Morristown, NJ—New research published by PLT Health Solutions, Inc. takes a look at the influence of cognitive states, more commonly known as moods, on sports and active lifestyles. The Feeling Active report examines feedback from 546 participants living in the U.S., Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy on the roles mental energy, stress, sleep and focus play within sports and exercise. Respondents shared details of their exercise activity and their attitudes towards exercise and issues like motivation, mood, goals, and the effects of injuries. Participants also discussed their views on dietary supplements and their cognitive support in a sports/active context.
All of the data was collected by PLT to provide insight towards creating more meaningful, innovative sports and active nutrition products. “PLT’s cognitive health portfolio has grown to eight ingredients today, six of which offer benefits that can have an impact on the sports/active experience in a targeted way. The Feeling Active research was our attempt to understand what consumers really want and to help inspire innovation in the category,” explained Steve Fink, Vice President, Marketing for PLT Health Solutions. “PLT has been active in helping to deliver emotional and cognitive benefits into sports nutrition formulations for nearly a decade with our Zembrin Sceletium tortuosum ingredient. I’d like to say that we invented the concept of adding cognitive support to sports nutrition products, but it wouldn’t be true. It’s an idea that we ‘discovered’” continued Fink.
From their research, PLT was able to identify the highest ranked barriers to exercising regularly, which included:
- Inadequate energy or sleep (42%)
- Lack of motivation (40%)
- Time constraints (38%)
- Stress (31%)
Of the participants who engaged in exercise, the main motivators for their participation were:
- Being healthy and fit (59%)
- Looking good (21%)
- Feeling healthy and looking good being equally important (21%)
Individuals were also asked to share their general views on exercise:
- 62% regard exercise as “self-care”
- 18% think it is a hobby
- 15% think it is a chore
“Today’s sports/active formulation is more complex and sophisticated than ever, with consumers looking for a broader range of benefits. Increasingly, they are looking to branded, science-backed ingredients to power those formulations. We hope that Feeling Active can help sports and active nutrition consumer products companies innovate faster and more successfully,” shared Fink.
For more takeaways from the 2025 report, please visit plthealth.com/feeling-active-report
