FDBusiness.com

Arla Foods Ingredients has appointed the Brazilian ultramarathon runner Marcio Villar as a brand ambassador for its flagship sports nutrition ingredient, Lacprodan® HYDRO.365.

Marcio, 48, regularly competes in extreme races held over hundreds of kilometers in harsh environments, so fast recovery between training sessions is essential. Lacprodan® HYDRO.365, a gold standard whey protein hydrolysate, is the perfect solution for helping athletes like him maintain a demanding program and hit peak performance levels when it really matters.

Marcio explained: “For me, it’s simple: if I can recover more quickly between training sessions then I can train more often and for longer, which will lead to improved performances in competitive events. Whey protein hydrolysates are more rapidly absorbed by my muscles than any other form of protein, which means I recover more quickly so I can push myself even harder.”

Recent events in which Marcio has participated include the Double Jungle Marathon, held in the Amazon rainforest over 509km, and the Badwater, a 434km race staged in the Death Valley desert in California. Earlier this year, meanwhile, he set a new world record for non-stop treadmill running, clocking up an amazing 827.16km.

Troels Laursen, Head of Health & Performance Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Marcio as a brand ambassador. His achievements as an ultramarathon runner are extraordinary and he is particularly well known throughout South America, which is one of our key markets for sports nutrition ingredients. His endorsement is very valuable. It will enable us to deliver our messages about the benefits of whey protein hydrolysates in a persuasive and compelling way to ensure athletes understand the unrivalled benefits.”

A recent study demonstrated that endurance athletes consuming sports drinks containing carbohydrates and electrolytes plus Lacprodan® HYDRO.365 outperformed athletes using sports drinks alone. The athletes who consumed Lacprodan® HYDRO.365 before and after training performed better in a final 4km run-test than the sports drink-only group, with a mean improvement of 17 seconds.