The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has identified only five legal supplements with evidence for performance enhancement
Latest research in an international sports nutrition journal has identified the polyphenols in 2before™ blackcurrant powder as a breakthrough natural sports performance enhancer.
The meta-analysis published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition confirms that the polyphenol anthocyanins in 2before™ blackcurrant powder, deliver a significant sports performance improvement (0.45%), higher than the common athlete go-to caffeine (0.41%).
This discovery could be crucially important to elite athletes, considering the average difference between gold and silver at the Rio Olympics was 0.54%.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has identified only five legal supplements with evidence for performance enhancement. Some of these can be found occurring naturally (caffeine from coffee beans and nitrates from beetroot), but most are synthetically manufactured (creatine, sodium bicarbonate and beta-alanine).
Conclusions from this meta-analysis show that 2before™ anthocyanins have a larger performance effect than all other natural performance enhancers. This also puts 2before™ blackcurrant powder into pole position as one of the most effective legal sports performance enhancers available to elite athletes.
“2before™ is at the cutting edge of sports nutrition. The brand represents a shift in approach to performance. Everyone wants to advance their potential, and many are now looking to do so through natural, clean food. This product is made from a natural, non-GMO berry and is a category creator for the food first performance market,” says Brendan Vercoe, CEO of 2before Performance Nutrition.
The meta-analysis was undertaken by scientists at the University of Auckland and Plant & Food Research, New Zealand’s largest research institute. The publication build on more than ten years of research conducted by Plant & Food Research and other organizations into the exercise recovery and immunity benefits of Adaptive™ New Zealand (NZ) blackcurrants. With this new evidence of performance enhancement, Plant & Food Research has launched “2before Performance Nutrition,” a new consumer brand subsidiary to sell the elite performance food system to athletes around the world. 2before™ is banned substance tested and Informed Sports certified.
The 2before™ range currently consists of a stable 120mg dose of 2before™ anthocyanins in a water-soluble berry juice powder that is easily consumed in the shot format pre-activity. The brand name reflects the bioavailability profile showing 2before™ anthocyanins peaking in the bloodstream 2 hours after consumption. It is during this time that the priming mechanism switches on the body’s own cellular defense systems, helping athletes to better prepare and adapt for peak performance and recovery.
2before™ blackcurrant powder allows dietitians to follow food first principles and would support those athletes following a plant-based diet. 2before™ blackcurrant powder has also just been selected as a finalist in this year’s NutraIngredients USA Awards for the Sports Nutrition Product of the Year category.
“We believe we have something really special, and we now have the scientific evidence to create a new pre-performance ritual for athletes,” says Vercoe. “We know the optimum effective dose and consumption time for peak performance. We also know that 2before™ powder has a unique mechanism of action that is unlike traditional anti-oxidants, and supports rather than hinders training adaptation. The long-term vision for 2before™ is to be the best natural sports performance enhancer in the world. We believe we have formulated a great product, and we are investing much more into science to build out the product range.”
