This report looks at the following areas:
- Market outlook and growth drivers in the next five years for sports and energy drinks
- The competitive landscape for electrolyte, sports and energy drinks
- Product trends and growth opportunities to watch
- Consumption occasions for functional drinks
- Consumer perceptions of functional benefits across drink categories
Electrolyte and sports drinks can deepen their role in exercise occasions through science-backed hydration. At the same time, rising life pressures are creating demand for calm and focus, encouraging tea drinks and energy drinks to move from strong stimulation to gentle endurance and cognitive support.
Rika Huang, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This Report explores consumers’ consumption, attitudes and behaviours related to drinks with some sort of functional/health benefit (beyond basic nutrition or enjoyment), such as relaxation, energy, improved mood or improved digestion). The Report covers trends in functional drinks across categories rather than a defined functional drinks market.
The market size is based on the volume sales and consumption of sports/electrolytes drinks and energy drinks in retail channels. Definitions are as follows:
- Sports drinks are defined as liquid and powdered sports drinks with nutritional substances that can help replenish water, electrolytes and energy during exercise and that can be absorbed quickly.
- Electrolyte drinks are powdered or liquid drinks to which are added minerals and other nutrients needed by the body, replenishing electrolytes and water consumed during metabolism.
- Energy drinks are defined as energy drinks and shots containing a high level of stimulant ingredients (eg caffeine, taurine) that are promoted as capable of enhancing alertness or providing stimulation.
Protein-based drinks are excluded from the definition of sports and energy drinks.
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Energy drinks market: key indicators
- Sports and electrolyte drinks market: key indicators
- Market factors
- New product trends
- Consumption trends and future opportunities: hydration
- Consumption trends and future opportunities: brain and nerve health
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- Long working hours, strong demand for cognitive support drive ongoing growth in energy drinks
- Graph 1: best- and worst-case forecast for retail value sales* in the energy drinks market, 2020-30
- Graph 2: best- and worst-case forecast for retail volume sales* in the energy drinks market, 2020-30
- Sports, electrolyte drinks sustain growth momentum with fast hydration, lasting energy benefits across diverse occasions
- Graph 3: best- and worst-case forecast for retail value sales* in the sports and electrolyte drinks market, 2020-30
- Graph 4: best- and worst-case forecast for retail volume sales* in the sports and electrolyte drinks market, 2020-30
- Market factors
- Consumers are adopting more active lifestyles
- Graph 5: ways of exercising, 2020-25
- Light exercise remains the most popular approach
- Graph 6: exercise frequency, 2025
- Work-led lifestyles drive demand for soothing and productivity
- Graph 7: average weekly working hours, 2020-24
- Graph 8: perceptions of scarcity, 2025
- Spending on non-alcoholic drinks is more cautious, with natural claims showing greater resilience
- Graph 9: trading up and down in non-alcoholic drinks – maintaining price band or buying a more expensive product, 2023-24
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Companies and brands
- Brand highlights
- Target different occasions with a variety of pack sizes
- Innovation in cooling sensations boosts competitiveness during hot weather
- Monster’s distinctive design makes it a notable presence in certain circles
- New product trends
- Functional innovation picks up as fortification drives growth in nerve, bone health claims
- Graph 10: share of new non-alcoholic drinks launches with functional claims, 2020-25
- Graph 11: share of new non-alcoholic drinks launches carrying functional claims, 2020-25
- Examples of products supporting brain, nervous system and bone health
- Juice drinks see most active innovation; sparkling drinks, RTD tea and flavoured water stand out
- Graph 12: non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims, by sub-category share, 2020-24
- Examples of functional innovation in sparkling drinks, RTD coffee and flavoured water
- RTD remains the most favoured format; highly effective concentrated formats show strong potential
- Graph 13: preferred functional drink formats, by usage, 2025
- Graph 14: new RTD beverages with functional claims, by single-serve pack size, 2020-25
- Examples of shot-format products
- Gummies, jellies could be next direction for energy-boosting formats
- Graph 15: preferred functional drink formats, by usage, 2025
- Examples of functional drink brands launching confectionery, jelly formats
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Consumer trends and future opportunities
- Boost exercise hydration with formulas, functions; develop daily hydration with minerals, soothing wellness water
- Trend summary – hydration
- Electrolyte drinks lead in both penetration and consumption frequency
- Graph 16: consumption frequency, 2025
- Alkaline and mineral water products stand out in most scenarios
- Graph 17: compatible hydration occasions, 2025
- Competition heats up in sports hydration; electrolyte drinks are top choice but have yet to dominate
- Graph 18: compatible occasions – sports hydration, 2025
- Electrolyte drink innovation picks up pace as science and activity uses boost sports drinks
- Graph 19: functional drinks’ share of new launches – major RTD segments, 2020-25
- Examples of products highlighting scientific formulation while deepening functional innovation
- Strength training, weight management are key communication scenarios and functional expansion directions for electrolyte drinks
- Graph 20: high frequency* electrolyte drinks users as a proportion of functional drinks consumer groups, 2025
- Graph 21: high-frequency* electrolyte drinks users as a proportion of participants in various types of exercise, 2025
- Examples of electrolyte-based sports nutrition foods for energy control and exercise-recovery
- Muscles and strength emerge as new highlights in communication
- Electrolyte drinks highlight effective replenishment, while alkaline water targets basic daily wellness
- Graph 22: compatible hydration occasions, 2025
- Hot weather boosts sales of alkaline water as consumers opt for its clean, sweetish taste
- Graph 23: online* value and volume sales of alkaline water, 2024-25
- Alkaline water is competing around pH levels, though its texture and sweet aftertaste merit more communication
- Chinese wellness water, teas also seen as good daily hydration options
- Graph 24: compatible hydration occasions – hydration in dry weather and quenching thirst, 2025
- Strengthen associations with soothing hydration to boost competitiveness in dry autumn, winter weather
- Meet high-frequency daily hydration needs with larger-format packs
- Graph 25: pack size preference, 2025
- Graph 26: new non-alcoholic drinks containing food-as-medicine ingredients, by pack size, 2020-25
- Examples of traditional Chinese wellness water in larger formats (600ml or more)
- Innovation in brain health and cognitive support is diversifying fast
- Trend summary – brain and nerve health
- Everyday soothing and basic wellness are top spending priorities
- Graph 27: usage of functional drinks, 2025
- Tea drinks have a soothing image, while vitamin drinks emphasise support for nerve function
- Graph 28: health benefit associations – emotional comfort, 2025
- Examples of drink innovation around mood regulation
- Caffeine still rules anti-fatigue segment as focus fuels new ideas in energy drinks
- Graph 29: health benefit associations, 2025
- Energy drinks lag behind other segments in high-frequency consumption
- Graph 30: consumption frequency, 2025
- Energy drink innovation continues to decline
- Graph 31: RTD energy drinks’ share of new launches, 2020-25
- Leading brands target mental fatigue with scenario-based communication, product upgrades
- Develop targeted productivity drinks positioned around focus
- Prioritise gentle, sustained energy benefits over ingredient upgrades to drive purchases
- Graph 32: purchase factors, 2025
- From single-function products to brain-body synergy
- Sports drink brands start focusing communication on work, study occasions
- Communicating the effect of electrolytes on the brain and cognition
- Richly flavoured tea drinks could break through competition from coffee, energy drinks
- Enhance matcha’s functional image with ingredient combinations, scenario-based communication
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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