The sports nutrition category of dietary supplements has been among the fastest-growing, as this class of products continues to widen its scope past elite athletes to the mainstream consumer. Top athletes consider these products an absolute necessity and historically have prioritized function over flavor, but newcomers have greater expectations drawing from broader experience with functional foods and beverages.

“With so many brands starting to enter the space, shoppers are now less willing to compromise on taste compared to in the past when few players were in the game,” said Haleigh Resetar, corporate communications manager at SPINS. “Shoppers are willing to pay more, travel to other stores, or purchase online to get the kind of flavors they’re interested in.”

The post-COVID resurgence of sports nutrition, and recovery from the related labor and supply chain shortages, are enabling flavor manufacturers to speed up innovation pipelines to catch up, noted Philip Caputo, marketing and consumers insights manager at Virginia Dare. “Expect new formulations that address trends stimulated by the pandemic, and fresh flavors that complement the new ingredients incorporated and capture consumer attention in social media.”

Topping the Charts

According to SPINS data for the 52-week period ending May 21, across the entirety of the sports nutrition market, the biggest flavors by sales volume are chocolate ($2.75 billion, +13% CAGR over the past year); fruit blends/mixes ($1.58 billion, +12.6%); vanilla ($1.49 billion, +9.7%); orange ($778 million, +14%); plain/unflavored ($670 million, +11.6%); strawberry ($589 million, +28.7%); berry blends ($564 million, +12.5%); chocolate peanut ($560 million, +9%); and lemon lime ($527 million, +13%).

When it comes to flavors experiencing the strongest upward trajectory, formulators can count on dessert and ice cream flavors, along with fruit profiles that are new to the category.

Top flavors in sports nutrition in terms of compound annual growth rate (CAGR) included: cookie dough ($8.1 million, +618.4%); rocky road ($110,000; +393.6%); chocolate/vanilla ($122,000, +352.6%); lemonade fruit ($22 million, +295.9%); chai ($2.5 million, +235.8%) pumpkin/pumpkin spice ($9 million, +198%); limeade ($1.6 million, 126.2%), and cookie/pastry/cake ($64 million, +109.1%).

Ingredients and delivery formats often dictate what kind of flavors are suitable, both due to formulation compatibility and consumer expectation. 

The top selling flavors for energy and sports drinks are fruit blends ($1.5 billion, +3.7%); orange ($776 million, +14%); lemon lime ($527 million, +13.3%); berry ($482 million, +14%); grape ($374 million, +16.7%); cherry ($362 million, +7.1%); peach ($251 million, +31.3%); tropical ($230 million, +25.2%); blue raspberry ($156 million, +54.9%); and strawberry ($115 million, + 90.5%).

The highest-selling flavors for wellness bars are chocolate ($719 million, +5.9%); chocolate peanut ($505 million, +4.3%); chocolate chip/chunk ($391 million, +11.4%); peanut butter ($271 million, +13.7%); caramel ($133 million, -4.6%); chocolate nut ($105 million, +19%) lemon ($71 million, -4.2%); cookies and cream ($70 million, +28.5%); blueberry ($62 million, -2.6%); strawberry ($62 million, +11.4%); vanilla ($50 million, +3.6%); and coconut ($46 million, -16.9%).

With protein supplements and meal replacements, the most-sold flavors are an even mix of fruit and confectionery, however, unflavored protein is also gaining, likely due to its use in blending, cooking, and baking. Chart-toppers include: chocolate ($2 billion, +16.4%); vanilla ($1.4 billion, +10%); strawberry ($411 million, 19.7%); plain/unflavored ($251 million, +25.5%); mocha/coffee/cappuccino/java ($223 million, +12%); caramel ($103 million, -11.8%); fruit blends ($60 million, +56%); chocolate peanut ($54 million, +88.1%); cookies and cream ($48 million, -21.1%); and cookie/pastry/cake ($31 million, +474.5%).

Flavor Attributes

While traditional and introductory flavors like vanilla and chocolate are still widely appealing, complex flavors are grabbing more attention. Further, consumers often connect certain flavors with health.

First impressions are important for functional drinks in the sports nutrition market and elsewhere, according to Mintel. “Flavor serves as the initial window of introduction to communicate function and benefits of consistency; maintaining a core go-to selection and supplementing lines with eye-catching flavor innovation can catch impulse shoppers’ attention while also remaining reliable. Connecting these flavors’ ingredients to their functions can justify craving satisfaction,” the company stated in its Functional Drinks 2023 report. 

