Emily Safian-Demers, director of insights at creative, e-commerce and marketing agency Front Row, noted that one online retailer in particular is leading the way.
“Amazon shoppers are spending more on protein products,” she said.
Protein is soaring, with data showing that protein in the sports nutrition category is up 31% year-over year in 2025 year to date, reaching $2 billion in sales on Amazon. This is a 27% increase from the same time period last year.
Women and GLP-1s
Safian-Demers told NutraIngredients that two leading trends are driving this growth: somen’s health and the GLP-1 boom.
“Women’s appetite for protein is shaking up the protein market,” she said. “Attention to women’s health has skyrocketed, and as part of that, women are thinking more about the importance of protein during perimenopause and menopause.
“Interest for GLP-1s on Amazon increased by a whopping 2,400% YoY in Q1 2025 (as compared to Q1 2024). As GLP-1 adoption has soared, so have GLP-1 companion products—and protein is a key element of these products.”
She added that over the past year, protein has come into the spotlight as a foundational health product, noting that interest drivers are diversifying, with protein now being sought out as a weight loss companion product and a women’s health support product.
“The signs are clear: Protein has outgrown its fitness niche and is becoming an anchor of wellness routines,” she said.
Beefed up trends
Looking at sales across protein subcategories on Amazon, Safian-Demers highlighted that beef-based protein products are seeing the strongest growth YoY, with the category up 56% in 2025 year to date (Jan - Oct).
“That being said, beef-based protein products only account for 1% of all protein sales on Amazon, but if this strong growth trajectory continues, that is likely to change,” she said. “While not all protein subcategories are seeing that level of growth, they are all up YoY.”
Safian-Demers credits some of the strong growth in beef protein sales to cow-based wellness or ‘cowmaxxing.’ The trend has flooded social media, with TikTokers doing everything from drinking raw milk to using beef tallow as a moisturizer and seed oil alternative.
Mass market appeal
Aside from strong growth in beef protein sales, Front Row is seeing off-channel indicators that wellness shoppers are looking for new formats.
Protein is taking on new forms, evolving as an ingredient once only found in gym bags to finding its way into everything from soda to chips to coffee.
“Protein waters are the latest example of this,” Safian-Demers said. “[Call Her Daddy podcast host] Alex Cooper introduced Unwell Hydration drinks with added protein in September 2025. Clean Simple Eats’ protein soda, which first launched in February 2025, is now stocked at Target, as of September 2025, and Costco has reportedly been selling out of Genius Gourmet’s protein sparkling water after it first hit their shelves in July 2025. And, most notably, Starbucks added protein coffee drinks to its menu in September 2025, bringing protein drinks fully into the mass market.”
Consumers, particularly millennials and Gen Z, prioritize products that seamlessly fit into their busy lives, making convenience a major factor in purchasing decisions. As consumers integrate wellness into every step of their daily routines, Safian-Demers said they are looking for products that do double-duty or are easier to take on-the-go—driving new protein consumption habits.
“The protein category’s momentum reflects a broader shift in how consumers are approaching their wellness routines, but what’s striking in the data isn’t just growth—it’s the diversification of why and how people are using it,” she said.
Protein: Sure to be a hot topic at SANS
While protein is outgrowing its fitness niche and attracting a much broader consumer base, Safian-Demers noted that people are simultaneously looking for functional products that fit seamlessly into their day, which is opening the door for new formats and accelerating the growth of VMS on platforms like Amazon.
“What stands out is not only the rising demand, but how quickly shopper behavior is evolving as e-commerce expands access to innovative and personalized solutions,” she said. “These patterns and behaviors are setting the stage for where the category is headed next year, and I look forward to unpacking these trends and what they signal for the future of the category at the Sports and Active Nutrition Summit in February.”
To hear further insights on the state of the protein market from Safian-Demers, as well as other sessions such as A.I., women’s health, tactical active nutrition, flavor innovations, the regulatory landscape and more, registration for the three-day event is open. SANS will take place at its new venue, Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, situated along the Pacific Ocean coastline in San Diego, California.
