A Natural Approach to Energy Management

From college students fretting over exams to tired moms trying to juggle sleep, hockey practice and child-wrangling, consumers are looking for potent, effective, energy-boosting products. Mintel, a leading market research company, valued the total off-premise energy-drink market at $4.8 billion in 2008, posting 440-percent growth from 2003 to 2008 in current prices, (363-percent growth after measuring for inflation).

Chutes and Ladders

The popular energy drink, Red Bull seems to deliver a childhood wish of flying: “It gives you wings.” Unfortunately, it’s looking like it may give you more than just wings. According to an article in Time magazine, “A study of 30 university students between 20 and 24 years old found drinking just one 250 ml sugar-free can of the caffeinated energy drink increased the ‘stickiness’ of the blood and raised the risk of blood clots forming.”¹ Researchers said after drinking one can, subjects had a cardiovascular profile similar to that of someone with heart disease.

But whatever its possible downside, Red Bull remains the top dog on the energy drink platform. Mintel reported Red Bull is the top brand choice among teens and adults at 47-percent and 57-percent penetration, respectively. The main ingredients in Red Bull are taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine and the B vitamin complex. Taurine is an organic acid that occurs naturally in the body; glucuronolactone is a normal human metabolite produced by the metabolism of glucose in the liver; caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant; and B vitamins, well, they’re vitamins. So what’s wrong with that?

Another ingredient included in Red Bull, and other popular energy drinks, is sucrose or sucralose/aspartame for the sugar-free option. Recent research found sucralose and aspartame may actually promote obesity due to an increase in food intake after consuming an artificial sweetener.² In parallel, the combination of sugar and caffeine delivers a surge of energy followed by an even harder comedown. It’s similar to the giant slide on Chutes and Ladders—it’s a long way down; it may even make your stomach flip.

Another ingredient, caffeine, is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant. It is absorbed in the stomach and small intestine and distributed throughout the body’s tissues. CNS stimulants increase the release of norepinephrine and dopamine from brain cells. Norepinephrine and dopamine affect different regions of the brain, including wakefulness and motor activities. However, CNS stimulants may affect norepinephrine in other parts of the body, causing unwanted side effects such as increased blood pressure and heart arrhythmias due to reactions of norepinephrine on the cardiovascular system.

Julie Kahn Harden, N.D., L.Ac., of the Institute of Professional Medicine (IProgessiveMed.com) said in her paper, “The Truth Behind the Energy Drink Craze” most energy drinks range in sugar content from 54 g to 66 g per 16-oz. can and can have up to 174 mg of caffeine. “The sugar content in energy drinks exceeds that of any regular soda on the market. The result is a temporary high followed by a ‘sugar crash’ and other unpleasant side effects can include weight gain, disrupted sleep patterns and general malaise.”

Tom Schrier, national sales director for Kaneka Nutrients, a supplier of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), agreed: “There are many ‘instant’ energy products on the market, mostly beverages with high concentrations of caffeine and/or sugar. These are marketed to teenagers and 20-somethings, and typically give a ‘boost and crash’ result, often leaving the consumer feeling worse off than before. This is not really energy, so much as over stimulation.”

So how can one “naturally” sustain or obtain energy? There are many natural supplements that help sustain energy or offer a short-term burst of energy. There are also many finished products on the market designed for all different types of users.

The Basics of Energy

There are two types of cells: eukaryotic and prokaryotic. Prokaryotic cells, bacteria and archaea, are usually independent and they lack a nuclear membrane and a nucleus. Eukaryotic cells are typically ten times the size of prokaryotic cells. They contain a membrane, a cell nucleus and organelles, different compartments of a cell. Mitochondrion is an organelle found in most eukaryotic cells that provides cellular energy. One of its main purposes is to oxidize the products of cytoplasmic metabolism to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the basis for all energy in the body. ATP basically serves as a shuttle, delivering energy where need be. Carbohydrates are converted into glucose, fats are converted into glycerol and fatty acids and proteins are broken down into amino acids. Once in the cells, nutrients are transformed into ATP through the Krebs cycle and ATP redistributes energy to other cellular processes.

