Albé Geldenhuys founded USN (Ultimate Sports Nutrition) in 1999. The company began life in the founder’s kitchen in South Africa, but it’s now a global brand.
The USN name suggests the brand is American – and this was a deliberate. Geldenhuys states that when he started the brand, “there was a perception that US brands were the best” – and the founder wanted to “capitalize on that”.
USN now has bases in not just Cape Town, but also the UK, USA, Australia, France and many more. This all stems from the brand’s 2014 strategy to rebrand and to “consolidate USN across 136 countries”. It now refers to itself as an “international market leader in over 56 countries globally”.
From its humble beginnings in the founder’s kitchen in Pretoria, it had grown to a $70 million business by 2018.
USN doesn’t just distribute its products to a global market – it also boasts manufacturing facilities in several different countries. These include the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Europe and South Africa. All facilities meet current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and hold certificates to prove this.
The company and many of its subsidiaries are members of The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA). The ESSNA was set up in 2003 to ensure that the “sports nutrition products you buy are “safe”, “effective” and readily available.
USN “athletes” (endorsers) include – or have included – Ryan Terry (Arnold Classic Champ & IFBB Pro), Ivan Lintin (motorcycle racer), and Mandie Nugent (former professional swimmer) among others.
USN offers more than 250 supplements in its range. These include products designed for sports nutrition, endurance sports, wellness, weight control, muscle gain, strength and more.
Perhaps the two most popular USN products are 19 Anabol Testo and Muscle Fuel Anabolic. 19 Anabol Testo is designed to help users maintain “normal testosterone levels in the blood”. Muscle Fuel Anabolic is a protein powder and “lean muscle catalyst” designed to support muscle growth and maintenance.