Virginia Dare considers these types of associations in organizing its portfolio. “We’ve named wellness flavors as one of the most influential taste trends going forward as physical and mental health takes priority and becomes the dominant driver behind new consumer goods,” said Caputo. “We expect greater interest in sweet spice flavors and elevated classic flavors, plus continued growth and evolution of comforting nostalgic flavors. Also on our radar are flavors for modern emerging lifestyles; foraging flavors for outdoorsy consumers, and e-centric flavors for gamers and e-sports enthusiasts.”

Caputo described the term wellness flavors as a set of taste profiles which have inherent therapeutic properties or association from taste cues, which are especially popular in beverages.

Some sub-categories include “moodfluencing” flavors associated with relaxation, like passionfruit, chamomile, blackberry, lavender, blackcurrant, mint, white tea, nectarine, or honey. Energizing flavors may include pineapple ginger, mango turmeric, raspberry lime, or ginger lemonade.

“Body-boosting” flavors can connect to physical and internal support: ginger chai apple cider vinegar or peppermint fennel tea for digestion; elderberry acai or tart cherry boysenberry for immune support; golden chai turmeric or blueberry matcha for inflammation support; apricot mango or bilberry goji for vision support.

Beautifying flavors may include green tea tangerine, pomegranate blueberry, cranberry matcha, pineapple grapefruit, watermelon cucumber, goji aronia berry.

Energy-drink giants are hip to the trend, launching new versions that may appeal to eccentric standards. For instance, Red Bull relaunched the previously-discontinued coconut-berry variety of its energy drink. The company also launched the Juneberry Edition, which features juneberry, red grape, cherry, and red berry notes with a slightly floral finish. This is a follow-up to last year’s summer installment, the Amber Edition, which features notes of strawberry and apricot.

Meanwhile, Monster Energy Drink has introduced a cold brew coffee line of its energy drink. Java Monster Cold Brew is infused with nitrous oxide bubbles in order to provide the rich, creamy mouthfeel—perhaps to compete with Starbucks’ canned Nitro Cold Brew—in order to draw in more selective coffee drinkers who want amino acids, B vitamins, and more. The new line is available in latte and sweet black coffee versions.

“Entering the market with this convenient and great-tasting coffee and energy, Java Monster Cold Brew is a unity of opposites—bold yet subtly sweet, and powerful yet refined,” the company said in a statement. “Monster’s nitro cold brew has a full-bodied flavor without the acidic bite of traditional iced coffee, owing its sweetness to the nitrous bubbles that add to that special taste.”

Keep it Natural

Fruit and botanical flavors can help to convey the “naturalness” of a product. “For many consumers, there is an association of wellness and health with certain flavors that sound more natural such as fruit flavors, or products that are plain or unflavored,” Resetar said.

“Functional and plant-based are a part of a broader trend toward food and beverages that respect a more holistic view of our bodies and the planet. This holistic trend in sports nutrition will increasingly extend to cleaner products that are organic, GMO-free, allergen-free, use ‘real’ ingredients, and have less sugar,” Caputo said.

The growing prevalence of plant-based proteins, caffeine, botanicals, and other ingredients challenges formulators to develop more precise flavor-masking and modulation systems that can still maintain a clean label. Balancing sensory needs with consumer preference for “all-natural,” or “no additives” claims continues to grow in importance.

“Look for new technologies that help identify optimal flavor combinations to counter the off-notes accompanying some of these newer plant-based ingredients,” Caputo said. “Sports nutrition will broaden functional benefits beyond exercise support, such as immunity, brain, bone, and joint health. Ingredients that deliver these functions, like ashwagandha, mushrooms, and CBD, often have unfamiliar tastes, which will spark flavor innovation to mask or enhance these new taste profiles and encourage broader adoption.”

One case example is Rebbl’s plant-protein shake, the Hazelnut Chocolate Protein Plant-Powered Elixir, which contains a combination of 16 grams of plant protein, maca, reishi, ashwagandha, and MCTs to support general wellness. That product is available in a hazelnut chocolate flavor, which may not only lend to the beverage’s natural credentials but also provide enough earthy, nutty richness to mesh well with the botanical contents.

