The May issue of Beverage Industry noted that sports and protein drinks are going beyond their traditional use for muscle building and training. Experts shared that the modern consumer is turning to these beverages to support active lifestyles and overall well-being.

“The rise of fitness-focused lifestyles has fueled demand for sports and protein drinks that go beyond hydration and muscle recovery,” said Mitch Madoff, head of retail partnerships at Keychain, New York. “Consumers want products that fit their holistic wellness goals, leading brands to innovate with clean ingredients, low sugar and added benefits like electrolytes and plant-based proteins.”

Paige Leyden, associate director of foodservice, flavors and ingredients reports at Chicago-based Mintel, shared similar thoughts in Beverage Industry’s May issue.

“The elevation of fitness lifestyle consumer trends has significantly influenced the U.S. sports and protein drink markets,” she stated. “With consumers prioritizing active lifestyles and physical well-being, demand has shifted toward functional beverages that support these goals. This has driven key developments, including increased consumption, inventive product offerings, broader appeal and gender-specific marketing.”

Sherry Frey, vice president of total wellness at NielsenIQ (NIQ), Chicago, noted that fitness lifestyle trends are impacting these markets outside of traditional retailers, especially the protein drink market.

“For instance, we see both are in the Top 15 food categories sold on TikTok shop (sports drinks No. 8 and protein drinks No. 13),” she explained in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “In fact, when just looking at online sales, 24% of protein drinks are sold online, while only 16% of sports drinks are, indicating we’re seeing consumers influenced in outlets other than traditional retailers. This has impacted the household penetration.”

Frey noted that NIQ Omnishopper data for the 52 weeks ending Feb. 22 showed that there is 30% household penetration in protein drinks, compared with 75% in sports drinks.

“Protein drinks have gained 2.8 points of household penetration in the last year, while sports drinks dropped 1.6 points,” she added.

In terms of performance over the last year (xAOC + convenience), Frey noted that sports drinks were down 0.9% in dollars and 3.7% in units for the 52 weeks ending March 22. Meanwhile, protein drinks were up 22.5% in dollars and 18.6% in units for the same time period.

“While protein drinks are growing, it is a much smaller category (about one-tenth the size) of sports drinks,” she said.

Roger Dilworth, senior analyst at Wintersville, Ohio-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), shared in Beverage Industry’s May issue that sports drinks declined in volume by 2.5% in 2024, with retail dollars essentially flat.

“Protein drinks, on the other hand, grew volume by 11.5% and retail dollars by 16%,” he said. “Since sports drinks are of much longer vintage than protein drinks, at least in the RTD [ready-to-drink] realm, fitness lifestyle consumer trends seem to have benefited protein drinks more than sports drinks.”

According to data from Chicago-based Circana, in the 52 weeks ending on April 20, the Top 5 non-aseptic sports drinks were as follows: Gatorade, BODYARMOR, Powerade, Electrolit and PRIME. The category’s sales were above $11.5 billion, with Gatorade’s sales surpassing $7.5 billion.

However, Circana’s data shows that the non-aseptic sport drink category experienced a decline of 0.5% during the same period.

As for sports drink mixes, the segment reached $1.5 billion in sales in the 52 weeks ending April 20. The Top 5 brands in the segment were Liquid I.V., Gatorade, Propel, Nuun and Private Label. Liquid I.V.’s sales were up 28.2%, just above $905 million.

A moving market

Aside from consumer trends, experts noted that functional and hybrid beverage trends have impacted the sports and protein drink categories.

Mintel’s Leyden explained in Beverage Industry’s May issue how these beverage trends have reshaped the sports and performance drink markets by driving innovation and expanding consumer appeal.

“These trends have led to a blurring of traditional beverage categories, broader consumption occasions and a focus on versatility and flavor,” she stated. “This evolution is fueling market growth and attracting a wider range of customers seeking creative and adaptable beverage options.”

Similarly, Keychain’s Madoff expressed that the blurring of category lines has allowed the markets to reach a broader range of consumers.

“Functional and hybrid beverage trends are blurring category lines, with sports and protein drinks adding probiotics and immunity-boosting ingredients to reach a wider audience beyond just athletes,” Madoff said in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “Brands like poppi and Olipop have popularized prebiotics, encouraging other beverage categories to follow suit and cater to today’s health-conscious consumers.”

BMC’s Dilworth, meanwhile, suggested that functional/hybrid trends are having some impact on the market, but mostly more on the protein drink category, as there are likely more varieties introduced with coffee, vitamins and minerals.

“Sports drinks, since they’re often used before and during vigorous aerobic activity, likely have a stricter purview in terms of what additional ingredients can be added safely,” he said in Beverage Industry’s May issue.

NIQ’s Frey shared that the continued blurring of lines extends across all beverage categories.

“For instance, non-alcoholic beverages are increasingly looking like functional beverages,” she explained in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “We see a focus on hydration across supplements and beverage enhancers, which is also showing up increasingly in beverages. With protein drinks, we’re seeing claims reducing fatigue, muscle health, energy, performance, brain health and even hydration health.”

