Fitness data, golf gear, and whey protein are becoming more valuable.
America’s protein obsession fuels shortages
Increased demand for whey protein is breaking the supply chain, causing some suppliers to be sold out through the remainder of the year.
- Prices for high-protein whey concentrates have climbed 40%+ in recent months and over 50% since January.
- Fueled by GLP-1s, muscle support, and changing regulations, 70% of Americans say they’re actively trying to consume more protein, up from 59% four years ago.
CPG brands have responded by adding protein to everything from waffles and cereals to chips, sodas, and coffee drinks. But because whey is a byproduct of cheese production, supply can’t easily scale to match demand.
The likely outcome: higher prices, product reformulations, and a growing opportunity for alternative proteins like pea, soy, milk protein concentrate, and even meat-based snacks.
Strava tightens data restrictions
The social fitness app announced new developer fees, tighter API restrictions, and additional authentication requirements designed to prevent AI companies from scraping user data.
- Developers will now pay roughly $12 per month for API access, while certain endpoints — including club and community data — are being retired altogether.
- The move comes as Strava’s developer ecosystem grows from 185K to 241K members YoY and follows reports that the company confidentially filed for an IPO.
Beyond fitness, it reflects a larger shift happening across the internet as platforms like Reddit, X, and others look to protect proprietary datasets from AI companies hungry for training data.
Golf participation keeps climbing
Rounds played in the US jumped 14% in 2020 and have continued growing almost every year since. Through April, rounds were up another 5.3% YoY.
- Off-course participation, including Topgolf, Five Iron Golf, simulators, and entertainment venues, has surged 63% since 2019.
- Meanwhile, golf-entertainment venues have increased 80% and commercial simulator locations have roughly doubled over the last three years.
Fueled by younger generations seeking social experiences, nearly 19M Americans now play golf exclusively off-course, creating a pipeline of future participants, equipment buyers, and spectators.
