Gym supplements have come a long way since the flavourless, clumpy, chalky protein drinks of bodybuilding's early eras. Here's our fun look at how the future of supplements could look.
A move away from whey?
Whey protein has dominated the protein supplement market for decades, and for good reason: it's cost-effective (so we can bring you greater value without impacting your budget), really flexible (whey concentrate, whey isolate and whey blends mean there's a whey product for any time of the day or night) and has a great amino acid profile.
But protein supplement pioneers are pushing past whey to see if there could be better alternatives. We've already seen the rise of vegan and plant protein powders like brown rice protein, pea protein and hemp protein. And beef protein isolate is proving a popular choice for people who want to avoid too much lactose.
Will the future of sports supplements see a move away from whey? Or will it continue to be the obvious choice for value, bioavailability and cost-effective reliable protein supplementation?
Get jacked like genetic mutants
We've all seen photos of jacked-up bulls, dogs and even mice circulating the internet. At the moment, these freaks are products of lab experiments, but could such genetic manipulation make its way into our supplement stacks in the future? It's possible.
Researchers are focusing their studies on the genetic inhibitor NCoR1 co-suppressor, which places natural limits on muscle growth. Manipulating this gene has led to massive amounts of dense muscle growth in animals, with the new tissue containing more mitochondria than regular muscle tissue.
But don't get too excited. There have been no human trials yet and it's difficult to see how regular gym supplements could really play about with NCoR1 co-suppressors. That said, suppression of NCoR1 can happen naturally, with a mutation of the myostatin gene. It's certainly one to watch.
Crunching on crickets?
One of the craziest developments in the industry recently has been using insect protein as an alternative to whey. Before you get a serious case of the creepy-crawlies, bear in mind that we're not talking about chowing down on the spiders you find lurking in your garage. This is about next-generation sports nutrition from a truly sustainable source.
Entomophagy (insect eating) is totally normal in other parts of the world. And we'll happily eat egg whites, farmed chicken and protein powder from a lab… without a second thought. So why not harvest nature to keep protein supplements sustainable?
Insect nutrition is currently in its infancy but could give us options in the future like crickets or mealworms (yes, really!) Probably powdered, but maybe whole too, or as an ingredient in protein bars. You could be using insect protein in your shakes, protein baking, or straight up as a crunchy snack.
Most insects are about 75% protein and contain huge amounts of fibre, minerals and fatty acids alongside that all-important protein. And of course they represent a very sustainable and ecological option for protein supplements when compared to dairy farming or even raising poultry. Not too shabby! Would you be able to use insect protein? It might be coming to a shaker bottle near you sooner than you think!
We hope you've enjoyed this fun look at how the future of your protein supplement could look. What developments would you like to see… and which would you refuse to use?
