Sales of sports drinks are growing steadily off a large base
Worth about $20 million in 2016, sports hydration and energy drinks represent the strongest growing and largest segment of the sports nutrition and weight management category, which grew a whopping 7% to $36.5 billion in 2016, according to data from Nutrition Business Journal.
Consumer research firm Mintel predicts that the nutritional and performance drink category shows no sign of slowing through 2021, but food and drink analyst Michael Averbook cautions that competitive pressures also will mount as many players introduce and promote products with similar functional and health elements.