Dive Brief:
- Another offering joins the crowded sports drink category appealing to Serious athletes. Nth Degree Innovations co-founder, Peter Strahm, told a CNBC Power Pitch team that the product is low glycemic and carbohydrate that "promotes fat oxidation."
- The key ingredient in Nth Degree is palatinose, a sweetener derived from sugar beets. Strahm says the sweetener digests five times more slowly than regular sugar, increasing energy and endurance.
- The drink is available regionally in New York and New Jersey, with plans underway to reach Southern California and some of the Southeast.
Dive Insight:
Panelists at Strahm's Power Pitch presentation had questions about the family-funded company's competitive position in the crowded sports drink market. Established products including PepsiCo.'s Gatorade, and Coca Cola's Powerade, could also make low glycemic drinks.
The startup may face an uphill battle as sport drink giants continue to focus innovations on the needs of athletes. Gatorade achieved "phenomenal" growth in 2015, according to analysts on a conference call to discuss last year's earnings.
And probiotics are entering the sports drink category, with GoodBelly introducing ready-to-drink protein shakes with high levels of probiotics and plant-based protein. Last year, a Mintel report on food and beverage trends noted there will be an increase in the consumption of both probiotics and sports drinks.
