​New study shows that athletes recover faster with HYDRO.365 whey protein hydrolysate

Endurance athletes consuming sports drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes plus Lacprodan® HYDRO.365 – Arla Foods Ingredients’ whey protein hydrolysate – outperform athletes using sports drinks alone, a new study reveals.

The study involved 18 top-class runners from Team Denmark taking part in a one-week training camp. The athletes were training twice a day, every day (apart from on one rest morning) equating to 13 training sessions during the week.

The athletes were divided into two groups of nine, with each receiving isocaloric diets (diets containing the same amount of calories). One group consumed a traditional sports drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes before and after each training session, while the other group consumed pure HYDRO.365 before each session and both a sports drink and HYDRO.365 afterwards.

The run-test was undertaken initially before the camp and then again following the conclusion of all 13 of the training sessions held over the course of the week, making it possible to compare the impact of the HYDRO.365 supplementation during the training camp. The results demonstrated that the athletes who consumed HYDRO.365 before and after training performed better in a final 4km run-test than the sports drink-only group, with a mean improvement of 17 seconds. The whey protein group also experienced less muscle damage compared with the sports drink-only group.

Troels Laursen, Head of Health & Performance Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “This study shows that HYDRO.365 doesn’t just improve muscle recovery, but that improvement leads to a performance benefit. The results demonstrate that, for athletes who need to train hard every day, there is no better sports nutrition ingredient to help them do this.”

Danish triathlon champion appointed brand ambassador
Meanwhile, Arla Foods Ingredients has announced that leading triathlete Allan Steen Olesen is to act as brand ambassador for HYDRO.365. Allan, who is 31 years old and from Copenhagen, is the defending Danish champion in the short distance triathlon series and turned professional this year. He said: “Recovery is everything when you train hard every day and this protein really does the trick. My recovery times have been reduced dramatically, giving me a clear head start. I’ve experienced the benefits, which has made it easy to become an ambassador for HYDRO.365.”

Troels added: “Allan is the perfect ambassador because he’s exactly the kind of elite endurance athlete who will benefit from this exceptional protein. He commands the respect of the sports community and will be able demonstrate its benefits through his performances.”

HYDRO.365 can be used in a wide range of sports supplement product applications, including clear beverages, gels, bars, powders and tablets. It will take centre-stage for Arla Foods Ingredients at Health Ingredients Europe in Amsterdam from 2-4 December 2014. Arla Foods Ingredients is exhibiting on Stand E5.