Caffeine Synergizer


Caffeine 
Synergizer are natural food ingredients providing caffeine-like beneficial effects, strengthening alertness and performance.

Caffeine Synergizer are mainly used in sports supplements and energy drinks. Energy drinks provide instant energy along with mental and physical stimulation and contain caffeine per definition. Sports supplements replace electrolytes, nutrients, support mental and physical performance as well as recovery and caffeine is one of the frequently used ingredient in sports nutrition.

Market trends
The global energy drink market is indicated to grow at a CAGR of 7.2 %, reaching $86 billion by 2026. (1)

Both
markets
follow
comparable
trends

Market trends
The global sports supplement market is said to grow at a CAGR of 5%, reaching $10.6 billion by 2026. (2)


Caffeine
Caffeine benefits are as known as the health risk related to excessive caffeine-use, due to media reports and governmental policies. Consequently, consumers are looking for products providing effects, based on healthy caffeine levels plus natural booster ingredients, caffeine synergizer.


Lifestyle user
Consumers are looking for nutritional support to boost physical and mental performance as well as emotional wellbeing. Some buy sports nutrition products others try energy drinks. The party drink image of energy drink, as alcoholic night drink for teenagers, is shifting to performance enhancing drinks for adults. Increased income levels and living standards lead to significant more consumers in China and India.


Health effects & appealing format
Both markets are shifting to innovative delivery formats. Energy gels and gummies to boost endurance are on high demand. Sports nutrition brands launch cookies with high nutritional value. The markets are merging. There are e.g. energy drinks to boost immune and mental benefits or RTD energy powder for muscle recovery.


Gamer – esports
The gaming industry is a lucrative space, for energy drinks and sports nutrition products. Boost focus, fast reaction, demolish stress and good vision are important for gamer, which are mainly millennial and gen Z consumers. Key markets are the U.S., China, South Korea, France, Russia, and Brazil. 80% of gamers consume food and drinks while playing. 26% of gamers in APAC consume energy drinks regularly. China and India being the biggest market.

Caffeine

Caffeine is probably the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world. It has immediate effects on performance and alertness,  campaigned by rising heart beat and breathing – some love the feeling, called caffeine rush, some are afraid of getting a heart attack.

Caffeine Consumption

Natural-sources of caffeine have been consumed and enjoyed, especially in beverages and chocolate, for centuries. Well-known natural sources are e.g. guarana leaves, mate leaves, cocoa beans, and coffee beans. Brewed coffee has the highest but also most variable caffeine content, depending on source, roasting and method of brewing. In the last decades, an increasing caffeine consumption was detected, triggered due to the development of new markets of caffeine-containing products, particularly energy drinks and food supplements.

Caffeine Regulation

Moderate intake defined by EFSA in Europe as well as by FDA in the U.S. means approx. 400 mg Caffeine per day (3). This amount includes all different sources and a single serving should not exceed 200 mg. By drinking several cups of coffee every day, caffeinated teas, energy drinks, eating chocolates and maybe taking pain medications, it is easy to hit the maximum recommended amount without realizing it.

To protect consumer, label requirements and limits for caffeine depending on food matrix and positioning were set. In Australia energy drinks need to contain minimum 145 mg/L and maximum 329 mg/L. A typical canned energy drink of 250 ml has 80 mg caffeine, which is equivalent to an average cup of instant coffee (4).

Caffeine & Exercise

The international society of sports nutrition published a review paper about caffeine & exercise performance (5)

  • Energy drinks and pre-workouts containing
    caffeine have been demonstrated to enhance
    both anaerobic and aerobic performance
  • Caffeine may be ergogenic for cognitive function, including attention and vigilance
  • Sleep disturbance and anxiety, associated with caffeine ingestion, are dose-dependent.
  • Caffeine is ergogenic in doses of 3–6 mg/kg body mass
  • Caffeine supplementation is commonly taken 60 min pre-exercise

Market demand for Caffeine alternatives

Due to regulatory restrictions product developers are looking for natural ingredients with caffeine-like effects to offer to their markets safe energy drinks and food supplements delivering similar tangible effects on alertness and activity. In addition, the public discussion about the safety and safe levels of caffeine raised consumers‘ awareness and demand for natural, safe caffeine alternatives to boost cognitive effects and energy, without the crash and need to increase dosage over time and consequently long term negative effects on CVH.

Vital Solutions offers the Caffeine Synergizer- Bluenesse®

Bluenesse® is a scientifically proven natural ingredient to support focus, alertness, and cognitive performance, while maintaining a calm and good mood. Bluenesse® offers our industrial partners the possibility to formulate innovative sports nutrition products or energy drinks, applying healthy caffeine levels or even being caffeine-free, without compromising of typical caffeine effects.

Caffeine Synergizer Bluenesse®