Date: 2026-6-25 Click:21 times“Train hard, eat right” – this popular saying in the fitness community is driving continued growth in the sports nutrition supplement market. In 2024, China’s sports nutrition food market reached RMB 9.71 billion and is expected to grow to RMB 20.93 billion by 2030. The global market is equally vibrant: global sports nutrition supplement sales reached approximately RMB 177.3 billion in 2025 and are projected to hit RMB 188.7 billion in 2026. The consumer base has expanded from professional athletes to the general public – urban white collar workers aged 25 40 now account for over 60% of users, while the proportion of female users has risen to 43.6%. Within this high growth sector, protein powder, BCAA, and joint care stand out as the three most prominent categories.
1. Protein Powder: Market cornerstone with diversifying demand
Protein powder continues to lead the sports nutrition market with a 62% share. China’s protein powder market is expected to reach RMB 4.216 billion in 2025, with whey protein accounting for over 70% of that total. Notably, consumer demand is expanding beyond traditional “muscle building” to areas such as immune support and sleep improvement. In 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) issued interpretive documents on the Health Food Ingredient Directory for soy protein isolate and whey protein, clarifying that these two ingredients can be filed individually as health food ingredients – providing a clear regulatory pathway for brands to develop filing based protein powder products.
2. BCAA: Precision replenishment for muscle recovery
Branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), consisting of leucine, isoleucine and valine, play a key role in muscle metabolism, energy supply and post exercise recovery. The global BCAA market was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 1.9 billion by 2032. BCAAs are commonly available in powder form, meeting the needs of active individuals for rapid post workout replenishment to support muscle recovery. As fitness enthusiasts become more aware of “precision nutrition,” BCAAs are accelerating their transition from professional sports nutrition to everyday dietary supplements.
3. Joint Care: The fastest-growing potential category
Joint health is one of the fastest-growing segments in the sports nutrition sector. Online data from May 2025 showed that sales in the joint health category surged 21.3% year-on-year, moving it to second place in market share among functional supplements. The global joint health supplement market is estimated to reach USD 11.2 billion in 2025. China’s glucosamine chondroitin retail market reached approximately RMB 18.5 billion by the third quarter of 2025. In 2025, the SAMR issued a draft of the Health Function Directory for Health Foods – Helping Maintain Bone and Joint Health, providing a scientific basis for evaluating joint health products. Mainstream ingredients such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are rapidly extending from the older demographic to younger active populations.
4. Three key directions for customised OEM
Faced with the fast growing sports nutrition market, brands are placing higher demands on OEM partners:
Formulation customisation – Protein powder has evolved from single whey protein to multi source blends including plant proteins, collagen, and more. BCAAs can be combined with glutamine, electrolytes and other ingredients for synergistic effects. Joint care has moved from single ingredient glucosamine to multi-target formulas combining glucosamine + chondroitin + MSM + vitamin D3.
Dosage form innovation – Powders remain the dominant form in sports nutrition (holding the top spot), but new formats such as tablets, softgels, and ready to drink options are meeting diverse consumption scenarios. Softgels are suitable for precise encapsulation of fat-soluble ingredients in joint care; hard capsules work well for amino acids like BCAAs in dry powder fill; and powders maintain absolute dominance in protein and BCAA categories.
Regulatory compliance – In 2026, multiple cities including Ningbo, Huzhou and Tai’an have issued sports nutrition food production licensing review schemes. The revision of GB 24154 – National Food Safety Standard General Rules for Sports Nutrition Food – is progressing steadily. Brands should choose source manufacturers with compliant production qualifications to ensure full chain compliance from raw materials to finished products.
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As a source manufacturer with 18 years of production experience, we specialise in OEM/ODM custom services across softgels, hard capsules, tablets, and powders. We have extensive expertise in protein powder blending, BCAA precision formulas, and multi target joint care combinations – from ingredient selection and formula development to batch production. We provide one-stop solutions to help brand clients capture the blue ocean of the sports nutrition sector.
Disclaimer: Health food is not a medicine and cannot be used to treat diseases.
