New sports drink harnesses the hydrating power of milk
With no artificial flavors, colors or dyes, GoodSport is a first-of-its-kind natural sports drink with three times the electrolytes and 33% less sugar than traditional sports drinks. The new drink, made from the all-natural goodness of milk, has been scientifically shown to provide long-lasting hydration, the company says.
Available at Festival Foods and other retailers throughout Wisconsin just in time to beat the summer heat, GoodSport harnesses the naturally occurring electrolytes and carbohydrates found in milk to deliver elite-level hydration that’s been embraced by professional and collegiate sports teams.
The brand was developed by GoodSport nutrition founder and CEO Michelle McBride, who didn’t want her son drinking sports drinks filled with artificial ingredients that were being offered to him at his baseball games.
Thus, McBride set out to create a sports drink from a natural source that would provide truly effective hydration. Milk is naturally packed with a broad spectrum of electrolytes and has been shown to hydrate better than water and traditional sports drinks, the company points out. However, milk’s consistency and protein content which is slow to digest were barriers for athletes before and during exercise.
GoodSport’s patent-pending formula and process cracked the code to provide naturally powerful hydration in a clear and thirst-quenching beverage that is lactose free and provides a good source of calcium and B vitamins.
The drink has deep roots in Wisconsin as it was developed in large part at the checkoff-funded Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where the team learned ultrafiltration could be used to harness milk’s electrolytes, vitamins and carbohydrates to create a clear, light beverage with a mouthfeel that consumers expect from a sports drink.
GoodSport sources its main ingredient sustainably and is Upcycled Food Certified. Dairy companies often ultrafilter milk and leave behind the part of the milk used to make GoodSport. By rescuing and upcycling this nutrient-rich ingredient, called ultra-filtered deproteinized milk (or milk permeate), GoodSport improves the value of the food system and contributes to the sustainability efforts of the dairy industry.
Dr. Bob Murray, co-founder and former director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, helped oversee GoodSport’s formulation. “Having spent my career in hydration and exercise performance research, I’ve known milk has the ingredients to provide superior hydration, but never before has anyone found a way to transform milk into an extremely effective and refreshing sports drink,” Murray says. “It’s exciting to be part of the team that’s bringing something entirely new with superior hydration to the sports drink category.”
The brand has received several awards, including the 2021 Dairy Industry Impact Grant by the Dairy Business Alliance (DBIA), the 2021 Breakthrough Award for Dairy Ingredient Innovation by ADPI and Dairy Foods Magazine and was a 2021 Dairy Foods Magazine Reader’s Choice Award and Editors’ Choice Award Winner.
Available in 16.9-ounce bottles in four flavors ~ Lemon Lime, Fruit Punch, Wild Berry and Citrus ~ GoodSport is available at Wisconsin retailers, on Amazon.com and the company’s website, goodsport.com.