Sustaining Energy

L-carnitine is a naturally occurring amino acid. It helps to metabolize lipids, which in turn aids in the production of cellular energy. “L-carnitine plays a fundamental part in ensuring the production of energy from fat. Fatty acid breakdown (beta-oxidation) and subsequent energy production occur inside the mitochondria of the human cell,” Kevin Owen, Ph.D., NAFTA head of technical marketing and scientific affairs, Lonza, said. “In order to produce energy from fat, long-chain fatty acids need to move into the mitochondria. However, the mitochondrial membrane acts as a barrier to long-chain fatty acids, refusing permission to enter. This is where L-carnitine comes into play. L-carnitine binds to the long-chain fatty acids and through a series of enzymatic steps, it ‘shuttles’ the fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be subsequently broken down and energy can be produced in the form of ATP.”

Studies have shown L-carnitine’s efficiency to increase fat oxidation³ Twelve volunteers received an individual diet either with or without 3 g/d of L-carnitine for 10 days. There was a significant increase in 13C-fat oxidation (P=0.021) while protein synthesis and breakdown rates remained unchanged.

In another study, L-carnitine-L-tartrate (LCLT; as Carnipure™, from Lonza) reduced muscle oxygenation and attenuated membrane damage and hypoxic stress after nine healthy, previously resistance-trained men ingested LCLT or an identical placebo for 23 days in a randomized, balanced, crossover, double blind, placebo-controlled, repeated-measures study.⁴ A separate study showed LCLT’s (as L-Carinpure) ability to assist in recovery from exercise stress after administering LCLT or a placebo for three weeks in 10 resistance-trained men.⁵

CoQ10 plays a key role in cellular energy and the production of ATP. It is a lipid-solid antioxidant found in every cell.

Researchers noted in a review published in Advances in Anti-Aging Medicine that CoQ10 participates in the development of energy: “This compound plays a key enzymatic role in energy production within mitochondria,”⁶

“CoQ10 is fully absorbed within a few hours and lasts for more than 24 hours, constantly creating cellular energy,” Schrier said. “When taken daily as recommended, CoQ10 levels in your body will actually increase over time for maximum efficacy.”

Steve Holtby, president of Soft Gel Technologies Inc. agreed: “CoQ10 is directly involved with the body’s synthesis of ATP, increasing oxygen transport and utilization within the tissues. Rather than using a normal energy source such as caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system for a brief period of time before a consequent period of decreased energy, CoQ10 supports the body’s natural energy cycle.”

Own added: “CoQ10 acts as an electron carrier in the mitochondrial electron transport chain and thereby plays a critical role in energy production in the body. Circumstances which change the quantity of CoQ10 in the inner mitochondrial membrane correspondingly change the electron transport rate, thus influencing the efficacy of energy production.”

A Japanese study orally administered 100 or 300 mg/d of CoQ10 to healthy adults for one week prior to a workload trial.(7) CoQ10 improved subjective fatigue and physical performance. An additional Japanese study found CoQ10 reduced exercise-induced muscular injury, possibly due to its antioxidant effects;⁸ a separate study reported CoQ10 supplementation increased muscle CoQ10 concentration and lowered serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) oxidative stress, while also increasing plasma CoQ10 concentrations and time to exercise exhaustion.⁹ According to Schrier, CoQ10 has continued to experience double-digit growth for the past seven years.

