Why it’s time to press reset on joint health

For decades, the joint health category has been associated primarily with aging and maintaining mobility in later life. The market, however, is expanding to include people of all ages and demographics, each with their own health and wellness priorities. For nutraceutical brands, it is time to get to know the needs of a growing audience.

When time stood still

The unexpected arrival of the global pandemic affected almost every aspect of life. Peoples’ ability to stay active was hit particularly hard, as consumers in most parts of the world lived under lockdowns for months and working from home became the norm.??

These changes have led to more sedentary lifestyles and higher stress levels with an inevitable impact on health – including weight gain and joint stiffness. According to the American Psychological Association, 42% of U.S. adults reported gaining weight without intending to since the pandemic started.1

For many consumers who want to move on from the effects of the pandemic, pressing reset on their health and wellness is an essential first step.?

Finding the way to wellness

For many, the pandemic provided a new opportunity to devote time to fitness like never before. McKinsey & Company found that U.S. consumers increased their monthly spending on fitness equipment by 5% during the pandemic, while in the U.K., 26% of people exercised more than they did before the pandemic began.2? And in January 2021, Bloomberg reported that the New Year spike in gym memberships continued that year, despite ongoing lockdowns.3 Meanwhile, at-home fitness has rapidly grown in popularity even as gyms fill up again; consumer spending on virtual or online fitness is expected to increase tenfold from $6 billion in 2019 to $60 billion by 2027.? Easy-to-access tutorials and trending at-home gym equipment enabled more people than ever to keep fit from the comfort of their homes while still enjoying a sense of community through virtual classes.??

?As this diverse array of consumers becomes more active, the demands they put on their bodies increase, leading to a growing interest in improving the health of their joints in pursuit of wellness and exercise goals.??

A growing need for product innovation??

Despite this evolving consumer base, the market continues to be driven by the ‘traditional’ joint health consumer—namely aging adults looking to maintain mobility, keep active, and reduce joint discomfort. As the global population continues to grow older, the prevalence of age-related health issues such as joint discomfort is growing. For example, osteoarthritis (OA) affects around 240 million people worldwide, including 10% of men and 18% of women aged 60 and above.??

?What unites the traditional and newer joint health consumers is an interest in science-backed solutions delivering the joint health benefits they’re looking for in a convenient format. Many of the best-known ingredients in the joint health space, such as glucosamine and chondroitin, require consumers to take high doses to be effective. It’s no secret that this can significantly impact consumer experience and pill compliance. What if an alternative could deliver greater, clinically proven benefits in a small daily dose???

Press reset with UC-II? undenatured type II collagen

With Lonza’s latest human clinical study, UC-II? undenatured type II collagen becomes the only joint health ingredient that is clinically proven to:? ???

• improve joint flexibility 15 times better than placebo?
• help active consumers of all ages hit their daily step count?
• decrease joint discomfort by over 30 minutes following physical activity?

All in a small, once-daily dose of just 40 mg.??

Want to discover more about the future of mobility? Find out how UC-II? collagen opens new doors for nutraceutical brands in Lonza’s latest eBook, “Resetting the joint health category: The ultimate guide to capturing market share and consumers’ attention.” Learn what matters most to joint health consumers today and how to reach them by downloading today for free.?

Sources:

1?American Psychological Association (2021). Slightly More Than 6 in 10 U.S. Adults (61%) Report Undesired Weight Change Since Start of Pandemic.?https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2021/03/march-weight-change?

2?Mintel?(2020).?UK Healthy Lifestyles Report: Impact of COVID-19.?https://store.mintel.com/uk-healthy-lifestyles-market-report?

3?Davalos, J. (2021).?How Covid-19 Has Permanently Changed the Fitness Industry. Bloomberg.?https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-19/fitness-industry-may-never-return-to-its-old-ways-after-covid-19

4?McGee, P. (2022). How connected fitness became the new obsession. Financial Times.?https://www.ft.com/content/8fe94eef-1077-4eaa-8192-26013f7931ea?

5?Allen, K.D. et al.?ScienceDirect.?Epidemiology of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

Volume 30, Issue 2, February 2022, Pages 184-195.?https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1063458421008864

6?Sch?n et al. (2022). UC-II??undenatured type II collagen for knee joint flexibility: a?multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.?J?Integr?Complement Med.?Online ahead of print.?doi: 10.1089/jicm.2021.0365.?

7?Knaub et al. (2022). UC-II??undenatured type II collagen reduces knee joint discomfort and improves mobility in healthy subjects: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study.?J Clin Trials, 12?(492), 1-8.??