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After two decades of development, a new Adelaide-developed sports drink is finally ready to hit the shelves.
Developed after 20 years of medical research between Adelaide's Flinders University and Yale University, PREPD will launch to the Australian market today.
According to Orbis Research reported by Reuters, last year the global sports drink market was worth more than US$28 billion, with major players including Gatorade, Powerade, Arizona and Monster.
The final stretch of the new hydration-boosting sport drink's development was guided by David Vincent, founder and CEO of Preserve Health - a company born from Flinders University's startup incubator.
PREPD works by using a unique resistant starch identified by researchers as a key factor in promoting hydration in the gut.
The drink is a two-part system, used pre and post-exercise, to complement sports drinks. PREPD Prime is consumed 6-18 hours prior to exercise, to promote better hydration when performing.
PREPD Recover is consumed immediately after heavy exertion to rapidly replenish fluid and electrolytes while boosting hydration in recovery.
Vincent claims the new drink is the first truly revolutionary sports drink to hit the market in more than 50 years.
"Research shows that a 2 per cent drop in hydration can reduce athletic performance by up to 30 per cent," says Vincent.
"PREPD changes all this by enhancing the effectiveness of water and any sports drink, reducing dehydration and helping athletes to perform at their peak for longer."
The company performed rigorous trials on the product, within Flinders University, to ensure the drinks were up to snuff.
Results of the trials were recently published by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, detailing the effectiveness of the drink on Adelaide Crows players.
The trial involved 27 players from the Adelaide Football Club, where PREPD formulations were incorporated into their hydration regimes. The study found that when consuming PREPD pre and post-training, players were significantly better hydrated. The results also showed a 47 per cent decrease in player bodyweight loss between pre-training and recovery.
To celebrate its launch, PREPD has teamed up with IRONMAN Oceania as their "Official Fluid Absorption Series Partner". The sponsorship will see athletes provided with PREPD products in aid and recovery stations at IRONMAN events.
The drink is already being used regularly by IRONMAN World Champions Stuart Harsley and Daniel Rake.
The company has also announced brand ambassadorships with V8 Supercars and Australian 100km ultra-marathon record holder Kristin Bull.
Earlier this year, PREPD announced it had raised $500,000 in seed funding to support its national launch. The group also teamed up with Steric Trading, which owns and manufactures the Staminade sports drink brand, to assist in preparing the drink into a marketable product.
Launching in two flavours, Mango-Passionfruit and Strawberry-Kiwi, PREPD is now available online and from select sports stores.
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