Nutritional Outlook/Nutrition 21 eBook

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

SEPTEMBER 2018

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SEPTEMBER 2018

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

PROTEIN GETS A BOOST: INGREDIENTS THAT INCREASE THE EFFECTS OF PROTEIN

BY KIMBERLY J. DECKER

P

rotein is so popular these days that it seems nobody can get enough of it. Not getting enough protein can literally be a struggle, however, partly because certain factors impede our ability to fully digest and use the protein we consume. That’s why ingredients that promise to “boost” protein’s power are attracting more and more attention these days.

But what do we really know about how these ingredients unlock protein’s potential—and what evidence do we have that they actually do so?

Muscle-Building Bedrock One thing we do know is that as a trending nutrient, protein maintains its pull. Notes Shawn Baier, MS, MBA, chief operating officer, Metabolic Technologies Inc. (Ames, IA), “We’re most definitely still talking about protein. In sports nutrition, it’s front and center as a key product feature.”

To wit: Fully 90% of the 7+% CAGR that Technavio predicts for the U.S. sports-nutrition market by 2019 will likely come from sales of protein products, says Mallory Junggren, marketing director, Nutrition 21 (Purchase, NY). “This proves that protein products remain the bedrock of the sports-nutrition industry,” she declares.

But protein’s popularity extends beyond sports enthusiasts. Recent years have seen the macro2

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nutrient colonize mainstream meal replacement and healthy snack formulations, says David Keller, vice president of scientific operations, Ganeden (Cleveland). A 2017 Ganeden-sponsored Survey Sampling International (SSI) look at the buying habits of health-conscious consumers found nearly half of all respondents select protein products as “typically purchased items,” Keller notes, “showing that there’s still a large amount of interest in the category.”

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger But for athletes and active types, protein serves a very particular purpose. As Jim Komorowski, chief science officer at Nutrition 21, explains, “During exercise, or just periods of heightened physical activity, muscle fibers are damaged, making them more susceptible to fatigue or injury.” Counterintuitively, it’s this fatigue that signals the body to begin a process called muscle protein synthesis (MPS), “which works to repair and replace damaged muscle fibers through fusing them together into new, strong muscle-protein strands,” Komorowski continues. “As these strands increase in number and thickness, they create muscle growth.”

To feed that growth, the body needs muscle tissue’s basic building blocks: amino acids.

SEPTEMBER 2018

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Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

And “for those athletes pushing their bodies in training and performance,” says Baier, “dietary protein provides a source of these necessary building blocks to build new and repair existing muscle.” When dietary protein is insufficient, “the body turns to its own muscle tissue to meet the requirement for amino acids,” he says—which kind of defeats the purpose of muscle-building exercise in the first place.

Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

general recommendation. “These protein doses should ideally be evenly distributed every three to four hours across the day,” Jäger adds.

Barriers to Entry

So, are gym rats and weekend warriors getting their fill? Given the surfeit of protein-packed products in workout bags, it would be puzzling if they weren’t. But either way, as important to athletes as the amount of protein they take in may be what On the Level their bodies do with that Just how much protein athprotein once it’s in there. letes and active people need As John Deaton, vice is a moving target, as no two president of science and bodies—and no two bodybuildtechnology, Deerland Ening regimens—are alike. But zymes & Probiotics (Kenthis we can conclude: “Comnesaw, GA), says, “Many pared to the RDA, athletes athletes and active individand active people need more uals are consuming more protein to ensure they’re meetprotein in one sitting than ing the elevated demand for their bodies can effectively muscle repair and recovery,” digest and use.” Whey proBaier says. tein, for instance—the gold A “common approach” he’s standard for MPS thanks observed among athletes is to –Jim Komorowski, Chief to its full complement of consume 1 gram of protein per essential amino acids and Science Officer, Nutrition 21 kilogram of body weight “at a the BCAAs leucine, isoleuminimum,” Baier says, though cine, and valine—requires he’s also seen recommendations for as much as hydrolysis to smaller particles within 90 minutes 2 grams per kilogram for some athletes. of consumption to be effective. Yet “it takes apIndeed, Ralf Jäger, FISSN, CISSN, MBA, managproximately 90 minutes for whey to pass from the ing member, Increnovo LLC (Milwaukee), notes stomach through the small intestine for digestion, that intakes of up to 2.3 to 3.1 grams protein absorption, and assemblage into a bio-usable form per kilogram of body weight per day “may be for muscle synthesis,” he explains. Undigested needed to maximize the retention of lean body portions go right through the body, “rendering them weight in resistance-trained subjects during useless to active individuals hoping to improve hypocaloric periods.” While emphasizing that muscle recovery.” optimal intakes for maximizing MPS will vary, he What’s more, the body’s failure to hydrolyze 1 says that 0.25 gram of high-quality protein— whey protein into smaller bits leaves larger pepthat is, protein rich in essential amino acids and tides in the digestive tract, where they produce especially the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) the bloating, nausea, and cramping that plague leucine—per kilogram of body weight, or an abmany who consume a large amount. “Some may solute dose of 20 to 40 grams, makes for a wise chalk up these discomforts to lactose intoler-

“During exercise, or just periods of heightened physical activity, muscle fibers are damaged, making them more susceptible to fatigue or injury.”

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SEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

ance, since whey is a dairy protein,” Deaton notes. “However, lactose isn’t present in whey isolates.” The culprit, rather, is the whey itself.

And even if smooth digestion and thorough hydrolysis were a given, there’s another potential barrier to athletes’ ability to pack in enough protein: “Consumers may just get tired of taking their regular high-protein products because they don’t like the flavor,” Baier notes.

No wonder “simply throwing large amounts of protein into the diet doesn’t necessarily accomplish the goals of optimizing recovery or muscle health,” he concludes. The key lies in shifting protein metabolism “in the right direction”— increasing protein synthesis while reducing protein degradation—“resulting in a net increase in protein for muscle growth and repair,” he says.

Positive Shift

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Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

pathway”—a signaling sequence that lets cells regulate their lifecycles—“while simultaneously inhibiting muscle protein breakdown via the proteasome pathway.”

By “shifting protein metabolism in a positive direction this way,” Baier says, HMB lets the body better use protein’s amino acids for muscle growth and repair. What’s more, it may help us better use plant proteins, which have an amino-acid profile and leucine content “considered less optimal for athletes and active persons,” Baier notes.

“When HMB was combined with a plant-based protein in a recent study,” he says, “the plant-based protein performed more like the whey counterpart.”2

“Protein marketers and sports-nutrition formulators have been looking for ingredients that give protein metabolism just that kind of nudge.”