Powergrape®, a specialty grape extract from Naturex, specifically targets the energy market. “The aim of Powergape’s development was to propose a completely new and original mechanism of action to this expending market, permitting our customers to use innovative claims on their packaging and to differentiate themselves from competitors, based on a strong scientific support,” said Karine Nardon, press relation for the NAT’Life Division of Naturex. “The energy sector has continuously expanded for the last five years and reaches today $10 billion for Europe and U.S. markets. Thanks to its presence as one of the major food and drinks players in this sector, Naturex benefits from a great opportunity with Powergrape, answering to a continuous demand for innovation on this market.” According to the company, in unpublished, in-house studies, Powergrape has been shown to improve physical performance, increase recovery capacity and muscle oxygenation, decrease muscle damage or cramp risk, and reduce inflammation.

Protein has long been to known to promote sustainable energy. A study conducted at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen, Denmark compared the effects of pork-meat protein, soy protein and carbohydrates on a 24-hour expenditure with 12 young, healthy, overweight and mildly obese nonsmoking men.¹⁰  Researchers found substitution of carbohydrates with 17 to 18 percent of energy as either pork-meat or soy protein produced a 3-percent higher 24-hour energy expenditure. The animal protein in pork meat produced a 2-percent higher 24-hour energy expenditure than the vegetable protein in soy.

In a Finnish study, 10 resistance-trained young men consumed either 25 g of whey and caseinate proteins or a noncaloric placebo (P) in a liquid form 30 minutes before a heavy strength training session (STS) in a crossover design separated by at least seven days.¹¹ The proteins significantly decreased serum growth hormone, testosterone, and free fatty acid levels, and increased serum insulin during an STS. The pre-STS protein also increased excess post exercise oxygen consumption and respiratory exchange ratio significantly during 2-hour recovery after STS.

Additionally, a Swedish study found the “addition of whey to meals with rapidly digested and absorbed carbohydrates stimulates insulin release and reduces postprandial blood glucose excursion after a lunch meal consisting of mashed potatoes and meatballs in type 2 diabetic subjects.”¹²

PeptoPro® is a branded casein hydrolysate ingredient from DSM. According to the company, PeptoPro has been shown to improve recovery after exercise, improve endurance and physical performance, and reduces post-exercise muscle damage and muscle soreness. In an unpublished study, cyclists who consumed beverages enriched with PeptoPro during time trials clocked faster times and had reduced muscle soreness after the race compared with those drinking traditional, carbohydrate-only sports drinks.

B vitamins are a popular way to rev-up energy, including thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), panthothenic acid (B5), pyridoxal (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9) and cobalamin (B12). They are essential in the breakdown of carbohydrates and fats, converting food into energy; they stimulate blood flow; metabolize fats, proteins and carbs; and they help maintain a healthy nervous system. B vitamins play an essential role in maintaining mitochondrial function.¹³ In a study published in The British Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Japanese researchers concluded, “the unusual accumulation of methylmalonic acid caused by vitamin B12-deficiency disrupts normal glucose and glutamic acid metabolism in rat liver, probably by inhibiting the Krebs cycle.”¹⁴

Researchers at the Deakin University, Burwood, Australia, determined niacin may improve carbohydrate metabolism during cycling in women who are unaccustomed to exercise.¹⁵

A Burst of Energy

Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) is a popular botanical used to induce thermogenesis and reduce the strenuousness of exercise. In a three-arm, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, exercise was less strenuous 83 percent of the time when supplemented with a product containing Citrus aurantium.¹⁶ Ten healthy adults, aged 20 to 31 years-old, ingested one dose of a dietary supplement containing 21 mg of Citrus aurantium (as Advantra Z®, from Nutratech Inc.) and 304 mg of caffeine (as the dietary supplement Ripped Fuel Extreme Cut®, from TwinLab) while resting and one hour prior to moderately intense exercise or a placebo/exercise control.

“Advantra Z stimulates the beta 3 receptors. They are found on every cell wall and are responsible for triggering thermogenesis,” said Bob Green, president, Nutratech Inc. “Thermogenesis increases the resting metabolic rate and the rate at which fat is released from body stores and broken down to help burn calories that, in turn, help to generate energy.” Green noted that Advantra Z acts differently than other “stimulants” because it is non-lipophylic. “It doesn’t cross the fatty membranes of the blood/brain barrier to contact the excitatory receptors (alpha 1, alpha 2, beta 1, and beta 2) that can cause negative cardiovascular and central nervous systems side effects.”

