Dive Brief:

• Food for Health Ireland (FHI) is conducting a study of a dairy-based protein hydrolysate. The goal is to determine if it will enhance the body's metabolic responses and help athletes and serious exercisers recovery faster after exercise than other protein and carbohydrate drinks. 
• Exercise stresses the body. This research is another study looking at how nutrient intakes during recovery from intense physical activity affect muscle replenishing of fuel stores and the repair, and growth and remodeling of muscle.
• The advantage of protein hydrolysate is that it lets the body absorb amino acids more rapidly than intact proteins. The result is increased delivery of nutrients to muscles. Whey Protein Hydrolysate is already available as a bodybuilding supplement.

Dive Insight:

If the study shows the dairy-based protein hydrolysate is effective, it could become an ingredient in functional foods that promote recovery from serious exercise. With the functional food market forecast to be worth $2.5 billion by 2020, food manufacturers offering products with ingredients that have been scientifically proven effective stand to benefit.