Frey added that NIQ has observed growth in organic sports drinks as well as new item growth in clean label claims such as natural flavors, natural sweeteners and free from artificial sweeteners.

Meanwhile, Keychain’s Madoff, in Beverage Industry’s May issue, stated that the shift toward natural and organic products is transforming the sports and protein drink markets, pushing brands toward clean-label formulations.

“Consumers are paying closer attention to ingredients favoring products free from artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives,” he explained. “This demand has fueled innovation in organic-certified, plant-based protein drinks like Ripple and natural electrolyte-replenishing sports drinks like Nuun.”

Mintel’s Leyden echoed similar sentiments, pointing to demand for clean label as cultivating innovation.

“These preferences are fostering innovation and creating opportunities to cater to youth and families, while also enhancing consumer trust,” she said in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “Thirty-eight percent of consumers look for all-natural claims compared to 23% of consumers who look for organic claims when purchasing sports drinks.”

BMC’s Dilworth noted that there seems to only be a small impact of natural and organic on the sports and protein drink markets.

“[T]here will always be a segment of the population that seek those attributes, but it’s not a major component of either market so far,” he said in Beverage Industry’s May issue.  

As for protein drinks and whether recovery-based products dominate the market, or are more centered on meal replacement, Dilworth felt that “it’s difficult to measure what percentage is used for recovery and what is used for meal replacement.”

“RTD protein drinks would likely tend to be more for meal replacement, while serious ‘muscle-heads’ would likely opt for protein powders,” he stated. “Plus, as the protein drink and meal replacement categories merge de facto, there are many people — particularly seniors — that consume protein drinks interchangeably with adult nutrition products like Ensure.”

NIQ’s Frey anticipated more growth coming from the recovery-based products, versus the meal replacements.

Keychain’s Madoff suggested that, as people prioritize their health and wellness, protein drinks such as Muscle Milk and Orgain have become popular for their post-workout recovery support — helping consumers replenish nutrients and aid muscle repair after exercise.

“At the same time, the demand for meal replacement protein drinks is rising, as busy lifestyles make quick, on-the-go options more appealing,” he said in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “While many consumers still prefer whole foods, brands like Huel, Soylent and OWYN are catering to those on the go by offering plant-based, nutrient-dense drinks that replace full meals, providing a convenient solution for those with hectic schedules.”

Going forward

As the sports and protein drinks market continues to innovate to meet consumer need states, experts predicted how upcoming trends would influence the category going forward.

“For sports drinks, there could be a renewed interest in formulating with coconut water, given that coconut water has been growing rapidly lately,” BMC’s Dilworth shared in Beverage Industry’s May issue “Sports drinks could face sharper criticism for their ingredients, so marketers may proactively look to improve them to include more natural and organic.

“Protein drinks could begin to emphasize more niche attributes, such as adding more collagen or calling out that the protein source is ‘grass fed’ and the like,” he continued. “There should be continuing advancements in plant-based proteins, including from sources not known today.”

Keychain’s Madoff considered personalization and sustainability to be two major trends that will shape the future of the sports and protein drinks markets.

“We’ll likely see more products tailored to specific needs, like hydration drinks for endurance athletes or protein blends for different metabolic types,” he said in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “Sustainability will also play a big role, with eco-friendly packaging and ethical sourcing helping brands stand out.

“Influencer collaborations are another trend to watch,” Madoff continued. “Take MrBeast and Logan Paul’s partnership with PRIME Hydration as an example — they created a tropical-flavored drink that tapped into their huge fan bases, helping PRIME reach an even wider audience.”

Meanwhile, NIQ’s Frey suggested that the protein drink market would continue to innovate with enhanced nutritional products, while the sports drink category might face continued challenges in the next year.

“Across the store, we continue to see consumers looking for products that meet specific health and need states, like digestive health, immunity, metabolism support, performance support, brain health, inflammation support, hydration, and even mood and stress,” she stated in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “Sports and protein beverages, and other beverages, will likely lead the way on meeting the needs of these consumer priorities.

“We anticipate that we will continue to see enhanced nutrition, for example, seeing growth in protein drinks that are a ‘good source of fiber’ and beneficial nutrients such as calcium, iron, minerals, etc.,” Frey continued. “We also anticipate continued evolution around formulations and sugar as we see shifts in the category around both reduced sugar as well as added sugars.”

BMC’s Dilworth expected the sport drink market to slightly decline within the next year, while the protein drinks market will experience stable growth.

“Sports drinks are expected to decline, but at a slower rate than in 2024,” Dilworth shared. “Retail dollar sales should grow in the 1% range. Protein drinks will continue to grow volume and retail dollars near or at double-digit rates.”

Mintel’s Leyden predicted that consumers’ increased interest in nutritional benefits would drive demand for both markets in the coming year.

“Expanded consumption occasions, with more people integrating these drinks into daily routines, will drive demand,” she said in Beverage Industry’s May issue. “Flavor innovation will also be a key focus, as brand introduce diverse options to attract and retain customers. The ongoing demand for functional benefits, such as nutritional support, energy boosts and recovery features will remain central.

“Brands that align with these trends and prioritize consumer health goals can expect to see continued success,” Leyden concluded.