Hydration station—Sports hydration and energy beverages, already the single largest segment of the overall sports and weight market at 63.75% market share, had astonishing growth of 30.8% in 2021. It’s hard to overstate the impact of this growth on the industry, with the category adding over $8 billion in annual sales, most of that through the mass market channel.

Rebound in weight management—Weight management had one of the largest turnarounds coming out of the slump in 2020, swinging from a 2.9% decline that year to 9.2% growth in 2021. Weight management meal supplements drove the market last year with 12.1% growth in the category alone, bringing sales to $5.09 billion.

Mass market dominance—More than any other segment of the industry tracked by NBJ, the sports and weight market is dominated by the mass market channel, which rings in 71.69% of sales. Much of the return in sales growth in 2021 came from a return to the mass channel, including convenience stores. In fact, this is a unique market where growth in mass market even beat out growth in e-commerce.