DSM launches season of cycling challenges to drive public health

19 May 2021 --- Royal DSM is launching a season of cycling challenges to encourage consumers to improve their health. Professional cyclists will offer participants nutritional advice as part of the program, alongside training plans and motivational support.

The series is part of DSM’s recent partnership with Team DSM, an elite road cycling team from Germany (formerly Team SunWeb), which will compete this year in races such as the Tour de France.

The partnership aims to increase public engagement around the importance of health through nutrition, in line with both organizations’ shared purpose and culture, according to DSM.

Dimitri de Vreeze, co-CEO of DSM, says the COVID-19 pandemic has put many consumers into bad nutritional and exercise habits – something the company wants to change. 

“It’s all too easy when we’re spending so much time isolated at home to get into bad dietary and exercise habits. The science is clear that this affects our physical and mental health.”

“We’re encouraging everyone working with or for DSM to take part because the well-being of people is our first priority. By creating this platform, we hope to help more people achieve better health through nutrition and exercise.”

Prizes will be awarded for the top male, female and mixed teams.Challenging public health
DSM’s research and product innovation is increasingly being applied for its team of cyclists to improve their performance, says the company. 

Insights and feedback from top athletes are, in turn, helping DSM develop nutritional solutions for public health. The cycling series challenge is pitted as a fusion of this research aimed at aiding public health. 

Starting with a short warm-up period, participants in the DSM Keep Challenging Series will get regular encouragement and nutritional advice from Team DSM riders, experts and coaches over four months. 

Participants’ ability will be checked through a 60-minute cycling challenge before their stamina is tested in a competitive distance challenge to coincide with the Tour de France. More challenges will follow, says DSM, including an undisclosed final test at the end of the season.

Registration for the DSM Keep Challenging Series is now possible for teams of up to eight friends, family members or co-workers. Individuals can also be assigned to a pre-arranged team. 

Registration closes on June 13 ahead of the first challenge.

Pushing personalization 
Participants are encouraged to use a wide range of existing digital fitness devices and apps, such as Garmin and Strava, to report their performance and can check how they and their team are doing via the Team DSM website.

DSM has been driving its focus on the personalized nutrition space for some time, recently having invested US$100 million into Hologram Sciences, its consumer-facing company that is creating brands targeting various health conditions, starting with immunity. The company combines health diagnostics, digital coaching and personalized nutrition to provide consumers with more holistic solutions to manage their health. 

Last year, DSM added personalized nutrition as a “third muscle” to its corporate strategy in a move to further shape its Human Nutrition & Health business.

Edited

By Louis Gore-Langton