Powdered drink mix beverage companies are following consumer demand and embracing zero-sugar alternatives, releasing a wave of new products in 2025.
The $38.7 billion global hydration supplement industry is expected to more than double to $82.6 billion over the next decade at a CAGR of 7.9%, according to data analytics firm Future Market Insights.
The electrolyte tablets and powders segment makes up 36.2% of the market and is catching up fast to the sports nutrition segment, which maintains a 41.5% market share, according to Future Market Insights.
“Consumers are becoming increasingly discerning when it comes to hydration products and anticipate beverages with incorporated electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium and magnesium), vitamins (particularly Vitamin C and B-complex) and functional botanicals,” according to Future Market Insights. “Natural sweetener blends, reduced sugar content and clean-label ingredients are of greatest importance.”
G Fuel targets the mind and body
For more than a decade, G Fuel has been a go-to beverage mix for esports gamers, and from its initial launch in 2012, the line of powdered energy drinks, ready-to-drink beverages and other products has touted the ability to energize without the sugar crash.
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G Fuel launched a new zero-sugar mix at the beginning of 2025, Hydration + Focus, aimed at athletes, gamers, students, professionals and health-conscious consumers.
The mix takes a functional beverage approach, promising to hydrate while sharpening the mind. It includes five electrolytes, 250 milligrams of sodium, 180 milligrams of potassium and 50 milligrams of magnesium.
It also includes Cognizin, a branded form of citicoline, which is known to support mental focus and clarity and is found in a wide variety of functional food products.
Described by G Fuel as “clean and convenient,” the mix comes in four flavors – Lemon Limelight, Orange Oasis, Peach Paradise and Strawberry Splash – and along with zero sugar, contains no caffeine or artificial colors.
Liquid I.V. launches stick packs
Category leader Liquid I.V. has consistently ranked as a top-selling item on Amazon and recently reached the No. 3 spot for the first time in July’s Amazon Prime Day sale, according to Numerator.
The company, launched in 2012 and acquired by Unilever in 2020, offers a broad portfolio of products, which it expanded in August with the release of Energy Multiplier Sugar-Free.
The product is described as a “hydration-first energy solution” that offers hydration, physical energy, focus, mood and social stamina.
Energy Multiplier, available in Strawberry Kiwi and Blackberry Lemonade, includes 200 milligrams of L-Theanine – an amino acid found in tea leaves – 100 milligrams of natural caffeine and five essential vitamins.
Liquid I.V. CEO Mike Keech said in August that without the sugar, Energy Multiplier offers “balanced energy that tastes as good as it performs.”
Liquid I.V. notes on its website that Energy Multiplier Sugar-Free “leverages the amino acid-allulose blend as a sugar-free version of the Hydration Multiplier Energy product.”
“Additionally, Energy Multiplier Sugar-Free provides approximately 100 milligrams of natural caffeine for mind and body energy, which is comparable to one to two 8-ounce cups of coffee,” the company said.
The energy drink category is built on artificial highs and harsh crashes, Keech said in August.
“Younger consumers are looking for something better, but when they get to the shelf, they’re met with the same overly caffeinated options,” he said. “In fact, our research revealed that half of Gen Z consumers feel traditional canned energy drinks leave them anxious, irritable, tired and confused.”
IQBAR expands drink mix portfolio
IQBAR, a relative newcomer to the drink mix industry, launched as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, focusing solely on nutrition bars.
Over the next eight years, founder and CEO Will Nitze grew the company to include a broad line of products, including its first drink mixes in 2022, all of which contain zero sugar. IQBAR products are now available across the country at major grocers, including Costco, Walmart, Wegmans, H-E-B and more.
IQBAR’s most recent offering, IQMIX Iced Tea + Lemonade, was released in July.
The powdered mix includes trisodium citrate, tripotassium citrate, sea salt, natural flavors, magtein magnesium L-threonate, lion’s mane, citric acid, tea and stevia plant extract.
Nitze declared an “Arnold Palmer Alert” for the drink on social media upon its release, referencing the popular iced drink, which contains real tea, real lemon extract, electrolytes and brain boosters.
