Sporty elixirs: Ubiquinol and Glavonoid supplement may boost physical performance

24 May 2019 --- A positive impact on recovery time, immune defense and the building of muscle mass on healthy participants taking Ubiquinol Muscle soft gelatin capsules was reported by a recent study. Developed by Kaneka Pharma Europe, a full subsidiary of Kaneka Japan, the sports nutrition capsule prototype combines 60mg Kaneka Ubiquinol with 60mg Glavonoid. Both ingredients are tested by the German Sport University Cologne, offering athletes the reassurance that supplementation is not classed as doping, notes the company.

“The results of our consumer study point to a continuously growing sports nutrition market, with rising consumer demand for targeted products. Our key ingredients offer enormous potential in terms of health benefits plus processing options. With sports prototypes like Ubiquinol Muscle, we can demonstrate possibilities for all-round sports nutrition products,” says Filip Van Hulle, Senior Manager at Kaneka’s Quality of Life Division.

The vitaminoid Ubiquinol plays an essential role in the body’s respiratory process. Naturally produced through yeast fermentation, Kaneka Ubiquinol is marketed as stable for use in several nutritional applications. With a multitude of studies over the last 60 years, the micronutrient has been found to boost energy, recovery and overall health, while being safe and having no documented side-effects.

The EU Novel Food-approved licorice extract Kaneka Glavonoid was initially developed to prevent metabolic syndrome. An advanced, patented extraction process ensures that the ingredient does not contain any glycyrrhetinic acid, thus making it free of undesirable side-effects associated with licorice. Supported by physical activity, Glavonoid is touted as being able to increase the body’s fat-burning ability, while decreasing fat synthesis by down-regulating genes that are involved in fatty acid development. While fat loss is metabolically accompanied by a reduction of lean body mass, which most sports people wish to avoid, Glavonoid helps preserve muscle in the event of fat loss.

Additionally, in 2015, the European Food Commission approved it for extended use in foods intended for medical purposes and energy-restricted diets for weight reduction.

The consumer study was conducted with 100 men and women, aged between 25 to 50, with the majority of those taking part having a normal body mass index and being physically active at least three times a week. Questionnaires completed before, during and at the end of the trial documented the bodily developments observed by participants. Fifty percent of those taking part in the study noticed improvements after the first month. 

After 60 days, 67 percent of participants reported feeling more dynamic, 59 percent noticed improved performance and 48 percent felt less tired. With regards to body composition, 49 percent of the male subjects gained two or more centimeters on their biceps. In contrast, 67 percent of the female participants noticed a reduction in belly fat of two or more centimeters.   

At the end of the trial, 65 percent of the trial participants reportedly said they would consider repurchasing the product, while 68 percent of female and 57 percent of male respondents said they would recommend the supplement.