Innovation round-up: HIIT nutrition, tasty plant protein and organic probiotics
Plant protein perfection
Global flavour supplier Synergy has launched a new range of flavours specially engineered for plant-protein bases. The ‘Paired to Perfection’ range comprises core sports nutrition flavors of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate, as well as novel combinations, such as dessert-inspired, or coffee-based flavors like coffee caramel/café latte.
Chris Whiting, category manager at Synergy Flavors, explains that Synergy's flavour experts characterised the varied off notes present in plant-based proteins to identify taste challenges associated which need masking, or in some cases, augmenting.
“Plant-based protein appeals to consumers who are looking to improve their health while at the same time embracing a more sustainable diet, especially as they take a more holistic approach to their health and wellbeing. All types of proteins can have taste challenges, making flavour and application expertise critical for success in the nutrition category. Synergy has drawn on many years’ experience in delivering exceptional taste performance in protein products to create this new range. Our unique flavor creation process ensures we deliver successful products for sports nutrition manufacturers which offer more choice to consumers in this increasingly dynamic market”.
In August 2020, Synergy conducted a survey in the UK and the US with consumers who had purchased plant-based nutritional products in the past six months and found that flavour preference varied across applications and regions, with UK consumers generally favouring berry profiles across product formats and US consumers preferring dessert and sweet brown flavor profiles. With these insights, the team developed regionally specific flavors that pair well with plant protein bases.
Home workout nutrition
Nutrition expert, Carbery Group, has launched a new hydrolysed whey protein (WPH), Optipep 4Power, designed specifically for high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Carbery continually develops next generation whey protein hydrolysate ingredients and uses advanced mass spectrometry to analyse peptides. Data interpretation with bioinformatics enables them to identify any possible bioactivity within the peptide sequences using predictor algorithms. Consequently, they have been able to identify the protein with the best possibility of having an impact on performance.
The team validated the potential benefits of the ingredient with a clinical trial designed to investigate if supplementation of protein in low carbohydrate conditions ahead of HIIT workouts induces favourable muscle metabolic and exercise performance adaptations.
The study found that when compared with whey protein concentrate, a 4.3% greater training-induced increase in Wingate mean power output was observed with participants who had consumed Optipep 4Power prior to exercise, indicating a greater capacity for power generation during maximal intensity sprint exercise. There was also a 6.1% improvement in fatigue index, indicating a greater capacity for sustaining high intensity exercise performance.
Sarah O’Neill, Marketing Manager at Carbery, commented: “Athletes across a broad range of sports and activities are increasingly building high intensity interval workouts into their training routines. However, nutritional strategies for HIIT were poorly characterised. We have been developing Optipep over a number of years and, using our cutting-edge technical expertise, were able to identify the optimal WPH and validate its potential positive impact on performance outcomes.
“We are excited to have shown that Optipep 4Power helps athletes produce and sustain more power compared to whey protein concentrate and we think that this is a potential game-changer for brands providing targeted nutritional solutions to consumers participating in sports such as CrossFit, Field Sports, Sprinting and Combat Sports.”
NutraIngredients' recent Sports and Active Nutrition Online Broadcast Series also discussed the rising interest in HIIT workouts. Sara De Pelsmaeker, Rousselot's Product & Business Development Nutrition, EMEA, pointed out the global pandemic is leading consumers to discover home-friendly workouts such as HIIT, and this opens an opportunity for the ingredients which mitigate the effects of high intensity exercise.
"There seems to be a trend moving away from big muscles and body building, and towards overall health and fitness, with toned and performance focused physiques.
"HIIT has become a very popular method for improving fitness and this puts a lot of stress on the joints; I think that is where collagen can play a good role in this trend."
Organic probiotic
CSL Centro Sperimentale Del Latte, the Italian probiotic producer, is launching Florganic Probiotics, a Certified Organic product range.
John Goebel, CEO of CSL Centro Sperimentale Del Latte Asia Pacific, said this product will appeal to the rising number of consumers who are seeking a more natural lifestyle to improve overall health and well-being.
“We see a rising consumer awareness and demand on probiotics across the globe and organic foods are reported to be the third-largest health claim globally. It is time to introduce our Florganic Probiotics which can now enable our client’s brands to expand their healthier options in various products such as infant formula, milk powder, nutritional supplements, yoghurt, chocolate etc.”
The new product offers well-documented lactobacillus strains, such a Synbio blend, Lactobacillus rhamnosus CRL1505 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus SP 1. These strains are backed by science with numerous clinical studies in immune health, gut health, oral health, skin health, respiratory health and sports health.
