Elevating the Tour de France: 4Gold lifts athletic performance with lipid-based energy source

11 Jul 2023 --- The food technology company of cyclist Mathieu van der Poel, 4Gold, launches LiFT (Lipid Fuel Technology) supplement to enhance athletic performance by making lipids available to muscles. Athletes can integrate LiFT into their carbohydrate strategies as an additional source of energy that helps spare glycogen and enhance performance. 

The product combines the fast energy from medium-chain fatty acids with the metabolism of longer-lasting energy from long-chain fatty acids. 

“Based on the scientific mechanisms and feedback of athletes, we firmly believe that LiFT holds greater potential than ketones in sports performance,” Brent Luyckx, founder and CEO of 4Gold, tells Nutrition Insight. 

“Extensive testing of LiFT has been conducted with a diverse group of athletes, encompassing cyclists, triathletes, MX riders, runners, cross-fitters, football players, race pilots and others. The results were remarkable, as 75% of these athletes reported experiencing an enhanced overall sensation when combining LiFT with carbohydrates, surpassing the effects of carbohydrates alone.” 

“Individual feedback from athletes was overwhelmingly positive, with statements such as ‘the last hour felt like the first’ and ‘I had the sensation of being able to keep going,’” adds Luyckx. 

Product development 
4Gold collaborated with nutritional lipids producer Bunge Nutrition to leverage the latest science in lipid metabolism, prioritizing athletic performance and endurance. The partners published a white paper to explain the new technology. 

LiFT was launched by the food technology company of cyclist Mathieu van der Poel (Image credit: 4Gold).“LiFT is an innovative achievement that builds on the latest advancements in science. Previously, lipids were not seen as an ideal source for fueling physical exercise. To truly grasp the revolutionary impact of LiFT in this field, it is crucial to explore the intricacies of lipid metabolism,” highlights Luyckx. 

“To achieve maximum performance, it is recommended to incorporate LiFT in addition to your carbohydrate strategy. By combining LiFT with your carbohydrate intake before and during physical exercise, you can experience optimal results,” he continues. 

“LiFT is specially formulated with intelligent lipids that provide an additional energy source. The remarkable outcome is a glycogen-sparing effect, which improves endurance and overall performance.” 

Luyckx adds that LiFT can also be used without carbohydrates to optimize fat burning during fasted training sessions. 

Scientific backing 
In the whitepaper accompanying the product’s launch, 4Gold explains that athletes should consume the supplement before training or racing to ensure they can use its lipids during exercise. The company suggests consuming the supplement for three days before a race is consistent with the latest science on lipid absorption. 

4Gold tested LiFT on 22 cyclists, four triathletes, nine runners and five motocross bikers. Of all participants, 93% reported “excellent GI tolerance,” 76% said they felt better than average and 62% reported an improved recovery. 

Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover clinical trials are ongoing with triathletes and cyclists. Pretesting has shown a trend toward lower lactate levels for the same power output. 

Moreover, a muscle glycogen-sparing effect was found in preliminary lab testing, which translates into better performance in a time trial after cyclists tired themselves out for several hours. 

“Our current focus is to encourage widespread adoption of LiFT among athletes in the sports industry,” concludes Luyckx. “However, we recognize the potential to explore the development of additional products in the future.”

By Jolanda van Hal with additional reporting by William Bradford Nichols