South America Sports Nutrition Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends And Forecast (2025 - 2030)

South America Sports Nutrition Market Trends and Insights

Growth of Urban Fitness Culture

The growth of urban fitness culture is changing consumption patterns in South America's sports nutrition market. Gym membership growth in metropolitan areas is three times higher than population growth. This shift has created a consumer base that prioritizes performance enhancement over basic nutrition needs, driving increased product demand across segments. According to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Argentina in 2023, 50.1% of surveyed individuals were physically active, showing the relationship between professional fitness practices and supplement use ^{[1]Source: Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Argentina, "National Survey of Physical Activity and Sports 2023", www.argentina.gob.ar}. This trend is most evident in Brazil's southeast region, where the high concentration of fitness facilities and manufacturing infrastructure supports both product development and consumer education. 

Rising Awareness of Sports Nutrition Benefits among Athletes

The growing awareness of sports nutrition benefits among athletes is driving the South American sports nutrition market growth. Both professional and amateur athletes increasingly understand the importance of specialized nutrition for performance enhancement, recovery, and overall health. The expansion of fitness centers, gyms, and health clubs across the region supports this trend, as these facilities actively promote products such as protein supplements, energy drinks, and nutrition bars, often with guidance from in-house dieticians. The fitness industry continues to expand in response to consumer demand. For example, Brazilian franchise Smart Fit operated 706 fitness clubs in Brazil by the end of 2023, showing an 11% increase from 2022. Additionally, social media fitness influencers and content creators have contributed to consumer education and market expansion, particularly in emerging urban and semi-urban markets.

Expansion of Sports Events and Endurance Races

The expansion of mass participation sporting events throughout South America is generating significant periods of concentrated demand, which organizations are strategically utilizing for product introductions and consumer education initiatives. According to official data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Argentina, walking emerged as the predominant form of physical activity in Argentina during 2023, with 71.7% of physically active respondents engaging in this exercise. Running and cycling maintained secondary positions with participation rates of 55.4% and 49.2%, respectively. The proliferation of sporting events is facilitating cross-category product development, as organizations formulate comprehensive solutions addressing pre-event preparation, in-event sustenance, and post-event recuperation requirements, resulting in increased consumer expenditure per athletic pursuit.

Personalized Sports Nutrition Products

The personalized sports nutrition market in South America demonstrates significant expansion due to consumer demand for individualized dietary protocols aligned with specific health objectives, genetic compositions, and lifestyle requirements. The increased emphasis on preventive healthcare measures, prevalence of lifestyle-associated medical conditions, and requirements for optimized athletic performance constitute primary market drivers. Professional athletes and fitness practitioners acknowledge the limitations of standardized nutritional protocols in addressing their distinct physiological requirements and performance objectives. The implementation of genetic analysis systems, physiological monitoring devices, and nutritional management applications facilitates the delivery of individualized dietary recommendations and performance assessment protocols.

High Cost Associated with Sports Nutrition

The elevated pricing structure of sports nutrition products restricts market penetration beyond affluent consumer segments, particularly in Argentina and Chile where economic conditions have diminished consumer purchasing capacity. Imported products encounter additional financial barriers through tariffs and multilayered distribution networks, resulting in higher retail prices compared to domestic alternatives. This market segmentation has resulted in international premium brands concentrating on high-income demographics, while domestic manufacturers utilize competitive pricing strategies to capture the expanding middle-class consumer base. Consequently, manufacturers have implemented strategic packaging innovations, incorporating single-serve sachets and reduced unit volumes, to enhance product accessibility for price-sensitive consumers while maintaining profit margins.

Stringent Regulatory Framework

The sports nutrition regulatory environment in South America continues to develop, with key regulatory bodies implementing more stringent requirements. Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and Argentina's National Administration of Drugs, Foods, and Medical Devices (ANMAT) have enhanced their oversight of product claims, ingredient safety, and labeling requirements. Brazil introduced RDC 839/2023 in December 2023, which established new regulations for novel ingredients and foods, affecting product formulation processes ^{[2]Source: International Bar Association, "The approval of Anvisa’s RDC 839/2023", www.ibanet.org}. Argentina implemented a mandatory front-of-package warning labeling law that restricts marketing activities and prohibits health claims for products carrying warning labels, affecting how sports nutrition companies communicate product benefits. The varying regulatory requirements across South American countries increase operational costs and present challenges for market expansion, particularly affecting smaller companies without dedicated regulatory teams, while benefiting larger multinational corporations with established regulatory capabilities.

