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Go faster fruit drink on the cards

A product based on fruit could increase muscle power and delay fatigue, reports Cath O’Driscoll in Chemistry & Industry

Big boost: the drink could increase muscle power and delay fatigue
Big boost: the drink could increase muscle power and delay fatigue
A product based on fruit, which could dramatically increase muscle power and delay fatigue, may be hitting the market soon.

Scientists at fruit company HortResearch in New Zealand would not say when a launch is planned, but have revealed some exciting test results for their product, which they say could be used like a conventional energy drink. Athletes would use the product to help achieve peak fitness before a major sporting event and to counteract the effects of over-training.

In lab tests, isolated muscle tissue was exposed to fruit extracts, after which an electrical impulse was delivered. The results showed that muscle power was increased up to 70% and the onset of fatigue delayed by up to 20%. Clinical trials are currently under way in athletes.

One possible application is in sports drinks that could give athletes extra power and stamina during competitions. Current sports drinks generally include synthetic ingredients and sugars designed to boost energy and combat dehydration.

Other formulations could include supplements to counteract the effects of overtraining. ‘There is a saying that for elite athletes the most popular form of training is over-training,’ said Kieran Elborough, business leader for food & health at HortResearch.

Over-training can have a negative impact on the immune system and can affect hormone levels. ‘Cortisol levels go up and testosterone levels go down,’ said Elborough. ‘We have strong evidence that specific fruit compounds can aid muscle recovery and reinforce immune defences,’ he said. The boost in muscle power is related to rises in the level of testosterone. Elborough declined to explain, however, the mechanism behind the improvement in stamina for ‘commercial’ reasons.

HortResearch has already developed a biosensor that measures hormone levels in saliva revealing in real time whether athletes should be doing more or less training. The company is currently in talks with several international sports teams interested in implementing the technology as part of their general fitness and training routines.

The company is also negotiating with specialist nutrition companies about a possible product launch. Elborough said they have pinpointed ‘three strong leads’ for the active ingredients in the fruit extracts, which can be sourced from a number of fruits. He also suggests that fruit breeders could develop new fruit varieties with elevated levels of these compounds.

Bridget Aisbitt, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation said, however, that ‘if a scientific claim is being made, it is important that the claimed beneficial effects are rigorously tested. New European regulations on nutrition and health claims mean that claims are not allowed without substantial evidence to back them up.’