's analysts forecast the Global Sports Nutrition market to grow at a CAGR of 8.10 percent in terms of revenue over the period 2014-2019. - researchbeam.com
Sports nutrition supplements (including powders) still command the greatest market attention, with bars next in line and sports drinks following.
Market Trend: Over the last couple of years we have seen a shift in popularity from sports drinks (that are actually relying on stimulants such as caffeine and taurine, and quick metabolising glucose to give an energy boost.) Everyone has gone Coconuts! Now the must have down the gym is the ultra-trendy Coconut water, and this does demonstrate a shift towards natural vitality over synthetic stimulants and sugar highs.
It also seems to be a recent trend that sports nutrition has moved on from just being of interest to the most committed athletes and is now an item of acquisition for the would be athletes and sport hobbyists. Consequently there has been an increase in protein bars, protein powders, protein supplements, sports beverages, amino acid supplements, and snacks.
What do you see as driving the market forward?
We see a return to pure natural ingredients featuring across the range of sports nutrition products, from supplements, to sports bars and drinks. A greater emphasis on real foods, in their purest rawest form, providing natural vitality, dense nutrients and a vitality boost.
Anything else you’d like to add about sports nutrition in general?
The Sports nutrition shelf in your local pharmacy or healthfood shop might look like the cutting edge of scientific formula, with micronutrients extracted and reconstituted into the ultimate phytochemicals needed for prime performance. However there is a new movement gathering groundswell. This no-meat athlete movement is taking great strides and thriving on plant power! The nutrient rich superfoods that are so favoured by this new movement are prepared in such a way that makes them easy to absorb but they are still fundamentality whole. They are real foods! This makes the dense phyto-nutrient content more readily absorbable by the body. There is a growing understanding that vitality, peak physical performance comes from eating a clean, pure diet that is really dense in optimum nutrition and free from foods that slow the body down, create toxicity and quench vitality out.
With 77,000 likes on facebook Matt Frazier, author of ‘Run on Plants and Discover Your Fittest, Fastest, Happiest Self’ is a leader of this movement, and he clearly attracts a sizable following of athletes who are shifting their thinking over to 100% pure plant power!
