There are many reasons to stay active, with health being a big one. Physical activity has many benefits: it supports heart health, keeps bones and joints strong, improves mental focus, and helps control weight and body composition. If staying active is so good for our bodies, shouldn’t the food we eat while doing sports be good for us too? Shouldn’t sports nutrition products be, in a word, healthy?

Before my cofounder and I started Levelle Nutrition, we talked to more than 100 female endurance athletes. We asked them about their routines and how they fueled their bodies during exercise and activity. What we learned shocked and saddened us. These women shared that, while doing their sports, they often dealt with physical issues. These symptoms included headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle cramps, and dizziness. They believed these problems were caused by the energy products they were using. Many had tried different kinds but couldn’t find anything that worked well with their bodies.

After hearing this, we went to vitamin stores, sports shops and grocery stores. We looked closely at the labels on sports nutrition products, and what we found was alarming. Many energy products contained high-glycemic ingredients like maltodextrin and glucose, along with caffeine. Some products had "natural flavors," which is a vague term. Products labeled as supplements often listed “proprietary blend,” which can hide the actual ingredients.

Many female athletes expressed distrust in sports nutrition products. This was especially true for women who continued their physical activity during pregnancy, breastfeeding and through menopause. Knowing that their nutrition affected their children, these women paid extra attention to product labels. Several athletes wanted natural options that fit with their overall lifestyle and nutrition. They saw a disconnect between being physically fit but having to choose from artificial, lab-made products with little nutritional value. This lack of good options led many athletes to create their own solutions, like peanut butter sandwiches, sweet potato or banana “mashes” in baggies, or even baby food pouches.

There’s clearly a demand for natural, real-food products in sports nutrition. However, these products come with their own challenges. Fruits and vegetables are much more expensive than processed sugars, fillers and additives. Their availability depends on harvests and growing seasons. Natural ingredients can also expire faster and or need special storage and shipping. Supply and demand are also issues. Organic or Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients are harder to find and can cost more. Finding ingredients completely free of preservatives or processing agents can also be difficult.

Another challenge with natural sports nutrition products is how they’re used. Many are eaten on-the-go by athletes like marathon runners, cyclists, triathletes and rock climbers. These products need to be shelf-stable, meaning they can sit on a shelf without spoiling. To achieve this, many manufacturers use additives and preservatives. These ingredients also help extend the product’s shelf-life, or how long it can last before going bad. For managing inventory, longer shelf-life is often better. But for small brands like ours, which aim to offer "real-food" products, it can make it harder to get into bigger stores.

Before starting Levelle Nutrition, we didn’t know about these challenges. We simply wanted to make healthy, tasty sports nutrition products that women could feel confident using. Our goal was to meet our customers’ needs first, then figure out the manufacturing. This hasn’t been the easiest or most economical path, but it’s been the most rewarding. Whenever customers tell us our products have helped them avoid physical pain and continue doing what they love, we’re reminded why we started: to fuel active women to run the world with sports nutrition that’s honestly good. 

To learn more about Levelle Nutrition's mission and products, visit the website here.

This guest post is written by Levelle Nutrition.