Men’s health has historically been defined by muscle and performance, but data from Nextin Research suggests that’s starting to shift. From immunity and heart health to mood and longevity, men are expanding how they think about wellness—and starting to put as much effort into long-term wellness as they do into the gym. This indicates a shift from reactive, performance-driven health to a more proactive and everyday approach to wellness.
Interest in men’s health and supplements is climbing. Jake Klinghammer, strategy director, MarketPlace Branding, which owns Nextin Research, noted that this increased interest isn’t just anecdotal—it’s showing up in online searches and behavior.
“Our surveys echo broader trends we’ve seen in the market—and they show where consumers are moving from awareness to action,” he said. “In our most recent survey about consumer trends and attitudes around functional ingredients, about one-fifth of all men told us immunity is a current need related to their personal health. What’s more telling is that the share of men who reported it as a current need nearly equals the share who said it motivated purchase—meaning they are taking real action to address the need.”
Klinghammer added that this shows men are conscientious about the ingredients they consume related to these health needs. Nextin asked men which ingredients they are trying to get more of in their diets, with some of the top responses being omega-3 and fish oil—pointing to a desire to support heart health.
Beyond Muscle
Even though performance continues to be a key driver, the definition of men’s health is broadening. Nextin data shows that beyond sports nutrition and libido, men are increasingly prioritizing areas like energy, immunity and general wellness.
That shift doesn’t mean performance is being left behind. Instead, it’s becoming part of a more holistic approach. As Klinghammer explained, “General wellness…essentially boils down to keeping the body’s core systems functioning well—immunity, energy, mood, sleep. One need state certainly affects the other.”
When it comes to messaging, Klinghammer said it’s all about the brand’s core positioning.
“Is it positioned to be about athletic performance? Everyday health? Something else? The same ingredient, with the same benefits, could be messaged in different ways. For example, where a general wellness brand might say ‘support daily energy levels,’ a performance-forward brand might reframe this to say, ‘enhance endurance in the gym,’” he said.
The interest and action gap
In the survey, Nextin asked two questions: one about self-reported need states and another about the need states that actually motivated a purchase. Klinghammer said there’s almost always a gap between self-reported need states and what actually motivates a purchase.
Beyond libido and sports nutrition, he said brands designed for men should consider energy, longevity and immunity.
“These are some of the top-reported need states among men, according to Nextin’s 2025 Ingredient Survey. They also happen to be some of the top need states men said have motivated them to make a purchase. Where we see even more opportunity for growth in the market are in the areas where there’s a sizable gap between reported need state and reported purchase. For example, 20% of men said ‘stress relief’ is a current need state, but only 11% bought a specific supplement, food or beverage to address that need. Compare that to immunity, which is a high reported need state, but has a gap of only 1 percentage point.”
Mental health gains traction
When it comes to mental, mood and cognitive health, the survey indicated that men convert from interest to product usage at relatively high rates.
“Of the men who said mood/emotional wellness is a current need, nearly three-quarters also said it motivated a purchase,” Klinghammer said. “This is much higher than some of the other most common need-states—sleep support, oral health and stress relief—highlighting a big opportunity for brands to educate consumers on ingredients and motivate them to consider nutritional products for support.”
The generational reset
Among younger men, Nextin found that interest in proactive health like heart health and functional mushrooms is on the rise. Klinghammer said he sees this as a lasting shift, especially as men of all ages have access to more resources about health and wellness—and more access to functional foods, beverages and supplements than ever before.
This, combined with younger men seeing their fathers and grandfathers struggle with specific health conditions, points to a long-term movement, he said.
“The data show a trend of younger men being proactive about their health. Even though men over 45 are the primary longevity audience, a meaningful share of men under 45 report interest in healthy aging as well. And when you look at men of this age group who are interested in heart health, they tend to convert from interest to purchase at a high rate.”
How men are making decisions
Affordability (54%) and recognizable ingredients (39%) remain key drivers in decision making, with men more likely to rely on platforms like YouTube and social media for health information.
While both men and women rely on social media for health and nutrition information, there are notable differences in the specific channels they turn to, Klinghammer said.
“A greater portion of men use X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube than women. And the difference is even more pronounced with younger generations—about a 10-percentage point difference between men and women under 45. Meanwhile, women in this age group over-index for TikTok.”
Because YouTube typically has longer-form content, it gives consumers more time to understand ingredients and products. By the time they come across a brand, they’ve likely already watched reviews, comparisons, and breakdowns—building a different kind of trust than what short-form content can offer. Klinghammer said that matters, especially when reaching millennial and Gen Z men.
“That’s not to say women place all their trust in TikTok,” he said. “They over-index for getting nutrition information from sources that historically have more authority and trust—doctors, medical institutions, friends and family. For them, social media is likely more about discovery first, followed by validation from trusted sources after.”
GLP-1s reshape behavior
Millennial men are also engaging more with emerging health trends like weight management and metabolic health.
According to research, GLP-1 interest is notably higher among younger men, with 45% of men under 45 either currently using or interested in GLP-1s. The medications are starting to influence not just health behaviors, but the broader supplement and functional food and beverage landscape.
“Because interest among men under 45 is higher, companies should design and market products that speak to their taste and ingredient preferences,” he said. “Many of these men on GLP-1 treatments are also consuming companion products—supplements, foods, and beverages—to help fill any nutrient gaps.”
The trend is also influencing preferences beyond supplements, particularly in food and beverage.
Nextin’s survey asked consumers which beverage types they’ve consumed in the past year, finding that men under 45 were nearly twice as likely as men 45 and over to be more interested in global flavors and relatively new formats.
Branded ingredients
Looking ahead, Klinghammer said that data suggests premiumization will play a major role in functional foods and beverages, with men placing a high value on branded ingredients.
“In one survey, we presented consumers with branded ingredients aligned to their relevant need states and asked how those ingredients would influence their purchase. For the most part, a greater portion of men than women said they would be more likely to purchase a product if they saw the branded ingredient on the label—and many would also be willing to pay more for these ingredients. That’s even more pronounced when looking at the under 45 segments.”
What, when and why
As men rethink what health means—from performance to prevention—the opportunity for brands lies in understanding not just what men need, but when and why they need it. As Nextin’s data suggests, health is not defined by a single goal, but by how all the pieces of everyday wellness can come together.
“Men don’t experience health and wellness through a single lens,” Klinghammer said. “Life stage often dictates priorities, while cultural context influences attitudes toward ingredients and formats.”
