As the new year begins, a fresh start unfolds. In the past year, we witnessed the rapid growth of the sports nutrition field and countless remarkable moments. To welcome the new year, we have specially invited several lecturers we know well to share their New Year’s wishes, offering insights into their journeys and their outlook for the future.
Today, let’s begin by hearing from Dr. Seiji Aoyagi, who has dedicated over 30 years to the field of sports nutrition. What are his reflections on 2024, and what thoughts does he have for 2025 to share with us?
Dr. Seiji Aoyagi
Dr. Seiji Aoyagi is the Chief Scientific Officer of NiHTEK and the owner and partner of GPNi Japan. With over 30 years in the nutrition and supplement industry, including clinical and sports nutrition, Dr. Aoyagi has published numerous papers and book chapters in both the U.S. and Japan. He holds four nutrition-related patents. He played a key role in having HMB approved as a supplement in Japan and introduced the Total Nutrition Therapy, which trains doctors in clinical nutrition. He also led the introduction of Informed-Choice in Japan, making it the most successful anti-doping certification in the supplement industry, with over 450 products currently certified.
I have been attending the ISSN conferences since 2016 and became aware of their SNS and CISSN sports nutrition certification programs, and I always wanted to bring them to Asia. Lo behold, there was an entrepreneur businessman who was thinking about the same thing at the same time. His name is Drew Campbell whom I don’t need to tell you who he is to this community.
I was introduced to Drew and GPNi in 2021 and I was just blown away when I first saw the PNE Level 1 + ISSN-SNS double certification program with a comprehensive textbook and the tutorial videos. And Drew was offering it in English, Chinese, and Korean. I just had to have it Japan in Japanese language. It took me one year to translate and add subtitles to 80 hours of video with a bit of localization so the Japanese students would understand some contents which may be foreign to them. We officially launched the Japanese version in March 2022.
Because of the proximity of Japan and China, I have been asked to give lectures at the GPNi conferences along with Dr. Ried Reale since 2023. We also hosted a GPNi event in Tokyo and invited Dr. Reale and Drew to speak. I believe the degree of appreciation for the GPNi programs in Japan and China is same because there was nothing like GPNi in both countries. We have NESTA but their programs are not as focused on performance nutrition nor as comprehensive as PNE. Most importantly, PNE is backed-up by the solid science from ISSN, the biggest sports nutrition academic society in the world.
Just over a month ago, in early December 2024, I once again visited Shanghai, China, where I was invited to give a lecture at the CISSN offline course. During the lecture, every point and case I presented sparked active responses from the students. Their questions not only demonstrated a solid foundation of knowledge but also highlighted their deep research and close attention to the field of sports nutrition.
The Chinese sports nutrition market is in a phase of rapid growth, and the enthusiasm of the Chinese students is undoubtedly a strong driving force for the progress of the industry. However, I am also fully aware that, in today’s globalized world, focusing solely on the domestic market is far from enough. New research findings, innovative products, and cutting-edge concepts in the international sports nutrition field are emerging and awaiting exploration. Therefore, I hope every student can continue to maintain this passion for knowledge, while also actively paying attention to the latest international scientific literature, understanding global sports nutrition trends, and broadening their international perspectives.
Looking ahead to 2025 and the future, the sports nutrition industry is evolving with new technologies and science. New supplements come and go in this industry, but those with true science are here to stay. For example, we have been using whey proteins (WPC and WPI) extensively for sports nutrition for a long time because of the amino acid profile is favorable for muscle protein synthesis. However, whey is no longer a sustainable ingredient because of the environment stress and price volatility as it is a byproduct of the cheese/dairy industry. The environmentally friendly plant-based proteins (soy, pea) have their problems in the amino acid profile and taste. Drew, being a serial entrepreneur, had a vision five years ago to provide a solution to this dilemma in the protein industry. The solution is called hydrolyzed NiHPRO protein isolate. We will begin to see NiHPRO in 2025, which is the biggest innovation in the protein industry since whey. NiHPRO will stay because it is backed by solid science on quality and performance. More to come!!
Therefore, we should recognize that in the field of sports nutrition and supplements, future market competition will increasingly rely on the power of science. In an ever-evolving industry, staying up-to-date with authoritative literature, especially regarding the research progress of new ingredients or existing ones, is crucial for both practitioners and consumers.
In the new year, let us focus together on the development trends of the sports nutrition industry and actively embrace innovative achievements like NiHPRO. Through scientific guidance, we can truly empower human performance enhancement and healthy living.
Thank you, Dr. Seiji, for your sharing, which has shown us your tireless efforts and passion for sports nutrition education and product development. Next, we will continue to post New Year insights from other lecturers, taking you into their stories and visions.
We also welcome you to leave your New Year goals and messages in the comment section, and let’s move forward into 2025 together!
