In her song “Welcome to New York,” Taylor Swift describes the excitement that comes with being in New York City, noting the exhilaration that stems from it being a new experience where people can be who they want. “Welcome to New York / It’s been waiting for you / It’s a new soundtrack / I could dance to this beat forevermore,” she sings in the chorus.

Although it is no concrete jungle, the sports and recovery drinks market is welcoming new consumers as the segment has broadened its appeal to more than typical active, athletic consumers but also the everyday consumer.

Tyler Lorenzen, CEO of PURIS Proteins, Minneapolis, shares a unique perspective of the market as a former NFL athlete and as a consumer, highlighting the strong positioning of sports and recovery drinks markets.

“Training cultures are no longer limited to elite athletes; they’ve become part of everyday routines, with more people being intentional about how they fuel both before and after activity,” he says. “Sports nutrition remains a massive category, but recovery-focused beverages are growing faster as consumers incorporate recovery into their wellness routine holistically, not just post-workout. What’s changed most is that recovery is no longer just about heavy shakes or something you force down after training.”

Consumers want products that fit naturally into their day, Lorenzen states.

“That’s where innovation is really moving the category forward and why we launched ClearP,” he shares. “It’s designed especially for clear protein formats that deliver recovery benefits in lighter, more refreshing beverages, without the mouth drying you traditionally feel after drinking a product powered by clear whey.”

Leslie Gallo, president of Artemis International, Fort Wayne, Ind., feels that the sports and recovery drinks markets are full of opportunities for brands and developers.

“Consumers are thirsty for products that deliver scientifically supported benefits, such as improved endurance, muscle recovery, reduced inflammation and enhanced hydration beyond just electrolytes,” she says. “The sleeper benefit is better sleep quality, because rest not only aids sports-specific performance and recovery, but also feelings of overall wellness.”

Eric Borchardt, director of corporate marketing at Glanbia, Chicago, describes the sports and recovery drinks market as robust, driven largely by consumer interest in hydration, performance and recovery benefits.

“In recent years, the functional hydration category has seen substantial growth, with momentum steadily increasing each year,” he says. “According to Nielsen data from 2024, U.S. sales had increased 458.8% in the previous five years.”

When it comes to the consumer trends affecting the sports and recovery drinks markets, health and wellness is playing a substantial role.

PURIS’ Lorenzen notes that there are several factors, one of which being that performance and recovery have gone mainstream. Consumers fuel recovery as much for everyday wellness as for athletic gains, he notes.

“At the same time, interest in GLP-1 and metabolic health is reinforcing demand for beverages that are protein-forward, lower in sugar and easier to consume,” Lorenzen says. “Consumers want cleaner labels, better taste and lighter, more refreshing options that fit naturally into their day. PURIS ClearP is part of that shift, helping expand sports and recovery drinks into new occasions and a much broader audience.”

Artemis’ Gallo says the company has observed trends that closely mirror the broader food and beverage market, with a continued shift toward clean-label, low-sugar and multifunctional products.

“Growth is being driven by electrolyte-, protein- and amino acid-enhanced beverages, alongside antioxidant-infused formulations,” she notes. “Botanicals, including mushrooms, are increasingly used to support recovery and endurance, creating new opportunities in beverage development.”

Ready-to-drink (RTD), stick packs and powdered formats are expanding rapidly as recovery becomes part of everyday wellness, Gallo adds, which appeals not only to athletes, but to active, health-focused consumers as well.

Glanbia’s Borchardt shares that protein, as well as no- and low-sugar are among the top functional attributes consumers are seeking in the market.

“High source of protein, product safety and low/no/reduced sugar are top influential claims in sports and functional nutrition globally, with protein leading all claims influencing sports and functional nutrition purchase decisions at 27%, according to a December 2023 report by Innova Market Insights,” Borchardt says. “Twenty-six percent prefer fresh sports and nutritional products that claim no/low/reduced sugar on their labels.”

Protein and hydration are two of the most in-demand categories in health and wellness today, he adds, driven by a wide range of consumers seeking a variety of needs from optimized performance and daily functionality.

“Protein water is gaining strong consumer traction as people look for new, convenient ways to incorporate this essential macronutrient into their diets,” Borchardt explains. “Hydration is evolving from a post-exercise need to something consumers are using proactively for their overall wellness, so this is opening a lot of doors for new product development.”

However, beverage-makers still must not forget about taste, he says.

“We’re finding consumers not only want the functional benefits they can get from beverages, but they expect incredible taste experiences as well, particularly Generation Z,” Borchardt notes.

Engaging ingredients 

Beverage-makers are using certain ingredients more often than others when formulating sports and recovery beverages. Each of these ingredients provide specific benefits.

“Protein remains central, with brands looking for ways to deliver more grams per serving without compromising taste or drinkability,” PURIS’ Lorenzen says. “That’s driving strong demand for next-generation plant proteins like PURIS 2.0, which is used for creamy, great-tasting formats and ClearP, which enables lighter, more refreshing recovery beverages.”

At the same time, Lorenzen notes that flavor systems and base taste have become a hot topic.

“As brands move toward cleaner labels and fewer maskers, the neutrality of the protein source becomes even more essential,” he explains. “A protein with a clean baseline allows flavors to shine and reduces the need for heavy sweeteners or complex flavor systems.”