Protein marketers and sports-nutrition formulators have been looking for ingredients that give protein metabolism just that kind of nudge, as such ingredients promise not only to improve the efficacy of protein products, but to open a new arena of development for sports nutrition and protein products overall.

One such ingredient is ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB). Produced in the body during the metabolism of leucine, it’s “one of the most researched sports-nutrition ingredients,” Baier says, “and has mechanism-of-action data to support its benefit on protein synthesis as well as its minimizing effect on protein breakdown.”

How? It follows a “unique mechanism of action,” says Jäger, “having been shown to increase muscle protein synthesis via the mTOR 4

Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Feeders Digest

Researchers also see potential in the strategic use of digestive enzymes to jumpstart protein hydrolysis and extract more nutrition from “poorer-quality” plant proteins. In a double-blind crossover study 3 published in 2015 , protease 6.0, protease 4.5, peptidase, bromelain, and alpha-galactosidase “have been shown to reduce the significant quality differences between animal and plant protein,” notes Jäger.

Deaton’s company, Deerland Enzymes & Probiotics, addresses both hydrolysis and digestion with its ProHydrolase enzyme blend. “When consumed with protein,” Deaton says, the blend “encourages pre-digestion of the protein, allowing the release of the full content of essential amino acids for building muscle and improving muscle recovery.”

And because pre-digestion cuts peptides down to size, it “reduces the potential for discomfort often associated with protein consumption,” he adds.

One double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical SEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

trial—submitted for publication to a peer-reviewed journal but not yet published—examined the enzyme blend’s effect on whey protein in 20 volunteers aged 19 to 35 with normal, healthy BMIs. Each subject took the whey/enzyme blend for nine days followed by an equal interval consuming whey alone. At the study’s end, researchers found that total amino acid concentrations increased significantly more—by 55 mg—after the whey/enzyme protocol than after whey alone. “In other words,” Deaton says, “taking whey and ProHydrolase provided 20% more amino acids than whey protein by itself.” Moreover, the product appears to be effective not only with whey, but with casein, soy, pea, and hemp proteins, too.

Probiotics Potentiate Protein

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Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

As an added benefit, consumers are already tuned in to probiotics. Keller notes that 52% of the male and 54% of the Millennial respondents to Ganeden’s SSI survey said they were aware that probiotics could enhance protein use. Even better, upwards of 55% of respondents—and 83% and 70% of parents and Millennials, respectively—told SSI that they’d willingly pay more for protein-fortified products if probiotics were included. “This shows demand beyond athletes and sports enthusiasts for not only protein products, but ones fortified with probiotics,” Keller says.

Probiotics have earned praise for promoting a range of health benefits in their hosts, and we can add one more entry to their bag of tricks: improving protein use.

Probiotics have earned praise for promoting a range of health benefits in their hosts, and we can add one more entry to their bag of tricks: improving protein use.

Specifically, Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086— the patented strain that Ganeden markets as GanedenBC30—has a large body of research validating its ability to act on “a variety of endpoints,” Keller says, “including muscle damage and recovery, along with the absorption and use of protein sources.”4-6 Adds Jäger, the probiotic “can withstand the acidic environment of the stomach to reach the intestine where it germinates.” Following germination and activation in the small intestine, the strain seems to aid digestion of carbohydrates and proteins both, and “has been linked to an increased production of digestive enzymes,” he says.

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Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Chromium/ Amylopectin Complex

The role of insulin in carbohydrate metabolism is well established, but its effects on muscle-protein metabolism—and the possibility that some substances can increase our cells’ sensitivity to insulin—are still being teased out. Studies7 do show that in the presence of sufficient levels of protein and essential amino acids, insulin appears to stimulate MPS while inhibiting muscle protein breakdown when protein and amino acid supplies are inadequate.

And it also appears that the mineral chromium may boost insulin sensitivity.8 So in a human clinical study9 published this year in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, scientists investigated the effects of Velositol®, Nutrition 21’s branded chromium/amylopectin complex, on MPS. Using a double-blind, crossover design, the researchers administered either 6 grams of whey protein plus 2 grams of SEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

the chromium/amylopectin complex (WPACr) or 6 grams of whey protein (WP) alone to 10 subjects (six men; four women). After receiving their respective supplements, the subjects completed eight sets of bilateral isotonic leg extensions at 80% of their estimated one-repetition maximum.

Blood test and muscle biopsy results showed that the combination of whey and Velositol® doubled the MPS rate in subjects by 48% from baseline. “This was compared to a 24% increase from baseline when observing whey protein alone,” Nutrition 21’s Komorowski notes.

Researchers concluded that “adding a novel amylopectin/chromium-containing complex to a suboptimal dose of whey protein magnified the increase in MPS from protein intake and resistance exercise.”

Timing Is Everything?

The subjects in the previous study consumed the chromium/amylopectin complex and whey protein supplement simultaneously, which may or may not have influenced its effectiveness.

But the question of timing does emerge when considering how and when to administer a protein-boosting supplement.

For his part, Deaton says that “since protease enzymes work directly on protein to break it down,” his company’s enzyme blend “is most effective when taken with a protein supplement or meal.” Keller, meanwhile, says that while Ganeden’s probiotic strain “has science-backed health benefits even when consumed alone,” the company suggests “taking it when consuming any protein.” Finally, Metabolic Technologies’ Baier says that HMB’s action emerges whether ingested with protein or without—but he adds that recent research indicates optimal benefits accrue when vitamin D levels are “sufficient.”

“Thus, the synergistic combination of HMB and vitamin D is recommended,” he says.

So it appears we still have a lot to learn about this 6

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Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

field. Yet it also appears to hold real promise for consumers—athletes or not. As Baier says, “There are many populations that could benefit from improved protein metabolism and improved muscle health.” Perhaps these products can help them.

Kimberly J. Decker writes for the food and nutrition industries from her base in the San Francisco area, where she enjoys eating food as much as she does writing about it.

This article was first published in Nutritional Outlook, Vol. 20, No. 8 (October 2017).

References 1. Jäger R et al., “International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Published online June 20, 2017.

2. Rittig N et al., “Anabolic effects of leucine-rich whey protein, carbohydrate, and soy protein with and without ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) during fasting-induced catabolism: A human randomized crossover trial,” Clinical Nutrition, vol. 36, no. 3 (2017): 697-705 3. Minevich J et al., “Digestive enzymes reduce quality differences between plant and animal proteins: a double-blind crossover study,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Published online September 21, 2015.

4. Gepner T et al., “The combined effects of Bacillus coagulans GBO-30, 6068 and HMB supplementation on muscle integrity and cytokine response during intense military training,” Journal of Applied Physiology. Published online April 13, 2017.

