Energy boosters: Cognition-elevating supplements designed to topple caffeine

11 Dec 2019 --- The energy market is evolving beyond the espresso shot. With elevated energy and focus levels topping the list of consumer priorities, coffee alternatives are featuring strongly as new ways to help spark cognitive function. NutritionInsight speaks to active players within the nutraceuticals arena to spotlight some of the latest developments in multi-functional energy boosters.

A recent survey by OmniActive Health Technologies showed that 60 percent of coffee drinkers consume coffee in the morning but take other caffeine products during the day to sustain energy levels. However, 33 percent were found to dislike the jitters and crash associated with caffeine. And while the market is busy with energy products and awareness is high, 55 percent of consumers believe their energy levels have worsened in the last 10 years.

While the majority of energy drinks and sports performance products contain caffeine, regulators as well as consumers have become acutely aware that the excessive daily intake can come with negative side-effects. Botanical supplements specialist Nektium notes that caffeine consumption – greater than 400 mg total per day – carries the risk of cardiovascular side-effects, especially in conjunction with the increased cardiovascular output from sports and gym workouts.

“The concern about excessive caffeine intake is coinciding with the rapid increase in the sports and gym lifestyle trend and the booming sports nutrition market creating a perfect opportunity for the next generation of caffeine-free, non-doping energy ingredients,” says Julia Wiebe, Research & Development Director at Nektium.

“Cognitive health is becoming more targeted as consumers look for solutions to optimize performance by recharging their mental energy to stay focused and alert. Modern consumers are constantly on overdrive, burning through energy that they just don’t naturally have. From work to play, cognitive support is one of the fastest growing categories among consumers, young and old,” says Brian Appell, Marketing Manager at OmniActive Health Technologies.

E-sports are emerging as a new target market for energy-boosting supplements.Clean label, clean energy
Within the space for energy boosting supplements, the clean label trend is flourishing. At the same time, consumers are becoming savvier about choosing science-based ingredients that deliver on promise. 

“Personalized medicine and health hacking are creating a more informed consumer when it comes to understanding how the body works. This guides them toward clinically validated products that have proof of the benefit sought. The ‘hope in a bottle’ mentality is being replaced by ‘show me the research,’” explains Michael Crabtree, Director of Scientific Affairs at Bioenergy Life Science (BLS).

Meanwhile, the target demographics for energy-boosting supplements is notably broadening. “E-sports is emerging globally as a fast-growing trend with the younger demographic, and leading gamers are athletes in their own right, requiring the extreme concentration and reaction times of racing drivers,” highlights Wiebe.

“To enhance performance, gamers stack a range of supplements, typically including caffeine, running the risk of adverse reactions and loss of focus from caffeine jitters. Gamers have created a demand for exciting new caffeine-free nootropic ingredients that enhance reaction time and give sustained attention and concentration, and that do not have the diuretic effect of caffeine,” she adds.

Caffeine-free energy kick
Within the changing market and widening consumer awareness, NPD is wide-ranging and utilizing a range of caffeine-free ingredients..

OmniActive Health Technologies has announced its new health benefits category – Daily Energy & Productivity Performance – at this year’s SupplySide West 2019, October 27 to 30 in Las Vegas, US. The company launched its new product, Xtenergy, and officially entered into a global strategic alliance with India-based Enovate Biolife to expand the market for EnXtra, its flagship energy and performance ingredient.

EnXtra is marketed as a natural, caffeine-free, patent-pending product that contains Alpinia galanga. EnXtra is clinically demonstrated to improve alertness and focus, and when taken with caffeine, has been shown to impede the caffeine crash. The product is noted to be suited for use in energy drinks, ready-to-drink products, bars, snacks, gummies, stick packs and more.

Meanwhile, OmniActive’s Xtenergy is naturally derived from green coffee beans using a gentle water extraction process. In a category that has been traditionally saturated with synthetic options, Xtenergy provides a natural source of sustained energy throughout the day.

Multi-functional alternatives to caffeine are gathering pace on the market.Energy-boosting supplements are moving beyond sports nutrition as industry continues to explore the many other significant benefits to enhancing cellular energy. BLS’ next-generation technology, coined RiaGev, uniquely combines the cellular energy-boosting power of Bioenergy Ribose with vitamin B3 to promote healthy aging.

“Bioenergy Ribose has always been known for producing sustainable energy at the cellular level. Now BLS has created RiaGev, which uses biological energy regulation and production to revitalize skin and to slow the aging process from the inside out. This is by supporting mitochondrial health and age-related cognitive health,” says Crabtree of BLS.

There are significant differences between between coffee and Bioenergy Ribose, notes Crabtree. “Caffeine is a stimulant. It can make the heart more exhausted because it causes the heart rate to become quick and shallow. Bioenergy Ribose, a 5-carbon monosaccharide, works by regulating the body’s natural energy synthesis (ATP and other energy components). Think of it as helping to level your body’s energy supply versus its demand for energy.”

BLS’ RioGev, meanwhile, is applicable as a stand-alone product as well as in foods, powdered mixes and supplements, particularly capsules. “Because it is easy to incorporate without affecting texture or taste, it also has great potential in food categories. And since it is non-GMO and GRAS, it is suitable for clean label formulas,” notes Crabtree.

RiaGev presents potential to be marketed in the “beauty-from-within market,” which has been pegged by Innova Market Insights as a top trend for 2020. “It is for anyone interested in slowing the aging process from the inside out because it helps create healthier cells. In addition to revitalizing skin, RiaGev offers benefits for mitochondrial health and age-related cognitive health. It is highly active in the liver, muscles and brain,” says Crabtree.

Meanwhile, tapping into clean label botanical ingredients is Nextium’s Zynamite, a patent-pending extract from the leaves of Mangifera indica for mental and physical energy. The supplement is a nootropic that activates electrical brain activity, gives a faster reaction time, and reduces mental fatigue. To date the product has seen launches in Europe, the US and Japan.

“Zynamite does not contain caffeine or other alkaloids with similar structures to caffeine, like theobromine or theacrine. Zynamite is the result of five years of research by Nektium’s Department of Research, Development and Innovation to find the next generation of caffeine-free mental & physical energy,” says Wiebe of Nektium.

Nektium’s researchers discovered that Zynamite does not have activity on the main targets for caffeine’s activity, namely the adenosine receptors and the enzyme phosphodiesterase. “We discovered novel mechanisms of action that are the subject of a scientific paper currently under peer review. As a result, Zynamite has none of the side-effects of caffeine such as cardiac arrhythmias, sudden drops in energy, changes in blood pressure, pulse rate variability, nervousness, nausea and jitters,” explains Wiebe.

Nektium has have seven clinical trials for Zynamite to date, with an eighth clinical trial currently underway. Formulators are finding the ingredient versatile as it is mild-tasting. “Diverse finished products containing Zynamite are already appearing in the market including sticks, sachets, pre-workout powders, beverages, shots, capsules, gummies,” highlights Wiebe, noting the rapid expansion of application for energy boosting ingredients.

By Benjamin Ferrer