Beyond the caffeine buzz: SupplySide Global 2026 showcases the future of functional energy drinks

The energy drinks category is moving beyond high-caffeine formulations. At SupplySide Global 2026 in Las Vegas, US (Oct 28–30), suppliers paired natural caffeine with slow-release carbohydrates, cognitive ingredients, electrolytes, and functional mushrooms, positioning energy as one benefit among several rather than a stand-alone jolt.

Food Ingredients First takes a closer look at the energy drink concepts served up at the show. 

Sustained energy without the crash

Beneo positioned its isomaltulose, Palatinose, as a source of steady, longer-lasting energy. Its Steady iced latte, topped with a plant-based faba bean cold foam, paired Palatinose with caffeine from coffee and prebiotic chicory root fiber.

“In human clinical trials, 15 g a day of Palatinose supported a sustained energy claim,” said Jamie Matthews, head of CTS Americas at Beneo. He described it as “a low-glycemic, steady supply of energy, compared with how quickly sugar is digested.”

Beneo showcased its Steady iced latte pairing Palatinose with caffeine from coffee and prebiotic chicory root fiber.Matthews explained that Palatinose can be combined with caffeine, guarana, or taurine in energy drinks. “For customers looking for a caffeine-free energy solution, that’s another interesting positioning for Palatinose.”

According to Hanna Bean, marketing manager Americas at Beneo, demand for natural energy is especially strong among consumers taking GLP-1 medications. 

“In Beneo’s research, two of the main needs we found among GLP-1 users, compared with the regular US consumer, are the need for energy and the need to improve digestive health,” she said. “We see a lot of consumers looking for natural solutions to energize.”

At Synergy Flavors, energy was one of several benefits combined in a single beverage. The company presented a range of RTDs addressing collagen for beauty, electrolytes for hydration, and “different types of energy through natural sources of caffeine,” said Tyler Wilson, senior applications technologist at the company. 

The company showcased a cherry-pomegranate RTM concept aimed at women combining skin-targeted collagen, electrolytes, and natural caffeine. “This formulation is kind of a one-stop shop,” Wilson explained. 

“You’ve got your collagen for the skin health and beauty aspect. It does have electrolytes in it for that hydration, as well as a little bit of natural caffeine to give you that pick-me-up too. So not only do you feel like you’re doing something good for your body, but then you get that boost of energy too.” 

Synergy Flavors also served a Sour Rainbow Sherbet Energy Drink, an RTD concept made with organic green tea caffeine. It is flavored with a natural orange lime WONF extract, a natural orange raspberry type flavor, and natural hibiscus extract, giving the nostalgic frozen dessert profile a sour, refreshing twist.

Many of Synergy Flavors’ RTMs are zero sugar, sweetened with stevia, sucralose, or monk fruit. Interestingly, some of its RTDs feature full sugar, because “there’s a group of consumers that are stillSynergy Flavors exhibited a Sour Rainbow Sherbet Energy Drink, an RTD concept made with organic green tea caffeine. looking for the naturalness supported by cane sugars,” Tracy Cesario, VP of business development and marketing, told us. 

She also mentioned that “carbonation in places that we haven’t traditionally seen carbonation” is also an exciting innovation area that the company is keeping a close eye on, too.

Natural caffeine meets cognition

Imbibe and FutureCeuticals jointly showcased Uplift, a “White Gummy Bear Modern Energy” beverage concept built around two FutureCeuticals ingredients. 

Caffinity, a natural caffeine source, delivers 130 mG per serving, and CognatiQ, a cognitive performance ingredient, delivers 200 mG. This ingredient combination is designed to support sustained energy and mental clarity “without the jitters or crash” associated with conventional energy drinks.

The concept points to lines blurring between confectionery flavors and the energy drinks market. 

Functional mushrooms meet cold brew

Meanwhile, extracts and flavors specialist Virginia Dare brought cognition into the morning coffee occasion with an Oatmeal Cream Pie Oat Milk Mushroom Latte, inspired by the classic US snack cake. 

According to the company, the drink combines its cold brew concentrate with a functional mushroom blend for cognition and antioxidant support.

“We take those nostalgic great profiles and bring them into something that’s functional, permissible indulgence,” said Philip Caputo, marketing and consumer insights manager.

Hydration meets energy

Hydration also emerged as a clean route to energy positioning. FrieslandCampina Ingredients showcased a Coconut Hydration + Energy Protein Water in a Tropical Flavor as part of its protein hydration platform.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Penny Antonopoulos, marketing manager for Performance and Active Nutrition, North America.“From a 500 mL bottle, you get 30 g of protein, and because it’s with coconut water and sea salt, you get hydration claims with these natural electrolytes,” Penny Antonopoulos, marketing manager for Performance and Active Nutrition, North America, told us. “We also include some B vitamins for energy.”

Antonopoulos flagged that clear and non-carbonated protein waters can also serve GLP-1 users, offering “that extra boost of protein in everyday eating while on the medication.”

Oobli also exhibited a zero-sugar, zero-calorie Lemon-Lime Electrolyte Mix. The stick pack is 100% sweetened with its sweet proteins, with no artificial sweeteners, and combines sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and magnesium malate.

Sweet proteins are “hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than sugar,” Amy Chen, president and chief commercial officer of Oobli, explained to Food Ingredients First, adding they deliver sweetness without spiking blood sugar. 

She noted that the company has tested them in “beverages, energy drinks, and sodas,” and positions them as a way “to rethink the sweetener system.”

Flavor-led energy

Finally, Mane brought a Taste of the Tropics into the energy category with its Tropical Twist Energy Drink, developed for its Costa Rica-inspired collection. 

The concept paired banana and pineapple in a piña colada-style profile and contains 150 mG of natural caffeine from green tea, alongside L-theanine, magnesium, and B vitamins. It is formulated with 5 g of sugar and sweetened with Reb M stevia.Mane brought a Taste of the Tropics into the energy category with its Tropical Twist Energy Drink concept.

According to Mane, the concept reflects demand for adventurous flavors. In the company’s proprietary research, two-thirds of consumers described themselves as adventurous when it came to new flavors, and tropical fruits were perceived as refreshing and premium. 

For the company’s flavorists, the appeal goes beyond taste: a tropical drink can call up memories of travel, home, or culture.

“Flavor isn’t just taste. It’s an experience,” said Erin Dunphy, senior flavor chemist at Mane. “Who are you with? What’s your mood? How do you feel? All these things affect how you taste, and that evokes memories.”