5. Keller D et al., “Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 increases plant protein digestions in a dynamic, computer-controlled in vitro model of the small intestine (TIM1),” Beneficial Microbes, vol. 3, no. 3 (2017): 491-496 6. Jäger R et al., “Probiotic Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 reduces exercise-induced muscle damage and increases recovery,” PeerJ. Published online July 21, 2016.

7. Wolfe RR., “Effects of insulin on muscle tissue,” Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, vol. 3, no. 1 (January 2000): 67–71 8. Evans GW, “The effect of chromium picolinate on insulin controlled parameters in humans,” The International Journal for Biosocial Research, vol. 11 (1989): 163–80 9. Ziegenfuss TN et al., “Effects of an amylopectin and chromium complex on the anabolic response to a suboptimal dose of whey protein,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Published online February 8, 2017.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

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LEPIDAMAXTM AND NITROSIGINE® STRONG IN LATEST SPORTS NUTRITION RESEARCH

I

n recent studies, Nutrition 21’s LepidamaxTM (a new, proprietary maca blend) and Nitrosigine®(an inositolstabilized, arginine silicate) both show why they are so attractive to a wide range of both sports and active nutrition consumers.

Lepidamax for Exercise Endurance “Maca is a Peruvian root that is rich in phytonutrients,” says James Komorowski, chief science officer at Nutrition 21 (Purchase, NY), “which has been traditionally used for centuries as a food and in traditional medicine. Studies suggest that maca boosts mood and increases energy levels and endurance, and work on Nutrition 21’s branded option is revealing a greater understanding of this natural ingredient says Komorowski.

“Although the mechanism is not entirely understood, research suggests that Lepidamax may work at the cellular level to improve exercise capacity, decrease the buildup of lactic acid, and reduce fatigue.”

With the release of promising new research exploring athletic endurance, Lepidamax, Nutrition 21’s proprietary blend of maca they are bringing to market soon, has been shown through an in vitro study to increase cellular energy more effectively than other maca blends. Komorowski explains that Lepidamax offers “a performance

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blend that may enable athletes and the general population to fortify their endurance and maximize their energy potential.”

Results of a recent preclinical study1 make a compelling case for Lepidamax’s potential to both enhance endurance and mitigate the effects of strenuous exercise on fatigue. For three weeks, subjects were randomized to receive either Lepidamax in a powder format or a control powder every day, with half of the groups also engaging in a twice-weekly exercise regimen.

On day 14 of the study, subjects performed a weight-loaded swim test, with researchers measuring time to exhaustion and serum lactate levels following the test. Researchers also assessed several oxidative markers, including glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and malondialdehyde (MDA), following a non-loaded swim test conducted on the final day of the study.

In the Lepidamax plus exercise group, swimming time to exhaustion was 44% higher than in the control exercise group, and serum lactate levels were found to be 42% lower than in the control exercise group. Another marker of oxidative stress, MDA, was found to be present in lower levels in serum, liver, and muscle in both the exercise and non-exercise Lepidamax groups compared to the corresponding control groups.

Notably, muscle levels of GSH-Px, an antioxidant SEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

enzyme, were significantly higher in both Lepidamax groups compared to the corresponding control groups.

Taken together, researchers concluded that the findings not only indicate Lepidamax can enhance exercise capacity, but also suggest that this may result, at least in part, from Lepidamax reducing the buildup of oxidative stress and lactate produced by strenuous exercise.

“These results support the beneficial effects of Lepidamax on enhancing endurance and energy metabolism, and indicate a potential mechanism by which Lepidamax supports physical endurance,” Komorowski explains. He notes that the other studies on maca have produced similar findings, and that Nutrition 21 intends to conduct additional research to further differentiate its blend from other available forms of maca. Lepidamax is appropriate for use in capsules, powders, bars, and chews, according to Komorowski, with more formulation information to come once the ingredient is formally brought to market.

Nitrosigine for Cognitive Function After Exercise It’s an unfortunate reality that a decline in cognitive function often accompanies bouts of strenuous exercise, but new study results suggest that Nitrosigine, Nutrition 21’s bonded arginine silicate ingredient, may effectively prevent that decline.

In a soon-to-be-published double-blind crossover trial2, subjects received a single oral dose of Nitrosigine and placebo in a randomized sequence and engaged in a Trail Making Test (TMT) to assess executive functioning and cognitive processing speed. “Subjects performed the TMT prior to dosing and immediately following exercise at increasing workloads until exhaustion,” Komorowski explains. Researchers observed a 51% exercise-induced decline in cognitive function in the placebo group, while Nitrosigine prevented the same decline in the experimental group, with significant improvements seen to 8

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Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

mental acuity, focus, and processing speed, compared to placebo.

In a post-hoc analysis of a separate clinical study3 also featuring a TMT, Komorowski notes, subjects demonstrated “significantly improved cognitive flexibility” after consuming a single dose of Nitrosigine.

“From this data and the wealth of previous data, it is evident that Nitrosigine provides consumers with a significant boost to NO levels in a manner that is different from standard arginine, and in doing so, unlocks enhanced mental flexibility, processing speed, and executive functioning,” Komorowski says. “The results of both studies were presented at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2018 Conference and will be published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition,” Komorowski adds.

The Nitrosigine complex has demonstrated its potential in numerous studies to enhance arginine and nitric oxide (NO) levels, a key factor in enhancing blood flow and vasodilation, which has been shown to promote improved performance in areas ranging from cognitive health to muscle recovery. Komorowski notes that the combination of arginine and silicon in Nitrosigine, stabilized by inositol, has been shown in an in vitro study to more effectively raise NO levels than other forms of arginine, including arginine hydrochloride and arginine alpha-ketoglutarate.

References 1. Sylla S et al., “The effect of a proprietary maca powder (Maca-N21) on endurance capacity in exercised rats.”

Presented at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2018 Conference.

2. Evans M., et al., “An evaluation of the effects of inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (ASI; Nitrosigine®) in preventing the decline in cognitive function cause by strenuous exercise.” Presented at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2018 Conference.

3. Kalman D, et al., “An evaluation of the effects of inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (ASI; Nitrosigine®) on cognitive flexivility.” Presented at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2018 Conference.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

BRAIN-HEALTH NOOTROPIC SUPPLEMENTS GROWING IN SPORTS NUTRITION

BY KIMBERLY J. DECKER

A

thletes and visitors to the Ted Stevens Sport Services Center at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs will find a state-of-the-art sports-medicine assessment facility, a team of world-class strength and conditioning coaches—even a high-altitude training center and teaching kitchen where Olympians can learn how to feed for peak performance.

