The ingredient, an extract from a blend of green and black tea varieties from traceable plant sources, has been studied in a human clinical trial, data from which are currently still in preparation for publication, said the company.
A spokesperson for the company told NutraIngredients-USA that, as the sports nutrition category continues to grow, Kemin Human Health and Nutrition has recognized the need for clinically backed ingredients in the post-exercise recovery area.
“With increased regulatory scrutiny in this industry, AssuriTEA Sport offer the safety, quality and good science desired by new ingredients entering this market,” they said.
“AssuriTEA Sport also fulfills the market gap for natural products to fulfill consumers need for products that are sustainable and able to provide clean labels.”
According to Kemin, formulations containing the water-soluble ingredient - most commonly these will be capsules – can be taken by men and women of all ages who want to recover more quickly from exercise and other activities that cause fatigue and soreness, allowing them to accomplish their physical routines with more frequency and power.
The spokesperson confirmed that the ingredient has been affirmed as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) for use in certain foods and beverages so there is possibility that a beverage application to be formulated.
“AssuriTEA Sport is now available for our customer's currently in development of sports recovery products,” they added.
Jeff Flora, president of the human nutrition and health division of Kemin, said the company is “excited to enter the sports nutrition market because we have a significant opportunity to provide a safe and all-natural ingredient to consumers who are increasingly demanding quality ingredients for their active lifestyles.”
Study details
According to Kemin, the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled was conducted at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA, and evaluated strength following a set of eccentric exercises in male subjects aged 18-35 who were engaged in both cardiovascular and resistance training, recreational, and who met certain set of inclusion/exclusion criteria.
This clinical study showed that taking 2 g of AssuriTEA Sport daily improves muscle power and strength, enhances performance, accelerates muscle recovery, and minimizes muscle soreness following exercise as measured using a Biodex dynamometer. In addition, improvements were identified in serum antioxidant status (ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) as well as cortisol levels and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in the bloodstream.
"Overall, the study reported differences between active treatment and placebo groups on certain important study outcomes and confirms that AssuriTEA Sport helps decrease recovery time, reduces muscle soreness, promotes muscle power and strength, and enhances performance post-exercise," said the spokesperson.
NutraIngredients-USA has not seen the full data from the human clinical trial.