Segment Analysis

Product Type: Non-Protein Products Gain Momentum

The sports nutrition market shows a significant shift in product dynamics, with non-protein products projected to grow at 9.93% CAGR (2025-2030). While sports protein products maintain market dominance with an 80.78% share in 2024, consumers are expanding their nutritional choices beyond protein supplementation. Plant-based proteins are gaining market share in the traditionally whey-dominated segment, with 92% of South American performance nutrition consumers reporting use of plant protein products according to Glanbia Nutritionals^{[3]Source: Glanbia Nutritionals, “Wellness Trends in LATAM,” glanbianutritionals.com}.

The market shows increased demand for energy gels and creatine powder, driven by the rising popularity of endurance sports in the region. Consumers prefer powder formats due to their cost-effectiveness and flexible dosing options. The ready-to-drink protein segment benefits from established beverage distribution networks, particularly through PepsiCo and Coca-Cola's extensive regional infrastructure in refrigerated product distribution.

Source: Plant-Based Alternatives Challenge Animal Dominance

Animal-based products constitute 66.34% of the market share in 2024, whereas plant-based alternatives demonstrate substantial growth potential, exhibiting a projected CAGR of 10.17% (2025-2030), exceeding the overall market growth rate. This expansion is attributed to shifting consumer preferences and substantial manufacturer investments in plant protein technology for enhanced taste profiles and amino acid composition. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) recognizes the significance of plant-based products in promoting sustainability and endorses sustainable procurement practices to enhance the accessibility and affordability of plant-based food products.

The adoption of plant proteins demonstrates distinct regional variations, with Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina exhibiting substantial market penetration. Although individual plant-based proteins may not achieve equivalence with animal proteins in muscle protein synthesis, carefully formulated combinations featuring complementary amino acid profiles can achieve comparable efficacy. This technological advancement enables manufacturers to develop plant-based products that demonstrate competitive advantages in both performance metrics and sustainability parameters, thereby attracting environmentally conscious consumers and athletic populations.

By Distribution Channel: Supermarkets Lead, Online Surges

Supermarkets and hypermarkets delivered 35.74% of the South American sports nutrition market size in 2024, maintaining leadership through high footfall, strong price promotions and prominent in-aisle displays that encourage impulse purchases. Their loyalty programmes and expanding private-label portfolios further cement shopper trust, turning weekly grocery trips into reliable purchase occasions for protein powders, energy bars and hydration products.

Online retail stores form the fastest-growing outlet, forecast to register a 10.38% CAGR between 2025-2030. Mobile-first sites, subscription replenishment plans and rapid last-mile delivery enhance convenience, particularly in secondary cities where specialist stores remain limited. Brands leverage direct-to-consumer portals to gather first-party data, tailor bundle offerings and launch limited-edition flavours that spark social engagement. Click-and-collect services routed through supermarket chains close the loop between digital discovery and physical fulfilment, reinforcing an omnichannel experience that supports long-term customer loyalty.

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

Geography Analysis

Brazil commands 83.96% of the South American Sports Nutrition Market in 2024 and exhibits the highest growth rate at 9.25% CAGR (2025-2030), influencing regional product development and distribution strategies. This dominance is supported by Brazil's extensive fitness infrastructure, with the Brazilian Association of Gyms (ACAD Brasil) data showing the Southeast region's high concentration of fitness facilities and manufacturing units. Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) implemented RDC 839/2023 in December 2023, providing a structured framework for new ingredients and foods that streamlines the registration process. This regulatory update promotes innovation while maintaining consumer safety standards, benefiting companies that effectively manage compliance requirements.

Argentina and Chile, though smaller markets, hold strategic importance with unique consumer patterns and regulatory frameworks. The sports nutrition segment in these countries is expanding from athletic-focused consumers to the general population, aligning with broader health trends. Chile's Institute of Public Health (ISP) enforces strict regulations requiring health permits for supplements, creating market entry challenges that benefit established companies with regulatory knowledge. The country's fitness sector is developing, with the Ministry of Sports' 2024 National Health and Fitness Trends Survey highlighting personal trainers, weight loss exercises, and certified exercise professionals as key trends, driving sports nutrition consumption.

The Rest of South America, despite its current smaller market share, offers growth potential as fitness awareness spreads beyond urban areas. The region shows increasing adoption of healthy lifestyles, with sports nutrition products becoming integrated into daily wellness routines rather than remaining exclusive to athletes. E-commerce platforms are essential in market expansion across these countries, addressing traditional distribution limitations and providing consumers direct access to international brands. This digital shift enhances market education and product adoption, particularly in regions with limited specialty retail presence.