Cocoa: A Key Ingredient For Manufacturers To Connect With Gym Influencers Driving Protein Drink Sales

Gym Influencers are leading the new era of wellness, with protein, energy and fiber driving as key nutritional needs being discussed.¹⁶ Cocoa is the 2nd most popular flavor and provides key off taste masking, and indulgent color to engage consumers at shelf, creating a powerful way to connect with consumers.

Consumer demand for protein beverages is increasing due to interest in muscle building and health. From 2020 to 2024, the number of high protein drinks grew by 122%.⁵ With revenues growing 28% in the same period.⁵ And 36% revenue growth between 2025 and 2024 making this highly fragmented market an appealing space for manufacturers.⁵

A major trend in the workout community is combining protein powder with energy drinks, exemplified by the recent #Profee trend of combining coffee and protein powder or beverages. There are multiple ways to utilize different forms of coffee from already brewed to freeze/ spray dried/instant or soluble in formulation. And cascara, a natural source of caffeine upcycled from the cherry of the coffee bean, can create a unique new #Profee call out. This trend is so popular because of the convenience of a drink that provides both protein and energy for a successful and productive workout. But is this combination truly helpful? 

The purpose of protein is primarily to increase strength and mass by building and repairing muscles. But because protein isn’t a reliable source of energy,⁹ caffeine could potentially help increase endurance and strength, and can be a reliable source of energy.⁹  So yes — mixing protein powder with coffee, cascara or an energy drink can be a great workout option, providing both the protein needed for muscle building, and the energy boost to avoid feeling burned out. 

Following a global pandemic and the rise of social media awareness, fitness and health have become trends that are here to stay.  Whether “doomscrolling” on social media or watching the daily news cycle, fitness has become an ubiquitous topic. On Instagram alone, sports and fitness are two categories with the highest engagement rates. Sports ranks approximately 1.84% and fitness 1.18%, compared to the average engagement rate of 0.67%¹. While the industry grows online, similar development is present in the gym industry. In 2024, gym membership surpassed 77 million people with a 6% increase each year.³ 

This continuum of growth presents a flourishing market to launch protein drinks. Specifically, concentrating on the interest of strength training and muscle building. The membership service ClassPass® notes a 94% increase in reservations for strength training classes.⁶ With specific gyms like Planet Fitness® citing increased interest in strength training, causing the New York Times quote “It’s changing gym culture.”⁷ Protein’s popularity stems from long term, scientifically proven, evidence that it provides the amino acids necessary for muscle growth after intense exercise, supporting trending health goals.⁸

Trend: Fiber Maxing

While muscle building and overall wellness continue to trend, we also see two new trends. The first discussed above, the merging of both energy and protein beverages, creating a new hybrid category to meet multiple consumer needs. The second, the addition of fiber to align with the increased consumer interest in GLP-1 drugs to aid in weight loss. These drugs often lead to reduction in the urge to eat, creating potential concerns around both nutrition and regularity, driving interest in satiety, gut health, and nutrition.  

Cocoa Powder: A Key Ingredient

Pushing the protein narrative puts brands in a great position to support the future generations of gym influencers and a universally healthy society. And one way to create engagement with added protein is decadent flavors; with chocolate, powered by cocoa, being the 2nd most utilized flavor in new launches including mochas¹⁷, across protein beverages (after vanilla).⁴ Indulgent flavors, seasonal, limited-time-offers (LTOs) and #Proffee trends are all resulting in decadent options featuring cocoa.

Cocoa powder adds functionality beyond taste, creating engaging color at shelf to draw consumers to the product, and depending on the quantity used, contributing to mouthfeel. Additionally, cocoa helps to mask off tastes from added protein, fiber and alternative sweeteners. 

In the plant-based space depending on the type of plant-protein used, cocoa can greatly impact the desirability of the product from a visual perspective; delivering the best full deep rich brown colors evocative of delicious chocolate, and overcoming off-notes inherent in some alternative proteins. The same goes for alternative sweeteners, found in almost 96% of protein beverages with 15g or more of protein / serving. ⁵

It’s great to know that regardless of what fiber option, or what protein type, you use there is a corresponding cocoa powder to help elevate the taste, color, mouthfeel and overall functionality of your protein forward beverages.  

Strength is in the numbers:

Social Media Buzz:

Wellness

Market Expansion

• Protein shakes are now flooding the market in foodservice, with protein water in the inception phase according to Datassential.¹¹ 

Explore the growing trend of gym influencers to muscle your way into the minds of consumers, and support your protein drink sales.  

 

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