# Fungal Energy Drinks North Korea's Central Mushroom Research Debuts a Fungal Gatorade Flavor By Vasiliki Marapas | Published 2014-05-31 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gatorade-flavors References: [gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/north-korea-invented-a-gatorade-thats-made-from-fungus-1583800961) & [betabeat](http://betabeat.com/2014/05/north-korea-debuts-mushroom-based-sports-drink-to-enhance-physical-ability/) North Korea's [Central Mushroom Research Institute](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fifa-heroes) of the [State Academy of Sciences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olivias-organics-salad) (because that, apparently, is a thing) has introduced a new fungal [Gatorade](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fast-twitch-grape-flavor) flavor. Yes, you heard me correctly: Gatorade. That's made from mushrooms. The Research facility elaborates on their pseudo-science by saying, "[We] succeeded in finding the way to cultivate mushroom fungus and made a functional drink. This natural drink is very effective in enhancing physical ability of sportspersons and recovering from their fatigues." Unfortunately, they were unable to provide a more in-depth explanation as to how, exactly, the fungal properties benefit physical ability and/or the recovery process, nor do they disclose their super successful mushroom-cultivating procedure. Most importantly, they neglect to mention how the drink tastes. Adventurous athletes might get a kick out of this, but those with a weak stomach might want to steer clear. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.6/10 - Popularity: 4% | Activity: 6% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Drinking](https://www.trendhunter.com/drinking) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Fungal Energy Drinks:** Opportunity for the development of alternative energy drinks using mushrooms as a key ingredient. - **Functional Drinks for Athletes:** Opportunity for the creation of functional beverages aimed at enhancing physical abilities and aiding in recovery for sportspersons. - **Novel Beverage Flavors:** Opportunity to explore unique and unusual flavors in the beverage industry, such as mushroom-infused drinks. ### Where This Applies - **Sports Nutrition:** Disruptive innovation opportunity to incorporate mushroom-based ingredients in sports nutrition products for enhanced performance. - **Food and Beverage:** Opportunity for companies in the food and beverage industry to create innovative mushroom-infused drinks with potential health benefits. - **Biotechnology:** Opportunity for advancements in biotechnology to develop new processes for cultivating mushroom fungus and extracting functional compounds for use in beverages. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Mushroom-Infused Energy Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mushroom-infused-energy-drink.md) - [Athlete-Focused Mushroom Gummies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/informed-sport.md) - [Mushroom-Powered Sparkling Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mushroom-infused-sparkling-waters.md) - [Functional Effervescent Mushroom Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/water-junkie.md) - [Mushroom-Enhanced Energy Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tenzing-natural-energy-lions-mane.md) - [Functional Mushroom Energy Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/milonga-yerba-mate.md) - [Functional Mushroom-Powered Refreshments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adapt-drinks.md) - [Adaptogenic Soft Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/muush.md) - [Prebiotic Mushroom Sodas](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/good-dirt.md)