Energy drinks, bars, RTD (ready-to-drink) beverages, and powders are all part of the sports nutrition market.
•In 2020, Europe accounted for over 60% of global sports nutrition product launches according to Innova.
•Western Europe alone accounted for 52.3% of these global launches; Germany, the United Kingdom (U.K), and the Netherlands led the pack, comprising 13.5%, 11%, and 7% respectively of new product launches.
•However, Ireland, Italy, and Spain experienced the highest growth in new launches at 66.4%, 60.1%, and 58.1% respectively.
Bottled waters are a key growth area as consumers look for healthier, fortified refreshment.
As a result of significant new product development in this area, functional waters can now provide benefits far beyond hydration. The wealth of ingredients that aid health in beverages now includes protein, vitamins and minerals, electrolytes, fibre, probiotics, and beta glucans.
Energy continues to be an important benefit for consumers, with 59% saying they want to have enough energy for an active lifestyle, and 29% noting that this urgently needs improvement.
Because a truly healthy energy drink is still a work in progress, it’s likely consumers will continue searching for a “better” energy drink—and this is already a focus of innovation.
LOW CALORIE, SUGAR & FAT FREE:
20g protein,
zero carbs,
zero sugars,
low calorie,
fat free.
Protein is associated with improving lean body mass, reducing hunger between meals, and 'sportification'.
A sports beverage, on the other hand, absolutely must taste and look great to catch on.
High protein has established itself with mainstream consumers, for ‘everyday eating’, and is no longer a niche proposition that is sought after only by body builders and athletes. We can’t see the trend or ‘protein’ products disappearing – despite dieticians explaining we get most of the protein we need from a balanced diet!
No matter how much protein, or how many vitamins and minerals, a drink contains, consumers won’t purchase it if it doesn’t also deliver on taste and appearance. Over 70% of consumers ranked flavour and taste as the “most important” factor in a beverage purchase.
PROTEIN WITHOUT THE MESS:
Not a powder or milky drink!
Convenient on-the-go format that you can take anywhere.
DAIRY/LACTOSE FREE UTILISING A COLLAGEN PEPTIDE FORMULA FOR EASIER DIGESTION & ABSORPTION:
One of the few dairy/lactose free protein drinks on the market. Vieve contains a unique collagen protein peptide formula which is rapidly digested by the body. Utilising a peptide formula allows for the faster uptake of protein, stimulating muscle development and growth. Each bottle contains 20,000mg of collagen peptides.
Research shows that collagen peptides may improve gut health and reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. By helping heal the gut, it, in turn, strengthens the immune system, making a person less prone to infections and allergies. Collagen peptides improve recovery time and joint function in athletes.
• Collagen peptides contain higher than 90 percent protein and are made from bovine, porcine or marine sources.
• They contain eight of the nine essential amino acids and are high in proline, glycine and hydroxyproline.
• Because of the high content of specific amino acids, including hydroxyproline-proline and hydroxyproline-glycine, collagen peptides are easily absorbed within the body and improve skin, joint and bone health.
In the energy drink space, manufacturers are responding to consumer demand for products with a gentler, more natural functionality than the high-sugar, high-caffeine options that traditionally predominate. They are increasingly formulating with whole food ingredients such as ginseng and gingko biloba, which offer perceived health benefits, and can lend credibility as well as a cleaner label. Immune health support is a natural fit to enhance the healthy benefits of beverages in this growing category.
The trend toward cleaner, more natural sports drinks began well before the COVID-19 pandemic, and like much of the food and beverage landscape, that trend should only accelerate in the post-pandemic world.
More natural and sustainable protein and energy sources—combined with equally natural colours, flavours and sweeteners—have transformed sports drinks, widening their appeal to an audience that, today, consists of nearly every kind of consumer.
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