Within the past year, sports drinks have taken a health-conscious turn in order to survive in the ever-changing, competitive beverage industry. These electrolyte-filled drinks are no longer a simple rehydration source for athletes; they are now health-enhancement drinks of choice. As consumers want more good-for-you sports drinks, beverage companies have reacted accordingly. "I would really call it a health and fitness [category]," Erik Rothchild, chief executive officer of WheyUp, Phoenix, Ariz., says. "Year after year, consumers are becoming more conscious about what they are consuming and what they are putting in their bodies. It's a whole health and fitness lifestyle, with sports a major part of it." Vitamin waters and enhanced waters are joining the category as well, which not only broadens it but also increases overall sales for the category. "What is most interesting in the category today is the convergence of traditional sports drinks, functional beverages and enhanced waters," says Mark Rampolla, chief executive officer at Zico, Oradell, N.J. "The new types of sports drinks are growing in popularity because of the nutritional benefits."
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