But they’ll also find, located appropriately in the center’s Sport Sciences wing, a psychophysiology training space designed to monitor athletes’ brain and body responses while resting and under competitive simulation. For, as U.S. Olympic Committee sport psychologist and psychophysiologist Lindsay Thornton, points out, “Every change in the physiological state is accompanied by an appropriate change in the mental or emotional state, conscious or unconscious, and, conversely, every change in the mental or emotional state, conscious or unconscious, is accompanied by an appropriate change in the physiological state.”

In other words, brain and body are one. And, as Karen Hecht, PhD, scientific affairs manager, AstaReal Inc. (Burlington, NJ), notes, the very presence of the psychophysiology space at the OTC “shows that no less an august body than 9

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the U.S. Olympic Committee has dedicated a facility and program to studying how mental fitness impacts physical fitness and athletic achievement.”

Sports nutrition products are increasingly dedicating space in their formulations for ingredients—called nootropics—that link the mental and the physical, too, boosting cognitive function in such a way that athletic performance also improves. And the more we learn about the relationship between brain and body, the more exciting the prospects for these ingredients seem.

Nascent Category Though it would be difficult to find precise data on the strength of nootropic sports performance products—that’s how nascent the category is— “the number of cognitive-support supplements aimed toward athletes and fitness enthusiasts certainly seems to be growing, with abundant opportunities,” Hecht says.

Perhaps that’s because the convergence of several trends points the category toward success.

“First,” says Elyse N. Lovett, MBA, MS, marketing manager, Kyowa Hakko U.S.A. Inc. (New York City), “good science on ingredients showing the correlations between sports and brain health has started to emerge. Second, consumers have started deSEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

manding products with brain health aspects to get that competitive edge. And third, manufacturers need to differentiate themselves in the crowded sports nutrition supplement space.”

Evolving Spaces As the audience for sports nutrition has expanded beyond its core focus on muscle mass and competition, the category has drawn what Kim Colletti, MBA, global cognition product manager, Kemin Human Nutrition and Health (Des Moines, IA), calls “active-lifestyle users, including key groups like on-the-go business professionals, working mothers, and outdoor enthusiasts.” This broader base, she says, “is looking for a wide range of benefits from sports products, including improvements in mental and physical performance.”

It is worth noting that this connection is hardly a new development. “Stimulants and other ingredients with cognitive benefits have been used in sports nutrition for many years,” Colletti points out. “The traditional sports-nutrition consumer welcomed the inclusion of nootropics long before they were even termed as such.” But, she says, “Now the expansion of the category to the active-lifestyle consumer has resulted in the emergence of nootropics as a category within the sports-nutrition market.”

Meanwhile, the nootropics field has been going through its own evolution. “For the last 20 years, ‘cognitive function’ products were more or less focused on aging baby boomers, tied to the hopes that they could help slow or prevent cognitive decline,” observes James Komorowski, MS, CNS, chief science officer, Nutrition 21 LLC (Purchase, NY). “Today’s nootropics are more closely targeted at Millennials, as the demographic is on a constant search to increase its number of productive hours in a day, whether for work, school, sports, or just daily life.”

Get Your Game On And to the extent that Millennials are the central spectators of and participants in the world of eSports, or competitive video gaming, they de10

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Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

serve top billing for encouraging nootropic sports nutrition’s growth.

“Without question,” says Tim Ziegenfuss, PhD, CSCS, FISSN, CEO, Center for Applied Health Sciences (Stow, OH), “the gamer market has the biggest potential and most relevance” for driving nootropics’ future in sports formulations.

The global audience for competitive gaming approaches 140 million, he notes, and elite eSports athletes now earn college scholarships.

For these high-stakes competitors, “optimizing brain ‘flow’ during a game of Call of Duty might make the difference between getting recruited by a top team like Optic Gaming or getting trounced by a seven-year-old with cheat codes,” Ziegenfuss says. “I mean, have you seen the number of buttons and joysticks some of these controllers have nowadays? And don’t even get me started on the virtual reality headsets.”

Natural Inclusions Of course, Millennials staring at video screens are hardly the only targets for nootropic formulations. All sports “require tremendous focus and intense concentration,” Hecht says. “Team sports and sports such as tennis often require the player to instantly assess the situation and immediately anticipate what will happen next and how to react to win. And singular performance sports such as gymnastics and golf also require the ability to focus intently.”

Do nootropics help them do all that? They do, says Komorowski. “A few of the major benefits associated with nootropic supplements are enhanced mental acuity, faster processing times, and improved focus. As any athlete will tell you, focus is what helps push them through their last trying sets of a workout or the final minutes of a long game.” Additionally, athletes appreciate that focus and mental acuity help them avoid injury. “More efficient multitasking also benefits performance by helping athletes save energy,” Komorowski adds.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Protein Gets a Boost: Ingredients that Increase the Effects of Protein

Lepidamax and Nitrosigine Strong in Latest Sports Nutrition Research

Brain-Health Nootropic Supplements Growing in Sports Nutrition

Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

Add their purported effects on mood, motivation, cognitive flexibility, and processing speed. Think caffeine, citicoline, rhodiola, ashwagandha, and cognitive flexibility, and anxiety and nootropics L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (alpha-GPC). are naturals for inclusion in sports formulations.

“Think of it this way,” says Komorowski: “Athletes Inner Workings are already consuming sports nutrition pre-workout to pump their energy levels and improve perUnderstanding just how sports-oriented nootformance during exercise, as well as post-workout ropics alter the brain’s neurochemistry continues supplements to support muscle growth and recovto occupy scientists. But, says Mark J.S. Miller, ery. So, it’s a logical progression that they’d look PhD, MBA, FACN, CNS, principal, Kaiviti Consultto a nootropic supplement to ing LLC (Dallas), the mechahelp improve their overall perfornisms of action seem to follow mance, which really does stem certain themes.

“By neutralizing the from their ability to focus and Most common is a strong free radicals that antioxidant action. “This is imthink clearly during workouts.” portant,” Miller says, “because degrade nitric All About Timing the vascular endothelial prooxide, nootropics duction of nitric oxide is subSome might wonder, though, to oxidative degradation, if anything sets a sports nooimprove vasodilation, ject and this can compromise local tropic apart from ingredients increase blood flow, blood flow.” By neutralizing the that mainstream consumers free radicals that degrade nihave tapped for mental sharpand let nutrients tric oxide, nootropics improve ening. And, Hector Lopez, MD, travel to the brain vasodilation, increase blood CSCS, FAAPMR, FISSN, CEO flow, and let nutrients travel to and cofounder, Supplement and muscle cells the brain and muscle cells that Safety Solutions (Bedford, MA), need them. “This is part of the that need them.” and CMO, Center for Applied explanation for the acute beneHealth Sciences, says the main fits of astaxanthin and other difference boils down to timing, carotenoids, grapeseed extract, and N-acetyl onset of action, and degree of impact. cysteine,” Miller says.

