As consumer focus on health and nutrition grows, traditional boundaries in the soft drinks and consumer health industries are blurring. Brands are seizing the opportunity to introduce innovative hydration solutions, including sports drinks, powders, teas, and oral rehydration solutions. Hydration plays a crucial role in overall wellness, and high-growth brands are expanding their offerings with added functional benefits.

hydration

The market for hydration is increasingly connected to soft drinks and consumer health, blurring boundaries between the two.

Hydration functionality, once exclusive to sports drinks like Gatorade, is now available in various forms such as powder concentrates, plant waters, and dietary supplements. This expansion caters to the growing demand for hydration solutions among consumers.

New hydration consumers seek product attributes and messaging that align with their lifestyles.

Hydration products are evolving to meet the needs of a wider consumer base. Alongside fitness enthusiasts, everyday consumers are now seeking hydration options. This has led to specialized products targeting sports performance, recovery, refreshment, and everyday usage.

The US leads the market for hydration, with Japan, UK, Germany, France, and China also significant players.

The US leads the market for value-added hydration products, with dominant players in sports drinks and rising start-ups in oral rehydration salts. Europe, Japan, and China are also experiencing strong growth and innovative product launches in the hydration sector.

Multi-benefit hydration fuels innovation across formats.

Brands are leveraging the growing awareness of the health benefits of hydration. They offer multi-benefit products that go beyond sports and recovery, extending to immune support, gut health, relaxation, focus, and energy boosting. This blurs the line between dietary supplements, beverages, and sports nutrition.

What is the Hydration Category?

We focuses on added-value hydration brands in packaged beverages, supplements, and sports nutrition. Examining their effectiveness in hydrating, it excludes potable water and most liquid soft drinks.

For this analysis, the products usually include flavoured ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages or powdered mixes with electrolytes, and possibly fortified with vitamins or other ingredients. Some traditional teas and plant waters are also considered. Hydration products are often isotonic, hypotonic, or hypertonic solutions. They are typically marketed to replenish lost fluids from physical activity, overindulgence, or illness, although newer examples resemble nutritional supplements or lifestyle beverages.

This excludes plain bottled water as well as carbonated soft drinks. However, certain sparkling products with added electrolytes may be included as sports drinks or functional bottled water.

The Pillars of Hydration

Advanced

Oral Rehydration Salts

Immune Support

Gut Health

Sports and Physical Recovery

Pre-workout

Muscle Growth

Joint Relief

Routine

Everyday

Hangover Relief

Climate

Cooling Off

Lifestyle

Refreshment+

Calming & Antianxiety

Energy-boosting

Gaming

Focus