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 both sports drinks and energy drinks
- New product trends and growth opportunities
- The main consumption occasions for functional drinks
- Energy-boosting ingredients trusted by consumers
The diversification of functions and consumption occasions will become a common direction of development for sports and electrolyte drinks as well as energy drinks. Sports and electrolyte drinks can focus on everyday and low-intensity hydration functions, while energy drinks can explore the potential in mental labour scenarios, providing targeted functional 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/electrolyte 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
- Definition
- What you need to know
- The market
- Sustained high-intensity work and the huge numbers of gig workers have driven strong growth in energy drinks
- Enthusiasm for outdoor activities and strong demand for hydration are driving the continuous growth of sports and electrolyte drinks
- Market factors
- Companies and brands
- In the energy drinks market, Eastroc has momentum
- Competition in the sports and electrolytes drink market is intensifying, Mizone remains dominant while Alienergy and Eastroc make strong advances
- Key trends in marketing activities
- Key new product trends (1/2)
- Graph 1: non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims, by share of functional claims, 2019-24
- Graph 2: non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims, by sub-category share, 2019-24
- Examples of products that reflect these trends
- Key new product trends (1/2)
- Graph 3: new non-alcoholic drinks containing medicinal food ingredients, by sub-category, 2019-24
- The consumer
- Yangsheng-driven demand is rising, with the focus on both mental and physical wellbeing
- Graph 4: usage of functional drinks, 2024
- Sports drinks are growing significantly, innovation communication should centre around electrolytes, while energy drinks need improvement and upgrading
- Graph 5: consumption changes, 2021 vs 2024
- Graph 6: consumption changes, 2024
- Sugar reduction needs to accelerate, flavour innovation and transparent communication can help energy drinks retain users
- Graph 7: consumption barriers, 2021 vs 2024
- Naturalness, scientific and transparent communication and flavour innovation are key to enhancing product competitiveness
- Graph 8: purchase factors, 2024
- Diverse occasions need differentiated function design
- Graph 9: compatible occasions, 2024
- Function expansion offers great opportunities, energy drinks can enhance their competitiveness by improving concentration and emotional stability
- Graph 10: function demand, 2024
- Graph 11: repertoire analysis – function demand, 2024
- Strengthen basic nutrition to offer caffeine-free energy options
- Graph 12: energy-boosting ingredients, 2024
- Gentle energy combined with stress relief, natural hydration and diverse sugar reduction methods present sports/energy drinks with multiple innovation opportunities
- Graph 13: sports drinks and energy drinks usage habits, 2024
- Issues and insights
- What we think
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- Sustained high-intensity work and the huge numbers of gig workers have driven strong growth in energy drinks
- The enthusiasm for outdoor activities and strong demand for hydration are driving the continuous growth of sports and electrolyte drinks.
- Market factors
- Working hours remain high, and mental and physical burnout is commonplace
- Graph 14: average weekly working hours of company employees nationwide, 2021-24
- The emergence of new forms of employment has created demand for energy replenishment
- Overall low physical activity levels means that sports drinks positioned for low-level activity hydration have more opportunities
- Graph 15: supplement usage – have bought and will continue to buy, by frequency of exercising for over 30 minutes, 2023
- Graph 16: exercise frequency, 2023
- The popularity of outdoor activities remains high
- Graph 17: outdoor activity participation rate, 2022 vs 2024
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Companies and brands
- Market share
- A national strategy helps Eastroc seize energy drink market share
- Competition in the sports drinks market is intensifying
- A focus on occasion expansion and electrolytes innovation drives the sustained growth for Mizone
- A comprehensively segmented product matrix gives Alienergy steady growth potential
- Marketing activities
- Efficacy communication must be compliant, but there are still many ways to play
- Stay relevant, and expand hydration scenarios for sports drinks
- Communication on caffeine grading dispels the consumer’s concerns
- New product trends
- Energy support is the most common claim in new launches, while prebiotics and counteracting greasiness are growing each year
- Graph 18: non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims, by share of functional claims, 2019-24
- Liquid salads see active innovation and volume sales surge
- Functional juice drink innovations are surging, surpassing mainstream sports and energy drinks in share of innovation
- Graph 19: non-alcoholic drink launches with functional claims, by sub-category share, 2019-24
- Innovation increases in region-specific fermented drinks
- Sports drinks develop a functional distinction between professional and everyday hydration
- Innovation grows in non-alcoholic drinks containing medicinal food ingredients, with applications in flavoured drinks and ready-to-drink tea
- Graph 20: new non-alcoholic drinks containing medicinal food ingredient, by sub-category, 2019-24
- Graph 21: proportion of new non-alcoholic drinks containing medicinal food ingredients, 2019-24
- Chinese-style yangsheng water offers a low-risk, lightly nourishing, subtly flavoured healthy option
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The consumer
- Usage of functional drinks
- Physical and mental wellbeing is a focus, and Chinese-style health functions are more widely welcomed
