Active Overwatch 042

Here’s your weekly roundup of news, trends, and stories in the health & fitness space. A list of what’s happening, new innovations, interesting finds, and more.

Recent Headlines

Over 3,000 consumer brands showed off their products at Expo West. Including supplements, healthy snacks, performance drinks, and much much more.

• A lot to unpack here, and I plan on making a few breakdown videos + a full breakdown article for y’all. But the main trends and common themes I was seeing include clear protein, protein snacks, alternative energy drinks, fiber & gut health, non alcoholic drinks, mushroom infusion, honey as sweeteners, ditching plastics, and kid focused products. Overall just a huge focus on healthier ingredients.

Diplo’s Run Club announces event lineup for 2025. Expanding to a total of 8 cities this year, after a successful launch in 2024. Cities include Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, Miami, and Phoenix.

• This experiential running series launched last year and did just 2 events in San Francisco and Seattle. They were a huge success with 10s of thousands of participants. I got a chance to attend the San Francisco event and it was unlike any other event out there. Meshing a unique group of people to run, enjoy wellness, and also party. I’m eager to see how this does in 2025, and if this type of experiential wellness trend has staying power. In my opinion, it is here to stay, and will just continue to evolve.

Sweetgreen launches new Ripple Fries. Better for you fries air fried in avocado oil and made without seed oils. The first national brand to serve healthy fries in this way.

• This is super exciting to see. Over the years we’ve seen more fast casual and chain restaurants that are a healthier alternative to traditional fast food. Places like Sweetgreen, Cava, True Food, Chop Shop, and more have been the main drivers (at least in my area). And with consumers being more health conscious than ever, it feels like these restaurants are not just focused on serving healthy food, but also taking food we historically view as unhealthy and producing it in a better-for-you way. I hope this starts a wave of more mainstream restaurants rethinking the food they serve.

Cadence rolls out new Core 40 Fuel Bar. A puffed rice bar that includes dates, honey, and electrolytes for endurance performance. Coming in PB&J and Chocolate flavors.

• Cadence is one of my favorite emerging brands. The product quality is great, the branding is extremely clean, and the founders truly live out the brand mission. I really like this new fuel bar move. Previously they just had electrolyte packets and cans, and while those products are great, it’s a very saturated space. And this new fuel bar signals their long term positioning is to be a full suite performance endurance brand. And that fits perfectly with the consumer that is attracted to Cadence.

Orka lauches new energy water drink. Featuring zero calories, zero sugar, zero artificial sweeteners, and just 5 clean ingredients. Coming in mint, raspberry white tea, and mango peach flavors.

• This follows an interesting trend. One that I noticed at Expo West, which I’ll talk about in more detail in my full Expo West breakdown article. And that trend is alternative energy drinks. It feels the wave of sugar filled, high caffeine energy drinks is moving on, in terms of new entrants. Instead new energy drinks are incorporating different energy sources and ingredients including L-Theanine, mushrooms, ketones, and more. Consumers are just looking for cleaner and simpler ingredients these days. And this packaging by Orka, top notch. I love it.

ICYMI On Social

• BPN takes over the Austin Marathon.
• Recent CPG acquisitions.
• Lululemon pushing into the sports world.
• “This week in fitness” video featuring Celsius acquiring Alani Nu, Lululemon partnerships, and Floyd Mayweather’s new supplement brand.