Athletech News reports that premium water keeps working its way into US gyms, led by brands like Erewhon selling a $12 bottle marketed as functional. The global functional and enhanced water market sits at roughly $20 billion in 2026, according to an SNS Insider report published in late August, growing near 7% a year through 2035.
Some gym chains are now installing premium filtration systems to offer elevated tap water on-site, part service, part marketing angle.
For Hyrox or DEKA athletes, hydration genuinely matters: a race combining running and eight stations over more than an hour of continuous effort drains water and sodium reserves fast, long before any premium bottle enters the picture. The real lever is an electrolyte strategy matched to race duration and weather, not the price tag on the bottle sold at the front desk. Paying $12 for filtered water is a comfort choice, not a training input.
Source: Athletech News