GLP-1 drugs reduce appetite, meaning consumers eat less. But that also affects their water intake. Around 20% of daily water intake usually comes from food: so when GLP-1 medications suppress hunger and meal sizes shrink, overall fluid intake naturally declines.<\/p>\n
And as with food, GLP-1s can suppress thirst cues: meaning consumers don\u2019t always think to drink enough. And common gastrointestinal side-effects can include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea: again leading to fluid loss and dehydration. <\/p>\n
And, in fact, its suspected that many of the other common side effects associated with GLP-1 drugs (such as fatigue, headaches and nausea) could in fact be down to dehydration. <\/p>\n
Because dehydration on GLP-1 drugs is often tied to electrolyte loss (specifically sodium, potassium and magnesium), electrolyte drinks find themselves with a huge opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cRehydrating your body becomes more important when on GLP-1s,\u201d says Gary Stibel, founder and CEO of consultancy New England Consulting Group, who has been closely tracking the effect of the drugs on the food and beverage industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re on GLP-1s, you\u2019re reducing consumption of the liquid that is necessary to keep you hydrated. And you\u2019re not as thirsty, so you reduce your liquid intake even further.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all need more hydration, 100% of us. And on GLP-1s it just becomes even more important.\u201d<\/p>\n
Embracing the opportunity<\/p>\n
GLP-1 users are frequently advised to stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids: and often have to make a conscious effort to keep hydrated.<\/p>\n
This opens up the opportunity for hydration drinks: and those that boast electrolytes and superior hydration. <\/p>\n
The timing couldn\u2019t be better: hydration<\/a> is already trending. Brands like Gatorade<\/a> have already seen opportunity to cater for \u2018weekend warriors\u2019. Do these brands now have the chance to tailor their offer to GLP-1 users as well?<\/p>\n \u201cThe beverage opportunity is particularly strong because of what GLP-1 users actually need: these medications lower food intake and stimulate electrolyte excretion through the kidneys, users face specific risks of cramping, fatigue, and dehydration,\u201d said John Scheer, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of healthcare and wellbeing branding agency Herman Scheer<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s not just about marketing: it\u2019s about genuine functional demand.\u201d<\/p>\n Keeping GLP-1 users in mind<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just about electrolytes. These brands need to ensure they\u2019re tailored to meet all needs of GLP-1 consumers. <\/p>\n That means signposting low calorie positioning – an essential for people trying to lose weight.<\/p>\n It also means ensuring that formulations are gentle on the stomach for those experiencing nausea (GLP-1 users, for example, may prefer drinks with lower or no carbonation).<\/p>\n GLP-1 users frequently note their taste preferences have changed: and so flavour becomes really important. <\/p>\n Light, fruity flavours are likely to be much better received than luxurious, creamy profiles. <\/p>\n Flavour profiles such as ginger and mint, often used to calm digestion and nausea, are a key area to explore.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s about rethinking formats. Smaller pack sizes are a key way the food industry is reacting to GLP-1 drugs, and smaller drinks sizes could follow this trend: if consumers aren\u2019t feeling hugely hungry or thirsty, smaller pack sizes can them to reach hydration goals by drinking little and often.<\/p>\n And the rise of tech in everyday lives could create more opportunities. Smart tech is already being used to remind people to drink with notifications or phones or watches: and it\u2019s an area that sports nutrition brands have explored in depth.<\/p>\n Beverage brands can further explore how tech could help GLP-1 users integrate drinks into their routine, and finally deliver the levels of hydration required.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GLP-1 drugs reduce appetite, meaning consumers eat less. But that also affects their water intake. Around 20% of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":339835,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[134,524,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-339834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/339834\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/339835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=339834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=339834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}