Unique sports recovery drink receives iNet support - 14/12/2011 00:00

Leicestershire company, Omniceutica Limited, received an innovation support grant from the Food and Drink iNet to help develop, test and commercialise its unique new sports recovery drink, fuelSAQ™.
The firm, based at Asfordby Business Park, Melton Mowbray, has created a formulation that offers a range of benefits, not just as a sports recovery drink but potentially as a platform for other nutraceutical opportunities.
The unique drink not only reduces the ‘sugar drop’ experienced by athletes, commonly described as ‘hitting the wall’, but the base that’s been developed can be used as the foundation for a range of different products that can provide health benefits for the heart, joints and other parts of the body.
Omniceutica (www.omtca.com) has now completed successful pilot studies of fuelSAQ™ and tested the product using professional sports people and elite athletes, under the direction of the world-renowned sports training company, SAQ International Limited, which is also based at Asfordby Business Park.
Professional cricketers at Derbyshire Cricket Club, including veteran first-class, one-day and international bowler, Steffan Jones, were among those who tested the product, and the results showed that their fatigue was reduced over several hours by between 21% and 49% in tests, when compared to a placebo (‘dummy’) drink and energy levels were maintained over a long period.
Omniceutica and SAQ will now use the results and positive feedback from these and other athletes who have trialled the product, to support promotion of fuelSAQ™ to third parties via a distribution, acquisition or out-licensing deal, or to market the drink directly through its own niche channels.
“The unique selling point of the product, compared to currently available sports drinks, is its multi-component formulation that provides several benefits in a single serving,” said Glen Martyn, Omniceutica’s managing director.
The £10,000 funding (matched by the company) was used towards field trials of the drink that documented information on the product’s impact on performance, endurance and recovery - ultimately enabling Omniceutica to finesse the marketing strategy.
“One of the roles of the Food and Drink iNet is to support innovative new product development in the sector, and the drink developed by Omniceutica appears to have significant potential,” said Food and Drink iNet director Richard Worrall.

“fuelSAQ™ has been designed specifically for professional and elite athletes, but is also likely to appeal to, in a slightly modified form, amateur athletes and young people”, said Glen Martyn, a qualified pharmacist with experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.
“There is a potential market of around 27million people in the UK who regularly buy health and sports drinks to help them through busy schedules and fitness regimes. We believe the global potential for this product is huge. We would like to thank the iNet team for their constant support and helpful input over the last nine months, without which we would not have entered this critical phase of testing.”
Omniceutica Limited is a specialist product development and consultancy organisation working on the development of pharmaceutical and functional food products.