Athletes preferences and willingness to pay for innovative high-protein functional foods.

The growing number of athletes in the population leads to an increasing demand for high-protein functional foods to which food industries are trying to respond with new products and strategies that can meet the needs of athletes. An experimental auction was performed to elicit athletes' willingness to pay for an innovative high-protein bread, correlating it to specific food values. For a deeper understanding of the determinants of respondents' choices for high-protein bread and preferences regarding food values, the combination of Best-Worst Scaling and Cluster Analysis was used. The Cluster Analysis identified five different groups of athletes, each characterised by specific preferences and willingness to pay. Participants with high attention for the nutritional aspect and needs related to sports activity, are willing to pay more than the other ones. The investigated issue is crucial for customizing marketing strategies and meeting the needs of different athlete segments.