INNOVATION
RAPID HYDRATION DRINK
BORNE FROM COMPETITION
Two former Kiwi cycling rivals have joined forces to develop and launch
an innovative rehydration drink into the New Zealand market.
Hayden Washington-Smith and Olly Ng
(both 20) – who competed against
each other at different secondary
schools - have launched PowerAmp
Sports, which aims to develop
hypotonic sports drinks targeting elite cyclists,
endurance athletes, triathletes, CrossFit devotees
and those competing at high intensity or in hot
conditions. The pair’s range is designed to better
rehydrate the body than water or standard sports
drinks, and although hypotonic sports drinks are
popular with professional cyclists worldwide - used
at events such as the Tour de France - it has been
difficult to get quality products in New Zealand
until now. “There are a handful of products sold in
the US but not exported overseas,” Ng says. “I’ve
tried a few and they are effective, but some of
them taste super synthetic or super salty. So, we
thought we’d look at formulating a better-tasting,
hypotonic sports drink here in New Zealand.”
Hypotonic sports drinks are scientifically formulated
to allow rapid hydration to occur in the body at
a rate two to three times faster than with water
alone. They contain a specific concentration and
ratio of sugar and electrolytes, which help drive
water into cells – important to high-performance
athletes or those training at high-intensity or in hot
conditions – to replace water lost in perspiration.
Vegan, gluten-free, low-sugar, naturally flavoured
and free of genetically-modified ingredients,
PowerAmp Sports’ full range will be up and
running by next year. “There is a whole lot of
misinformation out there about nutrition, and
people get caught up in the latest nutrition trends,
which is one of our motivations for developing the
drink,” Washington-Smith says. “Our mission is to
use cutting-edge sports science to support highperformance
athletes, and help them get a better
understanding of the value of rehydration and the
role it plays in overall nutrition.” Of importance
is the backing of nutritional science, and that’s
where Grant Washington-Smith has helped. The
well-regarded nutritional physiologist (and Hayden’s
father) is the scientific and entrepreneurial force
behind many other new food product launches,
and says that a typical athlete competing at high
intensity loses 1.5-3 litres of sweat per hour,
illustrating that rehydration is vital to performance:
a 2% loss in body fluid during a race can have a
negative impact on performance of up to 30%.
“If you are perspiring a lot, you need to replace
that lost hydration quickly and that’s where our
products come in,” he says. “They help with
sweat salt loss, and enable the body to better
absorb molecules of water more effectively and
efficiently.” Sugary sports drinks can have a
negative effect on performance, causing an insulin
spike then blood glucose crash. “Science shows
that getting the right amount and ratio of glucose
to sodium can activate the body’s transportation
channels and rehydrate cells much faster than
water alone. It also means that water isn’t sloshing
around the stomach, but is quickly utilised and
absorbed into the body where it is needed during
sports, training or competition,” Grant Washington-
Smith says. His son came up with the initial idea,
spurred by his involvement in a Massey University
study in 2016 which tested the effect of taking
pomegranate extract on high-intensity cycling
performance. He discussed it with his dad, and
they began to research options for creating a more
effective sports drinks targeting elite cyclists.
The trio worked on the product range, trialling
various formulations and flavours in laboratories
at Waikato Innovation Park, where Grant is based.
Initially about a dozen flavours were developed and
tested, but the mango, pineapple and raspberry
lemonade came out on top. The two friends
hope they can get PowerAmp Sports products
independently certified to ensure contaminants
are not present, and ingredients and label claims
are verified, to meet World Anti-Doping Agency
standards, which will ensure they are guaranteed
safe for consumption. “It’s a major barrier for us
at the moment, as a lot of our friends who are top
cyclists and compete at elite levels can’t risk trying
our product unless it’s been certified. One banned
ingredient can ruin your whole career,” Ng says.
“One of the reasons we wanted to develop this
product is because we know how careful athletes
have to be about what they put in their body,”
Washington-Smith says. “We’ve been motivated
to do this to support other New Zealand cyclists,
but we can see it’s got potential for any athletes
training and competing at an elite level.”
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