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Sports Superstars Push Nutritionals Into Spotlight NEW YORK- What do Frank Shorter, Joe Montana and Mo Vaughn have in common? They all endorse sports supplements. Once relegated to mail-order or behind the counter of the local gym-not the neon decorated health clubs of today but the dark, dingy dwellings of the hardcore bodybuilder-supplements have moved into the spotlight, led by superstar athletes. One company that blazed the trail with mainstream athletes touting the benefits of their products is Irvine, CA-based Met-Rx. The company has built a nutritional empire on the backs of top athletes from the world of baseball, football and even pro golf. "The inclusion of more traditional athletes, beyond body builders and fitness competitors, has been a key part of our growth, along with the effectiveness of our products, and it will continue to be going forward," said Yemeni Mesa, national sales manager for Met-Rx. "The advantage of having the mainstream athletes is that it helps to introduce the product to those in the audience who may not have heard of the brand. They can identify the product when they see the likes of Troy Aikman touting it and at least recognize it when they see signage on the retail floor. It is one of many steps to strengthen the brand." SportPharma, which had a booth at the Super Show earlier this month, is another supplement manufacturer that has turned to what nutritional companies refer to as "non-traditional" athletes-lining up with the San Diego Chargers, Carolina Hurricanes and others as they branch outside of the bodybuilding community. "We got our start with the hardcore bodybuilders, but we felt we had to grow outside of strictly bodybuilding because it is a finite market," said Mike Bezmaravich spokesperson for SportPharma. "There is a much broader scope outside of the extreme sports. This type of athlete helps reach those consumers." Pacific Health Laboratories forged a relationship with San Francisco 49ers great Joe Montana three years ago when it launched its Endurox line helping gain instant acceptance with mainstream consumers. "When it came to endorsement of the product we have renowned endurance athletes like Frank Shorter. But Joe Montana brings a different level of audience recognition," said Dr. Robert Portman, president, Pacific Health Laboratories, which recently introduced Endurox4, a performance-boosting sports drink. "We are targeting the person who works out two times per week-a lot of people. The number of [sporting goods] retailers carrying this type of product is growing along with the appeal of supplements, in part due to mainstream athletes' endorsements." In what seems like a natural progression in the sports star/supplement connection, single-season homerun champ, Mark McGwire-who made almost as many headlines for his supplement use as his home run feats-has gone into the business. McGwire has teamed with RCB Management to form Extreme nutritionals, LLC which debuted its Ultimate Maxxbar at the Super Show. "Mark was a big part of getting the company off the ground," said Randy Baker, principal owner of Extreme Nutritionals. "But we are not creating a 'McGwire Bar' here.

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