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Sports Drinks

For athletes worldwide, sports drinks replenish hydration after intense and strenuous exercise. Compared to hydrating with regular water, sports drinks also fuel the body with electrolytes, sodium, and carbohydrates to sustain energy levels. With Flavorman's industry and scientific expertise, we can help formulate a drink that ensures the best performance of your brand and its targeted athletes.

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Did You Know?

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The global sports drink market is expected to grow to $36.35 billion in 2028.

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Sports drinks have shown to increase endurance for athletes before reaching exhaustion.

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The average American athlete drinks 4 gallons of sports drinks per year.

History

Sports Drinks

Consuming extra sugars and electrolytes during physical activity dates back to ancient times. Roman soldiers relied on 'posca' for energy in the field, a mixture of water and wine vinegar. Recipes like these evolved into commercial beverages like "Glucozade" (later shortened to "Lucozade"), which is arguably one of the earliest known sports drinks, launched in 1927. Chemist William Owen created it as a citrus-flavored sugar water to deliver quick energy and fluids.

In 1967, the popular "Gatorade" was launched commercially and quickly dominated the sports drink market. Sports drinks thrive in a multi-billion dollar industry today, with thousands of variants catering to all athletes. Sports drinks are a subset of Functional Beverages that promote wellness benefits and are often combined with Hydration Beverages. Coconut Water, for example, is also known as "Nature's Gatorade" here at The Beverage Campus because of its hydrating effect!

Key Considerations

  1. Different forms of electrolytes have their own functions, and pros/cons, which is important to be mindful of during formulation. We will help you understand the vast range of electrolytes infusing into your sports drink, but we recommend doing independent research as well!
  2. While sugar-free alternatives are trending for diet-conscious individuals, the lack of sugar does not provide the carbohydratescritical for extra energy during physical activity.
  3. We also have the capabilities to formulate "energy gels"—small pouches of flavored "goo" that serve the same purpose as typical sports drinks. These alternatives are trendy in the running and biking communities because of their on-the-go style!

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