Utilizing simple natural flavors can also help to attract the natural-minded consumer, and complexity or eccentricity might not always be the answer, Mintel reported. “There is a balance to strike between filling in educational blanks and overwhelming consumers with information; as innovation with trendy ingredients only continues to saturate the market, purposeful ingredients and communications can be refreshing. This approach falls in line with ‘just what’s necessary’ clean label formulations, symbolizing purity that stands in contrast to consumer skepticism of food production. Cravings for simplicity and recognizable ingredients, regardless of natural sourcing, may only grow as consumers get frustrated by the pace of innovation.”

Indulgence

While the sports nutrition category parallels most trends in the nutraceuticals world, its emphasis on indulgence is particularly strong of late. Several products today have popularized candy, confectionery, and other dessert flavor profiles, often with the nostalgia factor in mind.

More elementary flavors aren’t quite cutting it, Caputo noted, and classic flavors need to be elevated in some way. “Elevating a classic adds a sophisticated twist to popular profiles.”

For example, vanilla becomes vanilla honeycomb or spiced vanilla; chocolate becomes chocolate malt or brownie batter; caramel becomes salted caramel or maple caramel; mocha becomes rose mocha or cake batter mocha; banana becomes caramelized banana or spiced banana; and strawberry becomes strawberry shortcake or cooked strawberry.

These flavors are “fresh for thrill seekers, yet familiar enough for the more traditionalist,” Caputo said.

Glanbia’s think! brand recently introduced its Sweet Treat High Protein Bar line in Chocolate & Crème Cupcake and Boston Crème Pie varieties, featuring 15 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of sugar. The company also added Chocolate Mint to its lineup with 20 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, and no sugar.

The indulgence trend is an area where brand crossovers shine. The sports nutrition brand Ghost was an early adopter of such collaborations, and carved out market share in a competitive space with several licensing deals.

Recently, the company added a Nutter Butter flavored whey protein to its portfolio, which also includes Oreo and Chips Ahoy! varieties, and even more recently, whey and vegan protein powders formulated to taste like Cinnabon. On the candy and soda front, Ghost has partnered with Warheads, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, Sonic Drive-In, and Bubblicious in order to license the use of its flavors in energy, hydration, pre-, intra-, and post-workout, and esports products.

Other examples include: Dymatize’s partnership with Dunkin’ Donuts, Fruity Pebbles, and Cocoa Pebbles for its whey protein powders; Myprotein’s partnership with Mike & Ike and Jelly Belly; and Ryse Preworkout’s partnership for Sunny-D flavored pre-workout gummies.

Clearing the Whey

The recent introduction of clear whey protein isolates, which are purer and more granulated than whey concentrates, are bringing fruity, light, and refreshing flavors into the fold. Isolates possess thinner textures more suitable for thirst-quenching flavor profiles than the thicker whey concentrates seasoned consumers are more used to. 

Already, the clear proteins space is well-populated by brands such as Protein2o, Isopure, Myprotein, Klean Athlete, and many more, innovating with plenty of fruity, juicy, and candy-inspired flavors typically associated with other kinds of sports and energy drinks.

Legacy brands have taken notice of clear protein’s potential, with Gatorade’s launch of Gatorade Zero beverages fortified with 10 grams of whey isolate protein.

Esports influence

The influence of esports can’t be understated, especially on the flavor front. Statista estimated there are more than 3.2 billion video gamers worldwide. With the proliferation of supplements for a target audience of this magnitude, gamers’ preferences will hold significant sway over future market trends.

Esports supplements often appeal to similar energy, cognitive, and performance-based needs experienced by athletes, but have a more mainstream demographic to serve, according to
Caputo.

“This is a quickly-emerging category, so innovation is happening fast,” he said. “We’ve been ideating different product concepts inspired by games alongside our customers, from Elden Ring-inspired fruit chews to Minecraft beverage shots.”

In addition to game-themed product ideas, Virginia Dare has also developed a line of products inspired by three gamer need states: pre-gaming function, active-gaming functionality, and post-gaming functionality—similar to pre-, intra-, and post-workout supplements.

“These include a pucker-patch-flavored brain-boost drink mix, a cherry-limeade-flavored hydro-energy drink mix, and a blueberry-lavender-lemonade-flavored recovery drink mix, respectively,” Caputo said.