Energy drinks have generally performed strongly in the period 2014-19, growing volumes by 10%, and shoring up the overall market against the 3% decline suffered by sports drinks over the same period. 2018 saw the introduction of the SDIL however, the 2018 summer heatwave gave a boost to the sales of both sports and energy drinks.

Low-sugar NPD and reformulations have shot upwards in the category in the last couple of years, both from established brands looking to future proof their portfolio in light of the current spotlight on sugar and a new wave of brands pushing a ‘natural’ energy proposition. This has given shoppers choice and will have helped protect sales from the levy. Furthermore, this activity should help disrupt the sugar-laden image sports and energy drinks have among non-users and potentially grow market penetration, though actively pushing these variants in marketing will likely be needed to drive awareness.

This Report explores RTD sports and energy drinks sold through both the retail and on-trade channels. For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

Sports drinks are drinks claiming to improve sporting performance or to speed up recovery. Most of these are labelled isotonic/hypotonic and claim to rehydrate and replenish nutrients after exercise. Examples include Lucozade Sport, Powerade and Gatorade.

Sports drinks are divided into three major types:

• Isotonic drinks: These have the same osmolality as that in the body, and are designed to aid rehydration, as they are said to be readily absorbed into the blood. Most sports drinks are isotonic, including Powerade and Lucozade Sport.

• Hypotonic drinks: These have a lower osmolality than body fluid and are said to be absorbed faster than isotonic drinks and faster than water into the blood.

• Hypertonic drinks: These have a higher osmolality than body fluids and are designed to be taken after exercise to replace electrolytes, aid recovery and provide an energy boost.

Energy drinks are drinks positioned as providing energy, supporting mental alertness and/or physical performance. These typically include active ingredients such as glucose, caffeine, taurine or B-vitamins, and may include other ingredients positioned as beneficial to health, such as ginseng and various vitamins and minerals.

The energy drinks market comprises three distinct categories:

• Refreshment energy drinks provide physical energy through glucose or a range of sugars, as in Lucozade Original Energy.

• Stimulant drinks are designed to stimulate both mind and body, and typically claim to improve concentration, reaction time and endurance. Stimulant drinks typically contain active ingredients such as caffeine and taurine, and are non-alcoholic. The best-known example is Red Bull.

• Energy shots refer to what are usually more concentrated versions of refreshment/stimulant drinks. They typically retail in a 50ml bottle rather than in a can of between 250ml and 500ml.

Protein-based sports nutrition drinks are excluded from this Report, these being discussed in Mintel’s Attitudes towards Sports Nutrition – UK, July 2019 Report.