Green tea is known to provide short-term energy based not only on its caffeine profile, but also its thermogenic properties and its ability to increase 24-hour energy expenditure.¹⁷ One study examined the effects of a catechin-rich green tea extract (GTE) on running endurance and energy metabolism during exercise in BALB/c mice.¹⁸ Running times to exhaustion in mice fed 0.5 percent GTE were 30-percent higher than in exercise-control mice and were accompanied by a lower respiratory exchange ratio, higher muscle beta-oxidation activity and lower malonyl-CoA content. In addition, muscle glycogen content was high in the GTE group compared with the exercise-control group. Plasma lactate concentrations in GTE-fed mice were significantly lower after exercise, along with an increase in free fatty acid concentrations. In a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, green tea extract increased fat oxidation during moderate-intensity exercise and improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in healthy young men.¹⁹ Fat oxidation was 17 percent higher after ingesting a green tea extract than after ingesting a placebo.

A study published in The British Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared the effects of a mixture of green tea and guarana extracts containing a fixed dose of caffeine and variable doses of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a catechin in green tea, on 24-hour energy expenditure and fat oxidation.²⁰ Twenty-four hour energy expenditure increased significantly by about 750 kJ with all EGCG-caffeine mixtures compared with placebo. No effect of the EGCG-caffeine mixture was observed for lipid oxidation. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure increased by about 7 and 5 mmHg, respectively, with the EGCG-caffeine mixtures compared with the placebo.

In addition, a 2008 study assessed the acute effects of either a vitamin/mineral/guarana supplement or placebo drink in 129 healthy young adults (18 to 24 years).²¹ The vitamin/mineral/guarana combination improved cognitive performance and reduced the mental fatigue associated with sustained mental effort.

Cayenne has been shown to increase energy expenditure and fax oxidation, which in turn fights against obesity and other related disorders, in addition to positive effects on the cardiovascular system. An Australian study investigated the effects of regular consumption of chili on in vitro serum lipoprotein oxidation and total antioxidant status in healthy adult men and women.²² Participates consumed a “freshly chopped chili” blend (30 g/d; 55 percent cayenne chili) and a chili-free (bland) diet for four weeks each. At the end of the four weeks, researchers concluded eating chili regularly for four weeks increases the resistance of serum lipoproteins to oxidation.

A separate study evaluated the effects of 5 g of fresh chili pepper (CAP) on glucose response after a glucose drink and metabolic rate in Thai women.²³ Thirty minutes after CAP was ingested, the rise of plasma glucose was 20.6-percent lower than after a plain glucose drink. CAP significantly increased metabolic rate above resting metabolic rate, and metabolic rate immediately increased by 20 percent within a few minutes after CAP ingestion and showed an increase of 7.2 to 17.4 percent from baseline for 11 minutes. Other studies have also shown promising possibilities for peppers. For example, hot red peppers may stimulate carbohydrate oxidation at rest and during exercise.²⁴

Ginseng has long been used to increase energy levels. Chinese (Panax ginseng), American and Siberian (Eleutherococcus) ginseng can deliver different levels of energy. “Ginseng (Panax) has a quick burst of energy for people, but there are no side effects like caffeine. You do not get the crash when it wears off,” Pete Schlegel, assistant manager of Hsu’s Ginseng Enterprises Inc., said.

He added ginseng increases energy by boosting metabolism. “Both types of ginseng (American and Asian) increase your energy. Asian (Panax) ginseng will give you that quick burst of energy, so they put this in energy drinks or supplements. The American ginseng will give you a small amount of energy, but it will last longer.”