“Orthodox” nootropics support brain health on Similarly, dietary nitrate helps maintain optimal a more chronic basis, Lopez explains, “impacting blood flow to the brain and muscles because a various types of memory and executive function bacterial enzyme in saliva converts it to nitrite, over extended periods by supporting the structural which can then be converted on demand to nitric health of neurons, bioenergetics, and modulating oxide. “So, supplementation with nitrate—usuneuro-inflammatory pathways.” Examples run from ally via beets or spinach—is associated with marine long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, phosphatiimproved aerobic and anaerobic performance, dylserine, and curcumin to anthocyanins and flavaand improved mental functions,” Miller says. noids, phytocannabinoids like CBD—even creatine.

Some supplements actually replenish neurotransA nootropic intended to heighten physical performitters that are “consumed” during the mind– mance, by contrast, works acutely—“within one to muscle communications that underlie sports and three hours,” Lopez says—on the neurochemical bases of reaction time, focus, perceived energy, exercise, Miller continues. And not surprisingly, 11

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scientists are eyeing the microbiome for clues as to how it may affect cognitive and physical performance. “Research in this area, especially with gut–brain interactions achieving increasing clarity, is progressing at a frenzy,” Miller says. “Here we can link the old knowledge of diet to sports performance with a new twist—our microbial friends that make up the community that we call ‘us.’”

The Triad Regardless of the mechanistic specifics, Miller says, “There is a triad at play” in the relationship among nutrition, the brain, and the body. At its apex are nutrients and natural products that can improve sports performance and brain function.

“More recently,” he adds, “there has been growing evidence that exercise itself can improve brain function and suppress the cognitive decline that occurs with aging and disease.”

He adds that, while fewer ingredients have currently been studied to see how they can simultaneously effectuate “improved exercise and brain performance with supplementation,” the number of those potential ingredients is growing.

“Undoubtedly, some of the research that will fill this gap will come in the elderly population, where preservation of cognitive function is being linked to exercise, mitochondrial health, and limiting oxidative stress,” Miller says. “Linking that research to athletes and their trainers will be the hurdle.”

Testing 1-2-3 Hartley Pond, senior vice president, technical sales, FutureCeuticals (Momence, IL), would agree. Among the most compelling studies he has seen on the brain–body connection have been those involving elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which he describes as “a constellation of symptoms, from loss of short-term memory, loss of executive function, loss of motor control, and typically shrinkage of and lesions on the hippocampus.”

In one such study,1 a randomized controlled 12

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trial conducted at the University of British Columbia, researchers assigned women with a median age of 75 and probably MCI to a walking program, a walking and weightlifting program, or no program at all. After a year, the researchers found that the control had lost hippocampal volume, developed further hippocampal lesions, and performed worse in a cognitive assay than at baseline. The walking-only group fared better than the control, Pond says, but “continued to decline in terms of cognitive function, hippocampal volume, and the number of lesions on the hippocampus.” But the subjects in the weightlifting and walking group saw their hippocampal shrinkage plateau, cognitive performance increase 18%, and number of lesions fall.

“This was all possibly correlated to increases in levels of BDNF,” or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, Pond says, which is a myokine protein that muscles release during exercise and that crosses the blood–brain barrier to effect improvements in cognitive function. And while we know that exercise—as well as fasting—triggers BDNF’s release, Pond notes that his company’s whole coffee fruit extract (trade named Neurofactor) also stimulates BDNF production.

The company has three clinical trials underway, one of which looks specifically at the extract’s effects on subjects with MCI, and it’s eagerly awaiting the results over the first half of 2018. “We’ve shown increases in BDNF,” Pond says, “and now we’re looking at functionality with MCI.” The importance of such testing can’t be stressed enough when it comes to establishing nootropic sports formulations’ legitimacy, for both regulators and consumers will demand proof of products’ effectiveness. As Hecht puts it, “Continual research—credible human clinicals to show mechanism of action, results that may be expected, and validation of these results— needs to be performed and disseminated to the media. To create the pull effect—where the SEPTEMBER 2018

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target consumers seek these products out—will take time and effort.” But as any athlete can attest, time and effort pay off.

Here are some branded nootropic ingredients that researchers are putting to the test, and formulators are putting to use: Arginine. One branded ingredient (Nitrosigine® from Nutrition 21) is a novel complex of arginine and silicon stabilized with inositol, and Nutrition 21 has carried out clinical studies demonstrating its “significant effect on cognitive acuity, including processing speed and executive functioning,” Komorowski says.

One study2 published in late 2016 showed that a 1,500-mg dose significantly improved subjects’ performance on cognitive tests (specifically, the Trail Making Test) requiring mental flexibility, processing speed, and executive functioning, says Komorowski. A previous clinical study suggested that the ingredient’s mechanism of action might be through increased nitric oxide levels, and thus increased blood flow carrying nutrients and glucose to the body and brain, he says.

Spearmint. A branded water-soluble extract of spearmint leaves selectively bred for their high phenolic content (Neumentix Phenolic complex K110-42 from Kemin Human Nutrition and Health) has been the focus of earlier studies examining its effects on cognitive performance and working memory in older adults, as well as its potential antioxidant, neuroprotective, cholinergic, and neurotrophic mechanistic benefits, Colletti says.

New human clinical trial3 data show that supplementation with the extract supports cognition and enhances physical performance in young, healthy individuals. In the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 142 healthy, recreationally active men and women approximately 27 years old supplemented with either 900 mg of the ingredient or a placebo for 90 days, with testing on days 0, 7, 30, and 90. Physical performance assessments used a 360-de13

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gree mobility device called the Makoto Arena II; cognitive measures came from a computerized cognitive-test battery.

Researchers found that subjects taking the supplement had significantly higher sustained attention scores after 30 days—scores still present at day 90. They also displayed significantly improved physical choice reaction performance as early as day 7, and improvements in the number of “hits” on the mobility device at day 30, which persisted throughout the study.

“The results suggest that the extract may benefit overall physical performance by supporting cognitive performance in a sports setting,” Colletti says. “These findings build on earlier work showing benefits in working memory, another executive function in the brain, and further emphasize the uniqueness of this special ingredient.”

Citicoline. A branded form of citicoline (Cognizin from Kyowa Hakko USA) has built a reputation for its effects on focus, attention, and mental recall, says Lovett. “It increases phosphatidylcholine,” she adds, “which is critical for healthy brain function.” A 2015 study4 deployed the Finger Tap and Ruff 2&7 tests to show that the ingredient produced an increase in motor speed and attention, respectively, in adolescent males after 298 days of supplementation.