- Graph 22: usage of functional drinks, 2024
- Female respondents are more willing to try a range of functional drinks
- Graph 23: repertoire analysis – usage of functional drinks, by gender, 2024
- Graph 24: usage of functional drinks, by gender, 2024
- Younger men have similar beauty enhancing needs to younger women
- Graph 25: usage of functional drinks – beauty enhancing, by gender and age, 2024
- Changes in consumption
- Sports drinks consumption is growing fastest
- Graph 26: consumption changes, 2021 vs 2024
- Graph 27: consumption changes, 2024
- Energy drinks need to be upgraded and improved, while sports drinks can be repositioned as electrolyte drinks
- Graph 28: consumption changes, 2024
- Consumers of vitamin drinks are switching to electrolyte drinks, brands should focus on single vitamins, their functions and contexts
- Graph 29: change in the consumption of electrolyte drinks – drunk more, by respondents who drank fewer specific functional drinks in the last six months, 2024
- Seize the opportunity: provide energy supplementation for younger women squeezed by education and employment pressures
- Graph 30: consumption trends – drunk more energy drinks, by gender and age, 2024
- Barriers to consumption
- The surge in sugar content has become the primary obstacle to consumption – efforts to reduce sugar cannot be relaxed
- Graph 31: consumption barriers, 2021 vs 2024
- Brands need to focus on the individual needs of women
- Graph 32: purchase factors, by gender, 2024
- Graph 33: consumption barriers, 2021 vs 2024
- Increased focus on reduced sugar, flavour innovation and usage guidelines help energy drinks retain existing consumers
- Graph 34: consumption barriers, by drunk less or haven’t drunk energy drinks in the last six months, 2024
- Purchase factors
- Naturalness, transparent communication and scientific endorsement enhance product credibility, while flavour innovation remains a necessary focus
- Graph 35: purchase factors, 2024
- Direct, transparent communication helps alleviate consumers’ concerns about energy drinks
- Graph 36: purchase factors, by changes in energy drink consumption, 2024
- Sports drinks need scientific formulations to enhance trust; while expanding consumption scenarios, communication must keep pace
- Graph 37: purchase factors, by changes in sports drink consumption, 2024
- Respondents with high monthly household incomes prefer sugar-free, artificial sweetener-free sports/energy drinks
- Graph 38: purchase factors, by monthly household income, 2024
- Compatible occasions
- During physical exertion, both hydration and energy replenishment are important
- Graph 39: compatible occasions, 2024
- Caffeine remains the preferred choice for a mental boost
- Graph 40: compatible occasions – mental labour, 2024
- Everyday leisure and travel are dominated by non-functional sparkling drinks and water
- Graph 41: [no title]
- Function demand
- Strength recovery and rapid rehydration are core functions, presenting opportunities for sports drinks and energy drinks to expand their functions
- Graph 42: function demand, 2024
- Graph 43: repertoire analysis – function demand, 2024
- Boosting concentration helps reach more consumers
- Graph 44: function demand – refreshing and helping increase concentration, by employment, 2024
- In addition to incorporating hydration functions, energy drinks need to pay special attention to functions related to mood and attention
- Graph 45: function demand, by changes in energy drink consumption, 2024
- Energy-boosting ingredients
- Basic nutrients are preferred for supplying energy
- Graph 46: energy-boosting ingredients, 2024
- Natural nourishing ingredients still hold potential for innovation
- Graph 47: attitudes/behaviours related to energy drinks – select option, by changes in energy drink consumption, 2024
- Graph 48: energy-boosting ingredients, by changes in energy drink consumption, 2024
- A caffeine-free ingredient mix is a better choice for boosting energy
- Sports drinks and energy drinks usage habits
- Intense mental activity requires energy drinks to deliver long-lasting energy support and stress relief
- Energy drinks need to differentiate themselves from coffee by going low or no caffeine
- Graph 49: sports drinks and energy drinks usage habits, 2024
- Younger consumers are more concerned about energy drinks depleting their vitality, and gentle energy support remains important
- Graph 50: sports drinks and energy drinks usage habits, 2024
- The hydrating ability of sports drinks is recognised but consumption occasions are limited; communicate more strongly on coconut water as a natural source of electrolytes
- Graph 51: sports drinks and energy drinks usage habits, 2024
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Issues and insights
- Position energy drinks as a new productivity tool
- Energy drinks can stand out in mental labour scenarios, but innovation is currently very limited
- Graph 52: new energy drinks with brain & nervous system health claims, by market, 2019-24
- Three functional elements in mental labour scenarios: alertness, concentration and emotional stability
- Achieve both functionality and lower caffeine through the synergistic effects of caffeine and L-theanine
- Graph 53: share of new energy drinks beneficial for brain and nervous system health containing caffeine and L-theanine, 2019-24
- Examples of caffeine + L-theanine products
- Focus on everyday and low-level activity hydration
- Use electrolytes to enhance water, targeting everyday hydration scenarios
- Target more casual and gentle sports
- Reduce sugar to achieve enhanced functionality
- Cater to the consumer’s ‘love-hate’ relationship with sugar through a low/no sugar product portfolio
- Graph 54: sports drinks and energy drinks usage habits, 2024
- Sugar free innovation helps energy drinks deliver on their core function
- Achieve both zero sugar and hydration efficiency with the help of amino acids
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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