Ginseng was administered to nurses switching from the day shift to night duty; at the end of the trial, the ginseng made the nurses feel more alert and better able to perform their jobs.²⁵ American ginseng extract has been found to stimulate insulin production and prevent beta cell loss through the inhibition of mitochondrial uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2), resulting in an increase in the ATP level.²⁶

L-taurine is an amino acid found mainly in the CNS and is commonly used in energy drinks. In April 2008, The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) authored a risk assessment for taurine, and other amino acids.²⁷ “The evidence for the absence of adverse effects is strong for taurine at supplemental intakes up to 3 g/d... Although much higher levels of each of these amino acids have been tested without adverse effects and may be safe, the data for intakes above these levels are not sufficient for a confident conclusion of long-term safety, and therefore these values are not selected as the observed safe levels.”

One of the researchers, John Hathcock, Ph.D., senior vice president of scientific and international affairs, CRN, commented on taurine as a provider of energy: “[Taurine] helps with the entry of amino acids into cells, not that taurine provides any significant amount of energy itself, the way glucose and fat does. It transports amino acids into cells, and from one cell to another, and from the cell cytoplasm, as the main fluid in the cell, into the mitochondria, which are the energy powerhouses. If there is a benefit in terms of energy and metabolism, then that is it.”

Marketers should tread lightly when referring to taurine as a stimulant instead of science-based claims. In fact, a study at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, tested taurine’s stimulant effects in combination with amphetamine.²⁸ Researchers said taurine did not act as a stimulant, neither alone nor in combination with amphetamine and noted: “...prudence is recommended in claims regarding taurine activity as a stimulant.”

Delivering Energy to the Masses

The marketplace is flooded with products boasting long-term and short-term energy. WheyUp “The Original Protein Drink” is a non-carbonated energy/protein drink that contains 20 g of whey protein, taurine, B-complex vitamins, sucralose and 150 g of caffeine. Although the drink isn’t “all-natural,”, it does provide sustainable energy. Erik RothChild, creator of WheyUp said, “They recommend people consume protein in conjunction with caffeine; caffeine increases your insulin level. Some people get the jitters or the ‘crash’ from energy drinks and coffee, because all they’re doing is consuming caffeine and nothing else nutritious so all they get is a real fast spike of insulin. But when you add protein, it actually stabilizes your insulin levels. So it’s a slow, sustained pick-me-up in energy and a slow decrease.”

On a more natural note, Cell-nique is an organic supergreen drink designed to fight the effects of acidic build-up by promoting the cleansing and detoxification of cells. “Cell-nique contains 31 organic superfoods that absorb immediately and are assimilated by the body and mind in minutes so you feel calm, alert and in control, lasting for hours without the jitters and crashing of conventional energy drinks,” said Dan Ratner, founder of Cell-nique.

SoLo Bars are designed to give sustainable energy with a low-glycemic index and a balanced nutritional profile. “SoLo Bars deliver energy slowly in a more sustained manner,” Saul Katz, president and CEO of Solo GI Nutrition, said. “This allows athletes and active individuals to maintain their activity over extended periods of time, while sparing the uptake of precious glycogen stores in the process. The ingredient profile comprises a proprietary blend of wholesome, all-natural ingredients providing balanced nutrition together with slow-burning carbs, protein, dietary fat and fiber—delivering energy slowly, while also enhancing satiety to keep athletes going for longer.”

The energy market is hungry for new and innovative ideas, and the marketplace has plenty of shelves to stock. “Despite a huge energy market, only a few final products are launched (only 81 launches in France in 2006 compared to 1,800 new slimming products during the same year),” Nardon said. Well-researched natural ingredients are pivotal in an energy market driven by sugar and caffeine.

“The Asian ginseng market has been steadily increasing since it has become more popular for energy drinks. The ginseng market will steadily increase, not by leaps and bounds, but it will hold its own,” Schlegel said.

As more ingredients are marketed toward new energy applications, the energy sector is only on its way up.

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