Theacrine. Theacrine, a purine alkaloid found naturally in certain coffee, tea, and cacao-like botanical species, resembles the chemical structure of caffeine, but it has “very different physiological effects,” says Lopez, whose company has a branded form (TeaCrine from Compound Solutions; Carlsbad, CA).

For example, both caffeine and theacrine inhibit adenosine activity via two specific receptors, and it’s this inhibition, Lopez says, that sets off the biochemical processes that prevent the perception of fatigue and increase the attention, focus, and alertness that athletes prize. But, theacrine is a direct dopamine D1 and D2 receptor agonist, he adds, while caffeine is not. These agonist actions SEPTEMBER 2018

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help theacrine increase the dopamine signaling associated with attention, movement control, motor performance, task initiation and completion, motivation, mood, and learning.

Caffeine is also what’s known as an orthosteric adenosine inhibitor, meaning it directly blocks the receptor sites. Meanwhile, theacrine “is likely to act as an indirect, allosteric modulator of these receptors,” Lopez continues, “contributing to differences in habituation.”

So, while caffeine habituation can set in after as few as five days of consumption, “a significant attribute of theacrine is the lack of habituation, or the decrease in response known as tachyphylaxis,” Lopez says. An eight-week study5 involving 60 subjects who took 200 mg and 300 mg of theacrine showed no signs of the rapid tachyphylaxis typically associated with caffeine and other nootropics.

Astaxanthin. Natural astaxanthin is a carotenoid derived from the algae Haemotococcus pluvialis. A recent study designed to induce the fatigue and stress of daily life—and of athletic training—put a branded form (AstaReal astaxanthin from AstaReal) to the test.

In the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial,6 subjects consumed either 12 mg/day of the astaxanthin supplement or a placebo for eight weeks. To test mental function, the participants performed a battery of timed calculations (i.e., the Uchida-Kraepelin test) to evaluate concentration and mental clarity; physical challenges were performed using a bicycle ergometer. The researchers then measured individuals’ subjective and objective perceptions of fatigue both before and after the stressor tests.

Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) analysis showed a significant reduction in perceived symptoms of mental and physical fatigue with supplementation compared to the placebo. “These included improvements in cognitive acuity, concentration, motivation, and mood,” Hecht notes. Subjects 14

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also reported reduced feelings of body heaviness and irritation. And while the placebo group displayed an increase in errors during the second half of the test, such an increase “was almost nonexistent” in the astaxanthin group. Supplementation also significantly lowered levels of salivary cortisol, a stress biomarker.

Says Hecht, “The study is believed to be the first clinical trial demonstrating that a nutraceutical ingredient has properties effective against both physical and mental fatigue.”

Kimberly J. Decker writes for the food and nutrition industries from her base in the San Francisco area, where she enjoys eating food as much as she does writing about it.

This article was first published in Nutritional Outlook, Vol. 21, No. 3 (April 2018).

References 1. Nagamatsu LS et al., “Physical activity improves verbal and spatial memory in older adults with probable mild cognitive impairment: a 6-month randomized controlled trial,” Journal of Aging Research. Published online February 24, 2013.

2. Kalman D et al., “Randomized prospective double-blind studies to evaluate the cognitive effects of inositol-stabilized arginine silicate in healthy physically active adults,” Nutrients, vol. 8, no. 11 (November 2016) 3. Falcone P et al., “Chronic supplementation with a natural nootropic spearmint extract improves active reaction performance in young healthy individuals. Study presented at the Proceedings of the 14th Annual International Society of Sports Nutrition conference (June 2017).

4. Yurgelun-Todd D et al., “The effect of citicoline supplementation on motor speed and attention in adolescent males,” Journal of Attention Disorders. Published online July 15, 2015.

5. Taylor L et al., “Safety of TeaCrine, a non-habituating, naturally-occurring purine alkaloid over eight weeks of continuous use,” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Published online January 13, 2016.

6. Hongo N et al., “Randomized controlled trial of the anti-fatigue effects of astaxanthin on mental and physical loads simulating daily life,” Journal of Clinical Therapeutics & Medicines, vol. 32, no. 7 (2016): 277-291 SEPTEMBER 2018

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BEHIND VELOSITOL®’S ABILITY TO ENHANCE MUSCLE PROTEIN SYNTHESIS RESEARCH

P

rotein and amino acids may be the fuel for muscle protein synthesis (MPS), but they are hardly the only nutritional factors involved in this process that is fundamental for amplified muscle growth, increased lean body mass, and quicker muscle recovery. “Velositol®, Nutrition 21’s modified-release, dietary amylopectin chromium complex, has been shown to enhance insulinogenic function, which increases amino acid uptake into the cells, and doubles the effect of whey protein on muscle protein synthesis,” says James Komorowski, chief science officer at Nutrition 21 (Purchase, NY). New study results are now shedding light on exactly how Velositol affects MPS. In study results presented at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2018 Conference, Velositol was shown to significantly enhance the activity of key signaling factors for MPS.1 During the preclinical study, researchers compared the effect of different combinations of protein ingredients plus Velositol, as well as protein ingredients alone, on the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. As the signaling pathway primarily responsible for regulating MPS, the mTOR pathway is stimulated by insulin in the presence of sufficient amino acids.

Following a 10-day treadmill acclimation schedule, subjects exercised at 26 m/min for 2 hours

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on the day of the single-dose experiment. Subjects were assigned to one of 12 groups, with each group consuming either whey protein, pea protein, or branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), or a corresponding combination of the protein ingredient with Velositol. There was also a control group.

Immediately after completing the exercise, subjects consumed their assigned product, and then were assessed for the phosphorylation of mTOR signaling factors, such as mTOR, S6K1, and 4E-BP1.

Strikingly, researchers found that for all forms of protein, at nearly all dosage levels, the addition of Velositol increased the activity of the mTOR signaling factors. When compared to the protein alone group at the 6 g equivalent dosage level, muscle mTOR activity increased by at least 60% after supplementation in all the groups taking protein plus Velositol. The gains to S6K1 and 4E-BP1 phosphorylation were more varied across protein sources, but still indicative of significantly increased activity due to the addition of Velositol to regular protein supplementation.

“These results suggest that Velositol initiates MPS through mTOR pathway activation of key downstream signaling proteins known to be involved in muscle growth and function,” Komorowski says.

