7 winning branded ingredients for active sports performance products

Touchdown! Here's your new product development game plan detailing branded ingredients and their composition, performance application, science and intellectual property.

Todd Runestad, Content Director, SupplySideSJ.com

August 4, 2023

3 Min Read
Screen Shot 2023-08-04 at 11.57.28 AM.png

Branded ingredients are more than just a fancy trademarked name. They usually come with an imprimatur of quality, an evidence base from published human clinical trials, and intellectual property protection—all of which serve to validate their price premiums. Here’s some of our favorite branded ingredients in the sports and performance world.  What's the score, who's got more? \

Company: Kyowa Hakko USA 

Ingredient: Setria Performance Blend 

Composition: Setria glutathione + L-citrulline 

Performance app: Reduce fatigue, speed recovery 

Science: Nitric oxide, which increases blood flow, typically degrades in seconds. Here, 200 mg Setria and 2 g L-citrulline sustains nitric oxide levels for 30 minutes post-exercise compared to placebo.  

IP: Patent-pending.  

 

Company: LODAAT Pharma 

Ingredient: Aquaturm  

Composition: Water-soluble, taste-neutral, primary assay curcuminoid 23%, with proprietary manufacturing process.  

Performance app: Inflammatory support, post-workout, bone/joint support.  

Science: 250 mg Aquaturm twice daily after meals for 90 days in individuals suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee joint showed significant reduction in pain and swelling, showing its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.  

IP: Aquaturm is a registered trademark, and has a published global patent.  

 

Company: Natural Alternatives International 

Ingredient: Carnosyn  

Composition: Beta-alanine is a non-proteogenic amino acid that comes with the amino acid histidine to form a dipeptide called carnosine.  

Performance app: Pre-workouts, post-workouts. Comes in instant release and sustained release. Both releases can be used for higher-quantity stacking effects.  

Science: 55 clinical studies support how CarnoSyn increases muscle carnosine and attenuates fatigue, and increase performance when athletes dosed with at least 3.2-6.4 grams per day for 28 days.  

IP: With 20 global patents, CarnoSyn is the only patented and only New Dietary Ingredient status beta-alanine on the market. Self-affirmed GRAS.  

 

Company: Nutrition 21 

Ingredient: Velositol  

Composition: Patented complex of amylopectin and chromium that when used with protein increases strength and power by accelerating and boosting muscle protein synthesis.  

Performance app: Post-workout geared toward muscle growth and recovery.  

Science: Velositol combined with 15 grams protein for those engaged in resistance training resulted in increased total squat reps to failure, 1-rep max squat, vertical jump power and vertical jump height compared to 15 and 30 grams of whey protein consumed alone.  

IP: Patent-protected.  

 

Company: Sabinsa 

Ingredient: Sabeet  

Composition: Standardized beetroot extract from the root of Beta vulgaris. 

Performance app: Pre-workout, endurance, recovery after physical exertion.  

Science: A DBPC study showed increased nitric oxide levels and attendant improved blood flow leading to positive exercise performance metrics; reduced lactate and attendant lower muscle damage leading to better endurance; lowered C-reactive protein, a marker of decreased inflammation.  

IP: Accorded a Canadian health claim around cardiovascular health, nitric oxide support, blood flow, antioxidant. Composition patent when combined with three additional constituents.  

 

Company: Verdure Sciences 

Ingredient: Restoridyn 

Composition: Longvida brand curcumin and Pomella brand pomegrananate ellagitannins, both patented.  

Performance app: Recovery, endurance, strength, immunity.  

Science: 1,000 mg/day Restoridyn for the first 26 days, with doses doubled for days 27-31, to measure systemic inflammatory response following a half-marathon race found improved outcomes related to inflammation, muscle injury as well as immune health biomarkers.  

IP: Patent-pending.  

 

Company: Xsto Solutions 

Ingredient: Cuvitus 

Composition: Whole-fruit cucumber extract with cytokine (inflammation) reduction activity.  

Performance app: Pre-workout, joint health, temporary muscle pain from over-exercise, joint health, active lifestyle products.  

Science: A U.S.-based human clinical trial found blood levels of TNF-alpha decreased and IL-6 and IL-10 increased, leading to less inflammation and improved exercise performance.  

IP: Xsto owns the name Cuvitus and the released research.  

For a deep dive into all things related to sports, performance and active nutrition new product development ideas and formulation tips, download the free Natural Products Insider digital magazine. We cover the state of the sector, muscle-friendly ingredients, up-and-coming recovery ingredients, the rise of hydration supplements, the evolution of esports, the gut-muscle axis as a new target for innovation and more! 

About the Author

Todd Runestad

Content Director, SupplySideSJ.com, SupplySide Supplement Journal

Todd Runestad has been writing on nutrition science news since 1997. He is content director for SupplySide Supplement Journal and its digital magazines. Other incarnations: content director for Natural Products Insider (now rebranded to SupplySide Supplement Journal), supplements editor for NewHope.com, Delicious Living!, and Natural Foods Merchandiser. Former editor-in-chief of Functional Ingredients magazine and still covers raw material innovations and ingredient science.

Connect with me here on LinkedIn.

Specialty

Todd writes about nutrition science news such as this story on mitochondrial nutrients, innovative ingredients such as this story about 12 trendy new ingredient launches from SupplySide West 2023, and is a judge for the NEXTY awards honoring innovation, integrity and inspiration in natural products including his specialty — dietary supplements. He extensively covered the rise and rise and rise and fall of cannabis hemp CBD. He helps produce in-person events at SupplySide West and SupplySide East trade shows and conferences, including the wildly popular Ingredient Idol game show, as well as Natural Products Expo West and Natural Products Expo East and the NBJ Summit. He was a board member for the Hemp Industries Association.

Education / Past Lives

In previous lives Todd was on the other side of nature from natural products — natural history — as managing editor at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He's sojourned to Burning Man and Mount Everest. He graduated many moons ago from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.

Quotes

"There is not a colds-and-flu season. There is a vitamin D-deficiency season."

"There is no such thing as inclement weather. Only improper attire."

Link answers question, "When taking magnesium, should you also take vitamin D3 2,000 IU?"

"Cannabis is nature's most nearly perfect plant."

Subscribe for the latest consumer trends, trade news, nutrition science and regulatory updates in the supplement industry!
Join 37,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.

You May Also Like