Whey protein for the Indian gut: MuscleBlaze’s new sports products aim to improve absorption
The new products Biozyme Whey Isolate and Biozyme Whey Concentrate are made with a patented formulation.
Consisting of acid, alkaline, microbial, and plant proteases, the formula aids protein digestion by breaking down complex protein molecules into peptides and amino acids.
The firm spent 18 months in intensive research and six months of clinical studies and analysis to come to the optimised formula, the company’s spokesman told NutraIngredients-Asia.
Clinical findings
A study involving 24 male subjects found that the formulation is able to improve protein absorption rates by 50%.
Findings of the double-blind, cross-over clinical study is currently under 2nd review for publication in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Besides higher absorption, there was 60% more bioavailability of BCAAs, which was said to increase muscle synthesis and recovery.
Mean total serum amino acids (TSAAs) level also increased in the experiment group as compared to the control group.
On the other hand, C-reactive protein levels and total nitrogen excretion were lower in the experiment group as compared to the control group.
The firm said that there were plans to export the products in the next six to 12 months.
“We will work around a marketing and positioning plan and would like to hit the market in the next 6-12 months' time frame,” the spokesman said.
Dissatisfaction with protein absorption
More than a-third of the whey protein consumers from India’s metro cities were not satisfied with protein absorption, according to a survey by MuscleBlaze.
Bloating, diarrhoea, and vomiting were the common woes faced by 403 males aged 18 to 36 years old.
The study took place in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad in September and the respondents have been visiting the gym and consuming whey protein in the three months prior to taking the survey.
A reason for poor absorption is because Indians are not used to absorbing large amounts of protein.
The firm argued that most sports nutrition products were designed “keeping the western dietary habits in mind” and thus the need to tailor the products for the Indian population.
“With growing consumption of whey protein by Indians, the problems related to protein absorption also arise,” said Sameer Maheshwari, MuscleBlaze’s CEO and founder.
“With such high percentage of whey consumers being not completely satisfied with the protein absorption, we put our R&D team on work and have produced a unique patent-pending enhanced absorption formula, customised especially for the Indian gym-goers.”