“These findings give insight into the mechanism by which Velositol enhances MPS.” He also suggested the study speaks to the versatility of Velositol, SEPTEMBER 2018

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as its combination with protein produced signifiof bilateral isotonic leg extensions. In analyzing cant increases to MPS across all three types of participant muscle biopsies, researchers found protein ingredients studied. that the Velositol plus protein group experienced Velositol has also been scientifically shown a 48% increase in MPS from baseline, compared to increase muscle myokines including musclin to just a 24% increase in MPS in the group and fractalkine, further illuminating the pathways taking whey protein alone. The subjects taking through which it enhances MPS. Myokines are whey protein plus Velositol also presented the released during exercise to initiate MPS and highest myokine levels after exercise, including hypertrophy. Musclin is assoincreases in musclin and ciated with aerobic capacity, fractalkine, both of which mitochondrial count, and mus- Researchers found that are “exercise-responcle oxidative capacity, while all groups supplemented sive myokines involved fractalkine is linked to muscle in muscle growth and with the combination of regeneration and hypertrophy. endurance,” researchers The relationship between Velositol and whey protein noted. myokines and Velositol was “This is a key differenhad significantly higher the subject of a recent preclintiator for how Velositol ical study2, with many design musclin levels when brings benefits over parallels to the aforemencompared to whey protein protein supplementation tioned study on the mTOR alone, and that the increase alone; it helps the body pathway. In this preclinical initiate MPS with the study, subjects completed a in musclin was significantly release of myokines, and 10-day treadmill acclimation it helps the body with the schedule leading up to the day correlated with an increase uptake of key nutrients of the single-dose experiment, in muscle protein synthesis. needed to efficiently conwhen the subjects exercised duct MPS,” Komorowski at 26 m/min for 2 hours and explains. then immediately consumed their assigned study He adds, “The results of this study suggest product. Depending on the group they were in, that Velositol supplementation with whey protein, the subjects received either whey protein alone pea protein, or BCAAs will result in increases to or whey protein plus Velositol. There was also a MPS. When added to BCAAs, pea protein, and control group. whey protein, Velositol produced statistically sigResearchers found that all groups supplementnificant increases to MPS which we will look to ed with the combination of Velositol and whey validate in future clinical research.” protein had significantly higher musclin levels when compared to whey protein alone, and that References the increase in musclin was significantly correlated with an increase in muscle protein synthesis.

1. Komorowski J et al., “The addition of amylopectin/ chromium complex to protein enhances the activity of Similarly, a recent double-blind, crossover clinimuscle protein synthesis signaling factors.” Presented cal study explored Velositol’s effect on myokines at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2018 in four human subjects aged 21–45. Subjects Conference. consumed a beverage containing either 6 g of 2. Komorowski J et al., “The effects of Velositol on whey protein or 6 g of whey protein plus 2 g of exercised-induced myokines.” Presented at the 2017 Velositol, after which they completed eight sets American College of Nutrition Conference.

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Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

WEIGHT-MANAGEMENT DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND THE SEARCH FOR EFFECTIVE INGREDIENTS

BY KIMBERLY J. DECKER

I

t didn’t take long for the headlines to surface after JAMA published the latest data on American obesity rates this March. “American Adults Just Keep Getting Fatter,” cried The New York Times. “Public Education Efforts Not Moving the Needle in Fight against Obesity,” was Kaiser Health News’ takeaway. Even the food blog Grubstreet conceded, “America’s Obesity Epidemic Is Only Getting Worse.”

The responses set a dismal tone—and for good reason. The data1 to which they respond, taken from the 2007-2008 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), paint a picture of a nation wherein 33.7% of adults are obese (defined as having a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or more) and 5.7% are severely obese (having a BMI of 40 or more)—and they reflect an upward obesity trend that’s been in evidence for decades.

All this comes despite ongoing efforts to educate Americans about the risks of—and remedies to—obesity. And it also comes despite the earnest claims of those same Americans that they’re exercising more.

So, clearly: Something isn’t working.

Yet it’s time we find something that does. Whatever that “something” is, it’ll likely comprise dietary changes, more exercise and education, and

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possibly nutritional supplementation to address weight management. After all, as Joe Weiss, president, Nutrition 21 LLC (Purchase, NY), points out, “The problem surrounding obesity is only getting worse, which leads me to believe there will continue to be demand around products addressing or reducing the negative impacts of this condition.”

Cracking the Code We’ve been down this road before, and perhaps we keep winding up here because although solving overweight and obesity may be simple in concept—eat less; exercise more—it’s much harder in fact. As Mark Cope, PhD, applied nutrition manager, DuPont Nutrition & Health (Madison, WI), says, “We all know that weight management requires lifestyle changes, but it’s these changes in diet and exercise habits that make weight management so challenging.”

Add to that the inexorable influence of genetics—and an environment apparently designed to encourage obesity—and it’s understandable why taking weight off and keeping it off is a tough code to crack. Says Mitch Skop, former senior director of new product development, Pharmachem Laboratories Inc., a division of Ashland (Kearny, NJ), “Emotionally charged mindsets often cause binge or stress eating,” and though manufacturSEPTEMBER 2018

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ers are making healthful choices available, “junkfood manufacturers are doing the same thing,” albeit in the equal and opposite direction.

Weighty Consequences The consequences of this “toxic food environment” extend well beyond one’s waistline. “Obesity is associated with higher death rates driven by comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, steatohepatitis, gastroesophageal reflux, arthritis, polycystic ovary syndrome, and infertility2,” Cope says. “Another important point to make about obesity is reduced quality of life, even among obese individuals without associated comorbidities3.”

And don’t forget to account for obesity’s economic toll. Cope points to data4 showing that the public health burden of excess weight costs the U.S. healthcare system more than $200 billion annually. Moreover, a Johns Hopkins University study5 concluded that obese individuals who lower their BMI to what’s considered a healthy range could save $28,000 over a lifetime.

Shame on Sugar Supplementary interventions that help keep weight in that healthy range also have the potential to ameliorate obesity’s costs. And though such products have traditionally focused on energy, thermogenesis, and metabolism, “more recently it seems a lot of formulas are catering to consumers who need help managing their sugar intake to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, reduce hunger, and increase satiety,” says Brian Appell, marketing manager, OmniActive Health Technologies (Morristown, NJ).

Indeed, “Today’s diets are loaded with sugar,” Appell observes. NPD Group research6 reveals that while a combination of sugary nonalcoholic beverages and processed grain products contribute the lion’s share of sugars in contemporary diets, “even foods many people consider healthy 18

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can contain more than 95 grams of hidden sugars,” he notes—“more than twice the maximum recommended intake.”

No wonder sugar consumption has been climbing over the past 30 years—and contributing to near-epidemic rates of elevated blood sugar and weight gain in the process. “It’s the hidden sugars that are largely responsible for this health crisis,” Appell adds. So it’s also no wonder that when an OmniActive survey7 asked consumers which single item they’d eliminate from their diets if they could, more than half cited sugar and/or carbohydrates.

