Chew launches Fastfood sports nutrition that harnesses galactose carbs
15 Feb 2023 --- US food innovation lab Chew has launched Fastfood, a range of high-performance sports nutrition products to fuel elite and amateur athletes. One of its dedicated projects for 2023 is to power up the pro triathletes of an exclusive health cycling team.
“As both a chef and an Ironman triathlete, I have an intimate understanding of the essential benefits of quality high-performance fuel,” Adam Melonas, founder and CEO of Chew.
“During my training, I struggled to accept that the sports nutrition marketplace often forces athletes to consume artificial ingredients at the expense of their holistic food values and I was irritated enough to do something about it.”
The formulas leverage nutrients from food and galactose carbohydrates concentrated into Galacto-Gels, Galacto-Gummies and Hydrator beverage mixes.
Mindset of an athlete
Fastfood consists of real food and was created in collaboration with endurance athletes. The concept relies on an athlete-focused approach, which is being tested by the Human Powered Health cycling team with triathletes Joe Skipper and Jesper Svensson ahead of their race season.
“Athletes can now fuel themselves with the highest-performance product while feeling comfortable and confident that they can maintain their health and food-conscious lifestyles,” explains Melonas.
The Fastfood range features a Hydrator beverage mix that releases optimal electrolytes and micro-nutrition. The premium hydration formula blends food-based ingredients, sodium, chloride, magnesium and zinc to create balanced replenishment and eliminate the salty taste often associated with these products. 
The galactose used in Fastfood gives a stable supply of carbohydrates to athletes during their sporting activities.
Food ingredients such as lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, raspberry, pomegranate and guarana provide the Fastfood Hydrator beverage mix with real taste and natural caffeine.
The product is certified with Informed Sport, providing athletes the assurance that all products have been tested for a wide range of substances prohibited in sports.
Endurance competition
Galactose provides a stable supply of carbohydrates to fuel the body and prevents sugar crashes which often occur during athletic activity. These crashes often last more than an hour because the athletes have consumed sports nutrition products isolated from “simple sugars” such as glucose and fructose.
The team produces the galactose carbohydrate by converting naturally occurring and abundant lactose into its two key components, galactose and glucose. Combined with fructose, it creates the ideal carbohydrate blend to power maximum athletic performance while remaining lactose-free to avoid intolerance.
The Optimal Energy Release System enhances various energy inputs into different metabolic pathways for efficient energy absorption that makes the best of the number of carbohydrates an athlete consumes every hour.
The products contain 25 g of carbohydrates per serving. Pre-orders for Fastfood will be made available this month.
Meanwhile, formulators are shifting their strategy for personalized performance nutraceuticals to address a broader consumer base.
Edited by Inga de Jong
