Why have more than 400 professional athletes chosen this French whey?

Article produced in partnership with Nutrimea

Tell us about the origins of the Nutrimea brand and your role in its development

Florian Jacob: Nutrimea has been around since 2015. The brand positioned itself in the health segment. I initially joined the team in 2020, and I suggested creating a range focused on “sport” while strictly respecting Nutrimea’s DNA, that is to say a very precise scientific approach and the choice of the most natural and highest-quality ingredients possible. Today I have moved into the brand’s marketing leadership, which means creating and reformulating all products, as well as the commercial strategy. 

More than 400 professional athletes use your whey. How did this connection with the world of elite sport come about? 

F.J.: When I created the “Sport” range, the executives asked me to respect two essential things. First, product safety. That’s normal, because Nutrimea comes from the health world. But also truly premium quality. So I tested more than 50 dairy products over 18 months using a selection grid based on 5 precise criteria: the protein content to offer the most effective product possible, the taste so that our customers don’t get tired of it, the pH to provide every safety guarantee and easy digestion, the absence of clumps for ease of use, and the flavor absorption of the shaker, because having a shaker that smells bad is really not ideal!

We selected only 3 products out of the original 50 … then I added two criteria: that the milk comes from unpolluted areas and the safety of the manufacturing process! Why did so many athletes choose us even though we did not offer to pay them as well as mainstream brands? Because they tested our whey, measured its effectiveness, and above all because our athletes take a responsible approach: they refuse to recommend a “low-end or ineffective” product to their community. For our athletes, quality comes before money!

What does a professional athlete look at first when choosing a protein?

F.J. : Of course, the protein content, and many of them know that behind a number there can sometimes be very different realities… For this type of product, the protein content is not the only important marker. There is the filtration process: ultrafiltered at low temperature and low pressure for our product. The pH: between 6 and 7 for our product. And of course the moisture content, which must be less than 5%, which is obviously the case for us. All of these things are important for the product to be effective and of good quality. Obviously, professional athletes pay attention to the product’s taste because they consume it every day. It was therefore necessary to have a product with a natural taste that athletes can take daily without getting tired of it.

What concretely sets your whey isolate apart from the other proteins on the market?

F.J. : There are good products and much less good ones in the whey market, just like in any other market. What our customers appreciate most is, of course, a high protein content, as well as a safe product they trust, and I would say the most important point when comparing good-quality proteins is the taste. It is a point often overlooked by many brands, which consider it secondary, whereas you need to really be able to connect with a product if you want to consume it daily over time. 

I would add two essential things: Nutrimea offers a range of more than 100 sports and health products, so our customers benefit from a very wide choice depending on their sport. For example, maltodextrin and electrolytes for endurance sports, glucosamine complex for combat sports, which are often very hard on the joints, etc. Since athletes consume a lot of supplements, we offer them truly attractive pricing conditions. Finally, we guarantee shipping on the same day or the next day after your order. You won’t wait 2 or 3 weeks like is regularly the case with some brands!  

Many whey products cause bloating or digestive discomfort. How did you work on the digestibility of your formula?

F.J. : You are right, that is one of the reasons why we are winning over customers from other brands: these customers want a product that is easy to digest, not a basic whey that makes them uncomfortable and that they have to counter by taking probiotics or activated charcoal, for example! The most important point is not to add enzymes everywhere, but to make sure, with the points mentioned above, that you have a whey that is truly easy to digest, and that is a comment we often hear, in the best possible way, of course!

What advice would you give someone who is just starting out with weight training?

F.J. : First of all, follow the advice our athletes share on social media: they know weight training inside and out, some of them did not become champions by chance! Some offer truly extraordinary coaching programs, you can trust them, and as with any sport, at least at the beginning, it is better to surround yourself with trustworthy people to learn and avoid major mistakes, especially injuries. Then, be consistent, as “Schwarzeneger” said, there is only one bad workout, the one you do not do! Choose a program you like, commitment is the key to everything! Take your time and in a few months you will see a real transformation in your body. Nutrimea products will support you in this transformation and above all they will help you avoid certain injuries: as I told you, we come from the health world, so we are really uncompromising on one point: yes to performance, but not at the expense of your health!