Protein is the quintessential nutrient for athletes, weekend warriors and amateur sportspeople who want to maximize the impact of their training sessions. With liquids being the perfect and most convenient transport system for nutrients and supplements, protein-enriched beverages slowly make their way from the athletic and weight management sector into the mainstream market. 

GELITA offers a range of Bioactive Collagen Peptides® that help beverage companies tap into this market potential and produce products in line with the needs of today’s active consumers.

Performance Peptides

PEPTIPLUS® comprises pure collagen peptides that can be used in a variety of functional and sports beverages. Being easily absorbed by the body and highly bioavailable, PEPTIPLUS® replaces the energy used in training sessions and enhances the positive effects of resistance training. It positively influences body composition, supports body toning and helps to increase muscle mass while decreasing fat mass.

But it’s not only the young and ambitious sportsmen and women who benefit from collagen intake. Scientific studies have proven that it can also be used to prevent sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and muscle performance) in the elderly.

Clinically Proven

Scientists and health professionals often recommend a combination of physical exercise and nutritional supplementation to delay and counteract sarcopenia. In a recent double blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, 50 male seniors with indications of muscle loss were given 15g of PEPTIPLUS® or a placebo daily during a three-month period and subjected to three hourly sessions of resistance training each week.

The outcomes were assessed in terms of body composition and strength. Both groups exhibited improved body composition and significant increases in overall strength. A notable increase in muscle mass and decrease in fat mass was observed in the PEPTIPLUS® group compared with the placebo group. The researchers concluded that specific collagen peptides play a significant role in body toning and muscle maintenance.

Easy to Use in Liquid Applications

Owing to its excellent technological properties, PEPTIPLUS® is an ideal product for sports and protein drinks. Available as a free-flowing powder, dust-free handling is guaranteed. The product also has outstanding wettability and lump-free solubility in liquids.

PEPTIPLUS® provides low viscosity, even in high concentrations, and excellent precipitation-free beverage clarity. As a pure collagen protein with a neutral odor and taste, it allows a high protein dosage without any effect on the sensory profile. Furthermore, the pure collagenous protein can be easily mixed with other ingredients such as vitamins, minerals or amino acids to create tailored sports nutrition products for different target groups.

Boosting Protein and Protecting Joints

There is increasing concern that too much physical activity may lead to joint-related problems such as osteoarthritis. The continuous stress that physical activity places on the joints can result in micro trauma and degeneration of the articular cartilage. However, osteoarthritis onset appears to depend on the frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity. Yet, the right choice of nutrients can help to prevent the onset of joint problems and keep consumers physically active.

GELITA’s FORTIGEL® tackles joint health and the prevention of osteoarthritis at its root. FORTIGEL® comprises optimized collagen peptides that have been scientifically proven to stimulate the regeneration of cartilage tissue in the joints. After oral administration, FORTIGEL® stimulates the cartilage cells to increase the production of both collagen and proteoglycans – the two major components that make up almost 90% of cartilage dry mass.

A clinical study undertaken by Penn State University tested the effect of CH-Alpha®, which contains FORTIGEL®, on 147 sports students who were suffering from joint problems as a result of mechanical stress (participants with diagnosed osteoarthritis or acute injuries and inflammation were excluded). During a period of 24 weeks, the participants either received FORTIGEL® (10g) in the form of a drinking vial or a placebo.

Compared with the control group, the students who took collagen peptides showed

a significant reduction in joint symptoms as well as improved mobility. In particular, these positive effects were obvious in participants with knee joint problems brought on by mechanical strain. Earlier, the same findings had already been demonstrated in an observational study on active sportspeople at the Rhein-Rhur Olympic Support Center in Germany.

Versatile and Safe

By treating the causes and not just the symptoms of the condition, FORTIGEL® considerably improves joint mobility, reduces pain and hence produces a higher quality of life. It is a foodstuff that can easily be incorporated into sports, energy, instant and dairy drinks. Being a natural protein with a neutral odor and taste, FORTIGEL® provides excellent solubility, dissolves to deliver clear solutions and doesn’t interact with other ingredients.

In addition to the proven clinical efficacy of FORTIGEL®, it also has clean-label characteristics and an excellent safety profile. No adverse events were registered in any clinical study. There are also no interactions registered with drugs or other ingredients. As FORTIGEL® in general is a mixture of short-chained linear peptides, its allergenic potential is extremely low.

Functional Future for Active and Sports Nutrition

As they protect joints and boost valuable protein levels in the body, GELITA’s collagen peptides are especially suitable for those who actively engage in sports, irrespective of age and performance level.

Owing to their special nutritional and technological properties, PEPTIPLUS® and FORTIGEL® offer almost unlimited opportunities to develop new products in the active nutrition market. They are free from fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates and gluten. Moreover, they are non-allergenic and perfectly suited for the development of clean label products. Thanks to their excellent cold water solubility, collagen peptides form clear solutions –without compromising the sensory profile of the end product.

They can be used in combination with minerals, vitamins, trace elements and other nutrients to develop beverages that meet the diverse nutritional requirements and taste preference of today’s active consumers.

— GELITA, www.gelita.com