Sports & Energy

We asked the experts which ingredients have caught not just retailers’ and regulators’ eyes, but their own.

Supplier Natreon says PrimaVie is now the “first and only clinically backed organic shilajit available on the market.”

In developing a fast-digesting MPC that can compete with whey protein, Fonterra says it is making protein even more accessible to a broader audience. 

A new startup called Space Shaker (Chicago, IL) has introduced the first subscription model for protein delivery.

A prebiotic and probiotic supplement called Regular Girl may help female athletes better absorb iron, according to a new study. 

Blue Diamond Almonds Global Ingredients Division is getting into the functional ingredients space with the launch of its new almond protein powder.

Research has shown that having a full profile of EAAs can be more effective than BCAAs alone, the company says.

The record breaker is a 2200-lb tub of the company’s Cookies ’n Cream vegan protein powder measuring 10 ft tall and 5 ft wide.

A small study on young adults suggests that ginseng can affect exercise and perhaps aging.

Pea ingredients supplier Cosucra discussed pea’s promising future as a specialty plant protein, as well as challenges in scaling up supply, at IFT 2018.

Conventional energy drinks, snacks, and supplements remain popular, but “cleaner,” “more natural” versions are occupying a greater portion of new product launches.

SureProtein Fast MPC 4868 is NZMP’s latest milk protein concentrate innovation.

In a review of 29 published human studies, researchers found that sweet cherries may offer health benefits to subjects suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions.

In the review, authors describe how L-carnitine was found to help attenuate post-exercise muscle soreness and oxidative stress, as well as to increase blood flow. They also point to growing applications in elderly adults in whom L-carnitine may help mitigate age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia.

Energy drinks continue to outperform the overall soft drinks market in terms of value, with their share of the category rising to 8% in 2017 and their global value reaching about €44 billion, says Innova Market Insights.

Chewpod is a chewable gum supplement that comes in two varieties: Energy on Demand, which the company says provides an energy boost during the day, and Sleep on Demand, which is said to enhance sleep time and quality.

In the study, cyclists who pre-supplemented with Palatinose prior to exercising exhibited a more stable blood glucose profile, higher fat oxidation, and improved athletic performance, compared with a maltodextrin control group.

The company says that all of its personal care products are now UL (Underwriters Laboratories) ISO 22716:2007 certified for production and quality control. In addition, its entire line of natural foods is now UL Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level II certified, and its Now Sports products are now certified by Informed Sport/Informed Choice.

Following its review of D-ribose, EFSA concluded that D-ribose is safe for the general population, including children, at a daily dose of 2.5 g-a dosage the company calls “a strong dose for efficacy.”

Purdue University researchers say this is the first meta-analysis to examine what impact whey protein supplementation has on female body composition when factoring in the effects of calorie restriction and resistance training.

In the study, both a sugar-free amino acid beverage, known commercially as enterade ORS, and a glucose-based beverage (Pedialyte), provided better hydration than Gatorade when compared using a new analysis tool called the beverage hydration index (BHI).

Kaneka showcased new sports prototypes featuring its ubiquinol CoQ10 ingredient combined with other vitamins and minerals, including in vegicap, powder stick, gel, and gelatin capsule formats, at May’s Vitafoods Europe trade show.

As plant-protein demand grows, plant-protein ingredients are overcoming growing pains, including challenges of scaling up, as well as formulating hurdles.

NSF International will test Austrian Ski Federation athletes' supplements to reduce the risk of inadvertent doping in Olympic skiers.