Energy drinks have been a bit of an outlier in the overall declining carbonated soft drinks category, seeing modest growth in recent years with reduced-sugar options leading the lift in sales, according to market research firm Euromonitor.
“Energy drinks consumers are clearly seeking less sugar, as growth in low-calorie products suggests, but are first and foremost expecting a lab-engineered, high performance beverage that delivers on its core functional claim,” said Howard Telford, senior industry analyst at Euromonitor.
C4’s ready-to-drink products contain zero grams of sugar and zero calories, according to the product’s supplement facts label.
“The new C4 Carbonated 16-ounce line carves out a unique position in the energy drink market, delivering more of a performance angle giving consumers the opportunity to engage with our brand and see the distinct benefits of C4,” Nutrabolt CEO, Doss Cunningham, said.
The launch of C4 On The Go Carbonated packaged in 16-ounce cans, is also meant to be a more convenient, grab-and-go extension to Cellucor’s C4 pre-workout powder, according to the company.
Speaking to NutraIngredients-USA, John Hardesty, chief marketing officer of Nutrabolt, added, “The brand has been able to set itself apart from the competition by catering to the lifestyle consumer instead of solely the bodybuilding community."
"C4 On The Go Carbonated is uniquely positioned between the sports performance and energy beverage segments.”
C4 Carbonated is available nationwide for $29.99 per 12-pack at all GNC and Vitamin Shoppe locations, gyms, and select convenience, gas and grocery stores, in addition to being available through the company’s website.
Hydration and energy effects
The company is emphasizing the product’s hydrating and energizing effects, which it credits to a combination of active ingredients including 200mg caffeine anhydrous, CarnoSyn beta-alanine, and BetaPower betaine, citrulline malate, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, as well as B6 and B12 vitamins.
According to Hardesty, the CarnoSyn beta-alanine that is found in C4 is backed by over 55 clinical studies.
Additionally, Cellucor has invested in multiple human clinical studies to quantify the impact that C4 and its ingredients have on categories such as energy, performance, endurance, and cognitive function. Most of the studies have taken place at Texas A&M University, located near Nutrabolt’s headquarters in Bryan, Texas, Hardesty added.
“In a 2015 study, subjects saw a 34 pound average increase in their bench press one rep max, and a 170 pound average in leg press strength – when supplementing with two daily servings of a powdered version of C4 for eight weeks,” Hardesty claimed.
According to NutraBolt, CarnoSyn beta-alanine is designed to delay the onset of fatigue to improve power and performance, while research shows N-acetyl l-tyrosine's ability to support mental and cognitive health during stressful activities.
Hardesty claimed that consumers can feel the energizing effects “within seconds of consumption."
“C4 On The Go Carbonated supports energy, mental awareness and delays the onsets of fatigue, resulting in improved power and performance,” Hardesty added.
Active Nutrition Online Event
Are you interested to learn more about the Active Nutrition category? Sign up for NutraIngredients-USA's upcoming Active Nutrition Online Event on May 23. The event will include a market overview session provided Diane Ray of the Natural Marketing Institute. It will also feature ingredient-specific sessions sponsored Kyowa Hakko USA and Mitsubishi International Food Ingredients.
A forum with a panel of experts will include sports nutrition consultant Susan Kleiner, PhD, Tim Avila, principal in the consultancy Systems Bioscience, and Rachel Kreider, MPH, manager of innovation at bodybuilding.com.
For more information on this FREE event and to register, click here.