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Unbranded – Lifestyle
Gatorade is developing another new drink with a new mission: to help you avoid dehydration.
The PepsiCo-owned brand, which launched Gatorade Raw Sugar in March, has developed Gatorade Long Lasting Drink and Powder, which will be launched in pilot markets later this year ahead of a national rollout in 2027. Gatorlyte Longer Lasting contains 3x more electrolytes than Gatorade Thirst Quencher and is designed by Gatorade Sports Science Institute to keep users hydrated for longer.
Gatorade’s internal research shows that even though most Americans know that staying hydrated is important, more than 150 million Americans report feeling mild or moderately dehydrated each week, Mike Del Pozzo, president of PepsiCo US Beverages, told USA TODAY.
Being thirsty is ‘not necessarily a reliable signal’ that you need to stay hydrated
One of the biggest misconceptions about hydration is that it’s only important for elite athletes or extreme situations, said Damian Brown, PepsiCo’s senior vice president of R&D for U.S. beverages.
“In reality, mild to moderate dehydration can develop gradually throughout the day, often without awareness for most people, and thirst is not always a reliable signal,” Brown said in a news release shared on Thursday, April 16.
While athletes are likely to use the new Gatorlyte Longer Lasting product, there are “all kinds of use opportunities,” including the average worker and truck driver, for example, Del Pozzo told USA TODAY. “If you drink this in the morning, you don’t necessarily need to stay hydrated for four hours,” he added.
As part of the Gatorade Advanced Hydration System, Gatorade is also revamping its labels and messaging to ensure consumers understand the properties of each product. For example, the label for the classic Gatorade Thirst Quencher says “Hydrates better than water,” and the label for Gatorlyte, the low-carbohydrate, low-sugar, more electrolyte product that Gatorade brought to market in 2021, says “Hydrates faster than water.”
Gatorade has “repositioned our business to meet modern hydration needs… evolving from a leader in hydration for sports performance, athletes to a leader in science-backed hydration for everyone,” Del Pozzo said.
The goal is to “help people understand their hydration needs, not just on game day, but across daily health and performance moments,” he added.
Competition and inflation may cause some consumers to switch to water
Gatorade remains the sports drink leader with more than 60% of the U.S. market, according to Beverage Daily. According to the beverage news site, Coca-Cola’s Powerade and Body Armor are about 14% and 12%, respectively.
Consumer spending on sports drinks remains big business, totaling $11.7 billion over the past year (52 weeks ending March 22), up just 1%, according to Circana. However, sales fell by about 1% and prices rose by 1.9%, according to the research firm.
The influx of competitors and inflation in the sports drink category and other health drink products has made decision-making difficult for consumers.
“So people thought, ‘Oh, I’ll try switching to water,'” Del Pozzo said. “As leaders in hydration, we really see an opportunity to change this trajectory,” he added.
Studies have shown that electrolyte drinks are beneficial for people who exercise intensively or work in hot environments. However, drinking them throughout the day instead of water is not recommended for most people, the researchers said.
In response to the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to stop using some artificial colors, del Pozzo confirmed that Gatorade will also remove artificial colors from Gatorade Zero Powder, Gatorade Thirst Quencher Powder, and Gatorite Powder later this spring. And later this fall, Gatorade Thirst Quencher and Gatorade Zero fruit punch, lemon lime and orange flavors will be produced without artificial colors.
Instead, Gatorade uses pigments derived from fruits and vegetables, such as beta-carotene, which is found in purple potatoes, carrots, and dark green leafy vegetables.
The company’s research shows that moving to non-artificial colors can increase purchase intent by more than 50%. Del Pozzo said removing artificial colors is one way to win back lost customers.
“We are very excited about how this will impact overall purchase intent,” he added.
Mike Snyder is a national trends news reporter for USA TODAY. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, and X, or email him at: mike snyder & @mikegsnider.bsky.social & @mikesnider & msnider@usatoday.com.
