CONSUMABLES: SPORTS DRINKS
Sports Drinks get a Refresh Customers are paying attention to what they’re drinking, and that’s causing brands to revamp their offerings By Nicole Stempak
The sports drink aisle has been pretty stagnant for a while, but that’s starting to change. Sports drinks are defined as functional beverages that help replenish glucose, fluids and electrolytes, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They are designed to help individuals hydrate and quickly replace the electrolytes lost in strenuous conditions or high-intensity workouts lasting an hour or more. For decades, sports drinks advertisements have depicted professional athletes at the gym or on the field. Those ads helped the global electrolyte hydration drinks market become a $1.72 billion industry in 2023, according to Data Bridge Market Research. The market is expected to reach $3.26 billion by 2031. But recently, consumers have decided they want something different from their sports drinks. “I think America is starting to change the way they look at sports drinks,” said Brandon Pogue, founder of TruLabs. “They have been marketed as a sports drink but, really, it’s just a sugary sweet good tasting drink that’s not good for you.” As a result, there’s been a groundswell of activity, from established companies to start-ups trying to fill the void. Here are three ways the sports drinks market is changing.
The sports drink consumer is not only wanting products that are functional, they are wanting products they can feel good about putting in their bodies. Health and wellness, food as medicine, and preventative medicine were already on the uptick, but after the pandemic, they exploded.” – Jesslyn Rollins, CEO, Biolyte
1. Mixed Drinks In the past, sports drinks were focused on helping people power through their workouts. Now, sports drinks are seen as an element of a broader effort to maintain health and well-being.
TruLabs products
DRUGSTORENEWS.COM June 2024 39