Mibelle launches haskap berry powder into sports nutrition market
“EnduBerry Nu allows recreational runners to significantly improve their endurance level within seven days of consumption, leading to better performance,” Dr. Torsten Grothe, head of food and health at Mibelle, told NutraIngredients-USA.
The Swiss ingredient supplier will feature the ingredient at the upcoming Sports and Active Nutrition Summit in San Diego, CA from Feb. 15 to 17.
Powered by ‘the berry of longevity’
The Enduberry Nu plant-powder extract is sourced from the haskap berry, a member of the honeysuckle family native to the harsher climes of the Northern Hemisphere. Named by the indigenous Ainu people of Northern Japan (haskap translates to “the berry of longevity”), it is a lesser known but no less powerful superberry rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols.
These phytochemicals, Grothe said, provide synergistic effects that reduce free radicals and inflammation, protecting mitochondria from oxidative stress that leads to muscle fatigue and reduced physical performance. In addition, these compounds are known to help vascular function to increase blood flow, oxygen delivery and exercise efficiency.
“EnduBerry Nu helps to improve cell fitness by upregulating genes involved in cell protection and mitochondrial function,” Grothe added. “It also shows strong antioxidant activity, resulting in detoxification of the cells.”
Mibelle presents the EnduBerry Nu as a synergistic water-soluble solution for sports endurance, pre-workout, electrolyte and recovery formulations at a daily dose of 120 mg.
Superberry science for sports nutrition
Claims are backed by a 2021 clinical trial published in the journal Nutrients and funded by Northumbria University, UK-based superfood company Haskapa and Mibelle.
The team of researchers, led by Glyn Howatson, a professor of human and applied physiology at Northumbria University, carried out the study in 30 male recreational runners. Results showed that Enduberry Nu increased running speed an average 21 seconds over 5 km (equating to 0.25 km/h in mean running velocity). Additionally, it extended time to exhaustion running performance by 20 seconds.
“The most significant findings are that haskap consumption can improve endurance performance,” Howatson told NutraIngredients-USA. “The application is quite far-reaching and not just of interest for runners, but also has application to cycling, rowing and other sporting events. The population were recreational, but the ability range of the group was wide and so it seems to be beneficial to moderate and high ability runners.”
While Howatson noted that a single study does not make the results definitive and that the exact mechanisms of action remain unclear, he said that the particularly high polyphenol content in haskap “seems to have huge potential to support improvements in human performance.”