Melanie Bush, vice president of science and research at Artemis International, shares that the simple hydration and caffeine-based beverages of yesterday have evolved into multi-functional sports supplements in beverage form.

“Tart cherry extract, and CherryCraft in particular, is making waves in sports nutrition formulas as a standout ingredient for enhancing recovery and sustaining athletic performance,” she says. “Beyond restoring glycogen and muscle repair, true recovery also involves modulating inflammation and protecting against oxidative damage. With powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the polyphenols in tart cherry help the body to recover more efficiently from the stress of exercise.”

With the endorsement of elite athletes like four-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar, Bush notes that athletes of all levels are recognizing the science-backed sports and recovery benefits of tart cherry.

Glanbia’s Borchardt says that creatine continues to make waves in sports and recovery formulations, although consumers are still “getting their hands around” what it is and how it could benefit them. 

“According to a study by Glanbia, 42% of consumers have heard of creatine and understand the benefits, but only 35% use it regularly or occasionally,” he states. “Innova points out that approximately one in five people globally are currently using creatine supplements. As more people become aware of the advantages of creatine, its usage is expected to continue rising.”

Creatine is used by consumers for muscle energy, muscle recovery and cognitive support, among other benefits, Borchardt notes. 

“Glanbia’s CreaBev ingredient solves a lot of problems standard creatine monohydrate presents, ranging from insolubility to instability,” he adds. “CreaBev is more dispersible in water for ready-to-mix beverages and provides great stability in ready-to-drink beverages, with 30% of creatine monohydrate remaining stable at pH 2.8 after a year.”

“Hydration is evolving from a post-exercise need to something consumers are using proactively for their overall wellness, so this is opening a lot of doors for new product development.”

– Eric Borchardt, director of corporate marketing at Glanbia

Last October, collagen brand Vital Proteins launched its Active Complex, which was formulated to support joint comfort and mobility as well as reduce muscle soreness. The supplement is made from a blend of FORTIGEL collagen peptides, AquaLOX boswellia serrata extract and Vital Proteins’ collagen peptides. 

“Most people don’t think about joint health until discomfort slows them down — but for young, active people exercising three to five times a week, movement is core to their identity,” said Jill Abbott, vice president of marketing strategy and innovation at Vital Proteins, in a statement. “Our research indicated this group is underserved when it comes to joint comfort and mobility solutions. We developed Vital Proteins Active Complex because active lifestyles deserve proactive support — so these individuals can keep moving and feeling their best, today and long into the future.”

Organic hydration beverage brand RECOVER 180 launched two new flavors earlier this year: Tropical Ice and Orange Cream. The beverages are made with organic coconut water, essential vitamins and key minerals to support optimal hydration, the brand says. The products feature no added sugar or artificial ingredients, providing a blend of organic ingredients, functional benefits and standout flavors, it adds.

“Great hydration starts with great flavor,” said Lance Collins, founder and CEO of RECOVER 180, in a statement at the time of the launch. “Athletes, fitness enthusiasts and everyday consumers want products that perform, but they also want something they genuinely enjoy drinking. Tropical Ice and Orange Cream show how we continue to push flavor forward while delivering the clean, functional hydration people expect from RECOVER 180.”

As beverage-makers work with these ingredients, experts highlight the range of factors to consider.

When working with pea proteins, PURIS’ Lorenzen expresses that beverage-makers benefit most by starting with a clear understanding of the application and the experience they’re trying to deliver.

“We don’t treat pea protein as a one-size-fits-all,” he notes. “Whether a brand is building a creamy RTD, a clear and refreshing recovery drink or pushing higher protein levels, the right PURIS protein is selected based on format, processing and taste goals.”

Artemis International’s Bush states that beverage formulators should acknowledge the movement away from artificial colors, flavors and additives-only. This shift “only ups the ante” on formulating with ingredients that deliver both functional and organoleptic benefits, she says.

“For example, a tart cherry extract can impart natural red color as well as a tart flavor that can be formulated to blend well with other ingredients and natural sweeteners,” Bush notes. “Also, for sports nutrition in particular, formulators need to be mindful of total sugar and caloric contribution. This is why standardized extracts of ingredients like tart cherry are often a preferred format to obtain the recovery benefits, without the sugars of a standard concentrate.”

A bright future

When sharing predictions for the future, PURIS’ Lorenzen expects that sports and recovery ingredients will support the development of plant protein products that consumers “can truly love and come back to.”

“As the category continues to grow, the focus is shifting from simply delivering function to delivering great taste, higher protein density and better overall experiences without compromise,” he says. “Ingredient innovation is making it possible to add more protein in ways that feel lighter, cleaner and more enjoyable, expanding sports and recovery beyond traditional shakes into formats that fit naturally into everyday routines.”

Artemis’ Gallo says future-proof sports and recovery ingredients will continue to focus on science-backed, multifunctional benefits, supported by improved uptake and absorption, as well as efficacy.

“Plant-based antioxidants, botanicals and mushrooms, combined with advances in delivery systems and technologies, will drive innovation as varying levels of performance and recovery become a daily priority,” she concludes.