23 Nov 2012 New whey ingredient means great-tasting, very high protein sports nutrition drinks are now a reality
New Lacprodan HYDRO.365 is a whey protein hydrolysate – a type of protein that is considered to be the ‘gold standard’ among all sport nutrition proteins on the market today. It offers superior nutritional benefits to athletes who require fast recovery after intense competitive events or training and workout sessions.
However, in addition, HYDRO.365 is unique among whey proteins in that it can be incorporated into sports nutrition beverages at very high levels. Most other high protein sports nutrition beverages suffer badly from astringency – an undesirable sensory attribute that results in a dry and rough sensation in the mouth. But with HYDRO.365, it is possible to create sports nutrition beverages containing as much as 40g of protein per 100ml without any astringency.
Peter Schouw Andersen, Business Development Manager for Health & Performance at Arla Foods ingredients, says: “Lacprodan® HYDRO.365 is set to revolutionise the market for post-workout sports drinks. Until now, consumers wanting high-protein sports nutrition drinks have had to put up with astringency, making these products acceptable to only the most dedicated athletes. But HYDRO.365 is unusual among whey proteins in that it can be used to create very high protein sports recovery beverages that taste good. Coupled with the superb recovery benefits it offers, this means HYDRO.365 will open up new avenues of business for sports nutrition companies everywhere, potentially leading to dramatically increased sales.”
HYDRO.365, which made its debut at the recent Health Ingredients Europe 2012, is also completely soluble – providing manufacturers with an excellent opportunity to create completely clear ready-to-drink sports nutrition beverages that will appeal to a wider proportion of consumers than ever before. In addition, HYDRO.365 is UHT stable, pH neutral and has a low bitterness profile.
Besides beverages, the new whey protein hydrolysate can also be formulated into a comprehensive range of sports nutrition product formats, including powders, gels, bars and tablets.
Whey protein is already known to be the most effective type of protein for aiding recovery, thanks to its rich amino acid content. But whey protein hydrolysates like HYDRO.365 are scientifically proven to offer far-superior benefits because they are digested and absorbed more quickly, optimising the body’s muscle-building and repair response following exercise, comments Arla.
In one study, which monitored athletes taking whey protein hydrolysates after exercise, the results indicated that they could recover their full peak power and eliminate muscle soreness after just six hours, compared with several days in the case of standard whey protein .
Demand for efficacious post-exercise recovery products among serious athletes – both professional and amateur – is rising fast all over the world. According to Euromonitor, global sales of protein-based sports nutrition products rose by 59% to $5.4 billion between 2006 and 2011.
Peter Schouw Andersen says: “Sales of protein-based sports nutrition products have risen strongly in recent years, but what these figures do not show is the fact that many consumers are also coming to recognise that not all proteins offer the same degree of benefits. Increasingly, they are discovering that the very best ingredients – like HYDRO.365 whey protein hydrolysate – provide a level of effectiveness that is simply not available from other proteins, including other whey proteins.”
Whey protein hydrolysates like HYDRO.365 were once the domain of professional athletes only, but increased participation in endurance sports such as marathons and triathlons is changing all that. As a result, millions of serious amateur athletes are now demanding higher quality protein-based recovery products.
“There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of people taking part in endurance events. The London Marathon is a great example. This year, 170,000 applied to take part, compared with 99,000 ten years earlier in 2002. This one example illustrates that more people than ever before now consider themselves to be serious athletes, even on an amateur basis, and they are demanding serious post-exercise recovery products to help them reach peak performance time after time,” notes Andersen.
He continues: “Athletes are constantly looking to maintain their performance levels and competitive edge. They know they need to train hard to get results, but the frequency of strenuous training sessions typically has to be moderated to allow sufficient time to recover. Without proper recovery a sportsperson cannot hope to maintain peak performance and prevent problems such as muscle damage, dehydration and injury. HYDRO.365 is the perfect solution to meet their needs.”
Source: Arla Foods Ingredients