Bordeaux Grape Extract for Athletes? – Study

09/10/07 For the first time, Berkem has established a clear link – clinically proven – between a strong antioxidant power and energy. For both Energy and Anti-aging dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages, the Bordeaux grape extract Powergrape offers a unique concept supported by clinical trials. Thanks to an original mechanism of action – that will be presented at Supply Side West 2007 – Powergrape brings innovation to active formulas.

According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, total sales of US Sports drinks increased by almost 12% in 2006, holding 4th place in the US beverage market by volume. Energy drinks, 6th largest beverage category by volume, totaled no less than 49.1% growth in 2006. The Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) estimates the US Sport Nutrition Market will reach $6 billion in 2008 and $22.8 billion by 2013, i.e. more than 3 times its value in 2008 in only 5 years. In spite of this exceptional progress, Tonus and Sports Nutrition markets remain in search of innovation, in particular in terms of ingredients.

This is precisely what Berkem provides with Powergrape: in particular the last results on Powergrape permit for the first time to establish a link between a strong antioxidant power and energy in humans. With only 400 mg per day, Powergrape has been proved to significantly:

- improve performance and recovery capacity in the supplemented group;
- increase the plasmatic ORAC value of supplemented athletes,
- improve the antioxidant status of supplemented athletes.

This randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled cross-over clinical study has been investigated in collaboration with Dr. Cara, PhD in chemistry and nutritionist specialized in sport nutrition in Avantage Nutrition* and Drs Masure and Rock, Research Directors in the Human Nutrition Unit in the French Agronomic Research Institute, INRA.

This innovation permits to propose various applications for final products, as well as, for example:

- Reduces the risk of muscular damage,
- Improves the explosive sports performance during effort,
- Improves recovery capacity after effort,
- Improves the antioxidant status in athletes,
- Protects against the oxidative stress damage (that can be aggravated by smoking, poor diet, UV exposure, pollution, over-exertion as well as inadequate exercise),
etc.

Powergrape, stemming from the expertise of Berkem in extraction of polyphenols since 1964, possesses specific and unique concentrations of various classes of Polyphenols including monomers, guaranteeing a unique and active ingredient. This composition is notably characterized by one of the best ratio ORAC / price on the market.

Final products containing Powergrape are already about to be marketed including a sport drink reducing the risk of muscular damage, organic cereal bars for best recovery after effort, functional yogurt to preserve your youth reducing the risk of oxidative damage, tablets which improves the antioxidant defenses of our body, etc.