Our study also sought to understand when Millennials exercise. The results show—for both women and men—that the period between lunch and dinner is when they exercise the most, followed by early morning before eating breakfast. These findings make a strong case that sports nutrition for Millennials should provide adequate calories and nutrients to fuel between-meal exercising, perhaps from protein or a blend of protein and carbohydrates.
| Typically exercise most: |
Women |
Men |
| In the early morning (before breakfast) |
15% |
16% |
| In the morning (right after breakfast) |
7% |
5% |
| Mid-morning (before lunch, after breakfast) |
7% |
15% |
| During my lunch break |
6% |
3% |
| In the afternoon (after lunch, before dinner |
17% |
27% |
| At the end of the work day (but before dinner) |
20% |
19% |
| In the evening (after dinner) |
12% |
5% |
| I work out multiple times a day |
13% |
10% |
| Other |
2% |
0% |
(Source: Glanbia Nutritionals Active Lifestyle Consumer Study, November 2018. Base: 82 females and 62 males 18-24 who are active 3+ hours per week.)
Sports Nutrition for Millennials: Pre- and Post-Workout
The research results also reveal that 35% of male and 39% of female active Millennials do not use any workout-enhancing products. This may be due to a reliance on their regular meals and snacks to provide the nourishment they need, or it could reflect a lack of awareness of the functional nutrition products available in the market and the range of exercise support benefits they offer. However, when asked about particular sports nutrition options, 57% of male and 49% of female active Millennials report an interest in pre-workout products.
In general, there seems to be a greater awareness and understanding of post-workout products. Of active Millennials, 44% of men and 32% of women currently use post-workout/exercise recovery products. For men, the most common post-workout product is protein bars (at 51%). However, 31% say they prefer to get their post-workout nutrition in the form of a pill or tablet.
On the other hand, active Millennial women most often reach for sports protein beverages (at 38%) for post-workout support. According to our research, 47% of these women prefer a smoothie or juice from the gym, while 39% prefer a gummy to fill their post-workout nutrition needs.
Most Important Food Claims for Millennials
We also followed up to see which product claims are the most important to active Millennials.1 When deciding whether or not to purchase a food, claims of “all natural” and “no additives/preservatives” are the most important to Millennial women (at 62% for each), followed by “locally sourced” (at 56%). For Millennial men, “organic” is the most important claim (at 59%), followed by “all natural” (at 56%). In addition, “plant-based” is an important attribute to 47% of active Millennial men and 49% of women.
