Sports drinks cater for everyone from weekend warriors to serious athletes. At their base, they’re drinks that rehydrate and help replenish electrolytes lost during exercise, often along with vitamins and minerals as well.
But the category is evolving. It’s now about going beyond this core definition and asking what more drinks can provide consumers.
Globally, the sports drinks category is expected to grow at 5.39% CAGR 2025-2030, according to figures from Mordor Intelligence. That means there’s plenty of white space for innovations to tap into key consumers trends and find plentiful opportunities...
1. Low and zero sugar
Glucose is a key ingredient in many sports drinks: because athletes are often looking for instant energy.
But with a high-profile backlash against sugar, consumers are now often wary of these drinks and high sugar content.
While flavor remains the top sports drink attribute for US consumers (at 46%), low/no sugar credentials come in second place (at 32%), according to Mordor Intelligence
The top sports drink trio – Bodyarmor, Powerade and Gatorade – all have zero sugar versions across their portfolios. Gatorade, for example, sees zero sugar as a way to bring lapsed consumers back: giving them the brand they want but without the sugar they don’t.
2. Clean label
For decades, the sports drinks category has been using artificial sweeteners, flavors and colors: with bright blues and reds associated with the category.
HFSS is another commonly ingredient in sports drinks – and one that consumers are increasingly turning away from.
Bodyarmor has carved out its point of difference as being free from artificial sweeteners, flavors or dyes.
Chicago sports drink brand GoodSport, meanwhile, uses 100% naturally sourced ingredients as a point of difference.
As we’ve already seen, brands are also turning away from sugar.
That’s led brands to explore natural sweeteners such as stevia and monkfruit. Bodyarmor Zero, for example, uses stevia to sweeten its sugar-free line.
3. Enhanced hydration
New formulations are focusing on rapid hydration, with innovative ingredient combinations designed to optimize fluid absorption and retention, catering to athletes and active individuals.
Take, for example, the rapid rehydration sector. It’s a category that’s attracted launches with Bodyarmor Flash I.V., Electrolit, Liquid I.V., DripDrop and many more.
Bodyarmor Flash I.V. was launched in 2023 with a formula scientifically formulated to ensure the ‘perfect balance of carbohydrates and electrolytes for faster absorption and replenishment’.
Liquid I.V, meanwhile, has focused on powdered hydration, becoming the top in its category in the US with a drink designed to deliver superior hydration.
Electrolit - a brand backed by Keurig Dr Pepper - is on a similar path, boasting pharmaceutical grade ingredients to provide optimal hydration.
Gatorade - a classic traditional sports drink - illustrates the trend towards hydration with its 2024 launch of Hydration Boosters: a launch which leans more into the lifestyle proposition than the core sports audience.
4. Functional ingredients
It’s not just about hydration and electrolyte replenishment. Sports drinks are going beyond electrolytes, vitamins and minerals and asking what other functional boost they can provide consumers.
BCAAs, creatine and vitamin blends have been increasingly used over the last few years. But now the category is evolving to include other functional ingredients that are not primarily about rehydration or building muscle.
Newcomer Launch Hydrate, for example, uses the nootropic Cognizin, (an ingredient to support mental energy, focus, attention and recall) alongside the standard electrolytes, vitamins and minerals.
5. Tech and personalization
There is a trend towards personalized nutrition, including sports drinks tailored to individual needs based on factors like activity level, body composition, and dietary preferences.
Gatorade has been at the front of exploring personalization options for consumers. That includes its Smart Gx Water Bottle, a tech-enabled squeeze bottle that helps users set and track daily hydration goals. The bottle is fully integrated into the Gx app, a personalized nutrition and training platform that helps athletes optimize their workouts.
With that comes a move towards different formats to fit in with consumers' lives. The $1.4bn U.S. hydration powder market is projected to grow at an incredible 13% CAGR to $2.5bn by 2029, according to data from IRi.
Energy drink challenger Celsius has just launched Celsius Hydration powder sticks, eying up market already thriving with brands such as Liquid I.V. and DripDrop.