Zeus Hygia has launched a new sports recovery ingredient called Gremin, a patent-pending combination of green coffee extract and curcumin with standardized concentrations of two polyphenols, chlorogenic acid, and curcuminoids.
 
The ingredient is designed to target muscle recovery resulting from day-to-day vigorous exercise and physical over-exertion, according to Arunkanth Krishnakumar, co-founder and director of Zeus Hygia. “There are limited science-supported natural remedies for most common muscle soreness arising from overuse and minor injuries during regular exercises or workouts,” he said. “Gremin is a proprietary ingredient made by utilizing a platform technology that delivers synergistic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions to support improving stamina and endurance. This unique ingredient was developed by embedding natural extracts in a matrix system to ensure better efficacy and therapeutic benefits.”
 
Gremin has been the subject of two studies that had positive findings for the ingredient’s role in sports nutrition applications, with evidence that it may accelerate muscle recovery and improve both stamina and endurance.
 
In a recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, appearing in the Journal of Food Technology and Nutrition Sciences, 16 participants took 500 mg of Gremin or a placebo for 10 days. The authors sought to determine the potential impact that supplementation would have on recovery from muscle damage, evaluating a number of key biomarkers.
 
According to the company, the Gremin users experienced significant reductions in creatine kinase (-30.6%) compared to a -1.53% reduction in the placebo group, and dramatic (60%) improvements in VAS (Visual Analog Scale) score, a self-reported pain evaluation, compared to a 31.6% improvement seen in the placebo.
 
C-reactive protein levels were minimal in the Gremin group, compared to a peak of approximately 400% in the placebo group. Additionally, the group which received the supplement increased the amount they could squat by 28% over the study duration, while the placebo group increased their squats by 13%.
 
“Interestingly in addition to the muscle recovery, pain management, and anti-inflammatory benefits of Gremin through various mechanisms, it was shown to have a positive impact on stamina and endurance levels,” Krishakumar said, noting that while studies support the role that supplemental protein has in maintaining skeletal muscle protein balance, there is limited data supporting its role in muscle protection and recovery.
 
“Protein supplementation and its studied benefits are primarily on post-exercise muscle anabolism and muscle building, and not on addressing the muscle wear and tear,” he said.
 
For these reasons, Gremin may serve as an add-on to protein supplements as a way to better target muscle recovery, and provide protein powders with a stronger platform to make claims that it supports muscle recovery and endurance.