Arla Foods Ingredients targets personalized sports nutrition with new clear protein concepts

Arla Foods Ingredients is using SupplySide Global to showcase a new generation of clear protein beverages designed around different exercise occasions and performance goals, as the sports nutrition category continues to move beyond the traditional protein shake.

The ingredient supplier will present three personalized clear shake concepts at the Las Vegas event (October 28-30), built around three distinct consumer needs: strength, endurance, and mobility.

Personalized sports nutrition

The concepts reflect a broader shift in sports nutrition toward products that are more closely aligned with individual lifestyles and specific use occasions. 

Rather than treating protein as a one-size-fits-all proposition, brands are increasingly looking to combine protein with complementary functional ingredients and develop products for particular moments in consumers’ active routines.

Clear protein beverages are well-positioned for this trend. Unlike conventional milk-based protein shakes, clear whey products can offer a lighter, fruitier, and more refreshing drinking experience, potentially widening the appeal of protein beyond dedicated gym users.

Three performance propositions

Arla’s concepts share a focus on recovery but are differentiated according to the type of activity and desired performance outcome.

The BUILD Resistance Shake combines Lacprodan ISO.RefreshShake whey protein isolate with creatine and is aimed at strength and power activities, including weightlifting, strength training, and CrossFit.

The SUSTAIN Endurance Shake, meanwhile, uses Lacprodan Pro2O alongside carbohydrates and electrolytes. It is positioned for endurance activities such as running and cycling, where hydration and energy replenishment are important alongside protein intake.

The third concept, MOVE Mobility Shake, combines Lacprodan ISO.WaterShake with collagen and targets activities where mobility and flexibility are central, including yoga, pilates, gymnastics, and dance.

Peter Schouw Andersen, senior director, performance nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, says: “These exciting new personalized clear shake concepts demonstrate how our clear whey protein isolates can help brands tailor great-tasting solutions to different consumer needs and performance goals.”

“Targeting a wide range of sports nutrition users, from dedicated athletes to everyday active consumers, they deliver high-quality protein and functional benefits in an easy-to-use, convenient product experience.”

“From strength and power to endurance and hydration or mobility and flexibility, the concepts demonstrate the versatility of clear whey protein as a foundation for personalized sports nutrition. With dual benefits trending in the sports nutrition space, our solutions open up opportunities for premium, benefits-driven innovation with clear protein shakes.”

The emphasis on personalization comes as sports nutrition increasingly overlaps with mainstream food and beverage. 

Protein has moved well beyond specialist sports products, with consumers seeking convenient ways to incorporate protein into everyday diets. At the same time, the category is becoming more segmented, with brands developing products around hydration, energy, recovery, healthy aging, weight management, and other specific consumer needs.

Clear protein moves into mainstream formats

The development of clear protein beverages also reflects the wider diversification of protein delivery formats.

Traditional thick, milky shakes remain an important part of sports nutrition, but clear whey has opened up opportunities for manufacturers to bring protein into formats more closely resembling mainstream soft drinks, flavored waters, and other refreshing beverages.

That trend is particularly relevant as consumers become more familiar with whey protein and expect products to deliver both nutritional functionality and an enjoyable sensory experience. Taste, texture, convenience, and ease of consumption are increasingly important differentiators in a crowded protein market.

Arla is also using SupplySide Global to demonstrate how its ingredients can be incorporated into formats outside the clear shake category.

Among the company’s additional concepts will be AirBar, an aerated milk protein bar developed with Nutrilac PB-8420. The ingredient is designed to provide stable aeration and texture throughout processing and shelf life, allowing manufacturers to explore a lighter sensory experience in a category traditionally associated with dense, chewy textures.

The company will also showcase a water-based protein shot positioned for GLP-1 companion nutrition. The small-format product is designed for consumers experiencing reduced appetite and uses Lacprodan BLG-100 to provide 21g of protein per 100ml. 

According to Arla, the concept is fat-free, sugar-free, and low in lactose, while offering ambient stability and a low-astringency taste profile.

The addition of GLP-1-related nutrition is notable as F&B companies increasingly consider how the rapid growth of appetite-regulating medications could influence product development. 

Smaller, nutrient-dense formats that make it easier for consumers to obtain sufficient protein and other nutrients are emerging as one area of opportunity.

Protein meets the soft drink category

Arla will also present a protein soda, combining the sensory cues of a sparkling soft drink with whey protein isolate.

The concept uses Lacprodan Pro2O, which the company says enables clear, low-viscosity beverages with clean taste, low astringency, and strong flavor expression. The aim is to demonstrate how protein can be incorporated into refreshing, carbonated formats rather than being confined to conventional shakes and bars.

The move into soda-style products illustrates the increasingly blurred boundary between sports nutrition and the wider functional beverage market. 

Protein is becoming an ingredient that can be incorporated into a growing range of familiar formats, while traditional soft drinks are being repositioned around benefits such as hydration, energy, gut health, and added nutrition.

For ingredient suppliers and finished-product manufacturers alike, the challenge is to deliver those benefits without compromising taste, texture, appearance, or convenience.

Arla’s portfolio at SupplySide Global therefore points to a broader direction for the category: more targeted nutrition, more diverse formats, and products designed around specific consumer occasions rather than simply a generic high-protein proposition.

Last week Arla Foods unveiled how it is expanding skyr and cottage cheese production as demand for high-protein dairy grows.