Exercising Control Appell says that because his company’s Salacia chinensis extract—marketed as OmniLean—can “uniquely balance blood sugar and thereby control appetite,” it can help users “make healthier choices.” The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled three-way crossover CARBS (Carbohydrate Appetite Reduction and Blood Sugar) study8 was the first to examine the extract’s effects on postprandial glycemic indices and gut hormones, and it found that when taken with a meal, the ingredient improved glycemic response and changes in gut hormones in healthy overweight/obese individuals, reduced blood sugar spikes, and influenced appetite and satiety.

Noting that “industry cannot change people’s stress or behavior, but we can help them lessen the impact of a carb-laden diet,” Skop explains that Pharmachem’s white kidney bean extract— brand named Phase 2 Carb Controller—helps delay digestion and absorption of dietary starches by temporarily inhibiting salivary and pancreatic alpha-amylase enzyme. Carbohydrates that thus resist digestion in the small intestine can travel to the large intestine where they act like dietary fiber, feeding microbiota and upregulating the hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), which promotes satiety signaling, among other metabolic effects.

Four placebo-controlled human studies published between 2001 and 2004 showed signifiSEPTEMBER 2018

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cant weight and inch loss with the product’s use.

The most recent study9 on the ingredient—and the largest human trial on it to date—showed that after 12 weeks of supplementation, those taking the extract lost an average of 7 lb more than the placebo group and experienced a statistically significant decrease in the desire, frequency, and strength of cravings for chocolates and other sweet foods; meanwhile the placebo group saw a significant increase in the difficulty of resisting particular types of food. After 24 weeks, 73.5% of participants in the weight-management phase had successfully maintained their body weight.

Diabetes Connection An earlier review10 of more than a dozen studies also concluded that Pharmachem’s kidney-bean extract could potentially induce weight loss and reduce blood sugar spikes caused by carbohydrates. The study’s coauthor wrote that the ingredient demonstrated the ability to cause weight loss “with doses of 500 to 3,000 mg per day, in either a single dose, or in divided doses. It also has the ability to reduce the postprandial spike in blood glucose levels.”

All of which suggests that it may play a role in addressing blood sugar management and diabetes. And as far as Weiss is concerned, any supplement capable of doing that is just what we need. He cites World Health Organization numbers estimating that 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980. “This increasing incidence of diabetes, as well as complications correlating with poor blood sugar, is likely due to an increase in the associated risk factors in individuals, such as being overweight or obese,” he says.

Chromium “is commonly regarded as effective in helping control blood sugar and carbohydrate cravings, as well as in fighting body fat and assisting in weight management,” notes Jim Komorowski, chief science officer at Nutrition 21.

The trace mineral appears to improve insulin’s 19

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action, boosting the body’s ability to manage blood sugar levels. “People often struggle to lose weight even when dieting and exercising due to impaired insulin resistance,” he notes. “If the body is successfully keeping blood sugar levels in check, managing weight and appetite is a bit more simplified.”

His company’s patented Chromax® chromium picolinate supplement was the focus of a new 2018 review that the company recently publicized in a white paper, comparing it to other weight-loss products and programs, the conclusion of which was that the supplement yielded the greatest percentage of fat loss and smallest percentage of lean body mass loss relative to total weight loss. As Komorowski notes, “Chromax positively impacts body composition by enabling individuals to lose fat while retaining muscle.”

Fat Still Matters A signal implication of the study is that notwithstanding the current fixation on carbohydrates and sugar, fat—or, more specifically, adipose tissue—still matters.

Why? When a body loses primarily lean body mass and not fat in its efforts to shed pounds, it suppresses its metabolic rate, setting up conditions for the subsequent accumulation of more fat. Lean body mass also generates energy, and thus its excess loss can trigger fatigue, poor neuromuscular function, and injury risk. “Therefore,” Komorowski says, “satiety promoters and other low-calorie diets may fall in favor over time compared to products and programs that enhance body composition by increasing fat loss while preserving lean body mass.”

Because the body requires a controlled insulin response to convert food to energy rather than store it as fat, Komorowski adds, “having a controlled insulin response is very important” to keeping body composition in healthy balance during any weight-loss program.

Johanna Maukonen, global health and nutrition science lead at DuPont Nutrition & Health, notes SEPTEMBER 2018

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that the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled weight-management trial11 credited her company’s Howaru Shape probiotic (10 billion-CFU Bifidobacterium lactis B420 strain)—either alone or administered with 12 g of the company’s branded Litesse Ultra polydextrose fiber—with controlling body fat mass, core fat mass, waist circumference, and calorie intake in overweight and obese adults.

Subjects supplementing with the probiotic/fiber combination had 4.5% less total body fat mass, 6.7% less trunk fat, and a 2.6-cm/1.02-in. smaller waist circumference after six months of supplementation relative to the placebo.

The supplement’s mechanism of action appears to relate to improvements in intestinal integrity, as well as anti-inflammatory effects and, potentially, beneficial changes to the gut microbiota’s composition. “Moreover,” Maukonen says, “the unique results were obtained with no changes to diet or exercise habits. And there were no stimulants added, so participants felt like themselves while controlling body fat mass and improving body composition.”

Bye to the Bad Old Days Going forward, clinically substantiated evidence like this will become more important than ever.

As Appell says, “Science on efficacy and safety drive the market by keeping consumers both realistic and optimistic. They want to know how their supplements work and what they can expect.

Sound research and messaging that’s easy to understand help them gain the knowledge they need to make educated purchases.”

In other words, “Gone are the days of ‘magic bullet’ pills boasting unfounded claims or using questionable ingredients with potential side effects,” he says. Weight management has undergone a much-needed market correction as manufacturers lean less on sensationalism and more on real, live effects, he adds, and “that can only lead to better formulas that can prosper in this growing market.”

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Behind Velositol’s Ability to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis

Weight-Management Dietary Supplements and the Search for Effective Ingredients

Kimberly J. Decker writes for the food and nutrition industries from her base in the San Francisco area, where she enjoys eating food as much as she does writing about it.

This article was first published in Nutritional Outlook, Vol. 21, No. 4 (May 2018).

References 1. Hales CM et al., “Trends in obesity and severe obesity prevalence in US youth and adults by sex and age, 2007-2008 to 2015-2016,” JAMA. Published online March 23, 2018.

2. Haslam DW et al., “Obesity,” The Lancet, vol. 366, no.

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7, no. 5 (October 2017): 273-289 4. “Obesity Rates and Trends.” The State of Obesity, https://stateofobesity.org/rates Accessed March 2018.

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