SupplySide West: Innovative Enzyme Blend Optimizes Body’s Protein Usage
Ignitor optimizes the release of BCAAs and glutamine from whey protein, while promoting activation of mTOR signaling.
A new proprietary blend of proteolytic enzymes aids the body’s usage of protein. Specifically, Ignitor optimizes the release of branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and glutamine from whey protein while promoting activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, thereby enhancing protein synthesis and skeletal muscle growth.
Ignitor comprises two enzymes types, endopeptidases and exopeptidases. At SupplySide West, premix specialist Glanbia Nutritionals (Carlsbad, CA) featured Ignitor in powdered drink mix samples.
“Endopeptidases hydrolyze the protein molecule at the interior peptide bonds, liberating smaller peptides, while exopeptidases hydrolyze the protein molecule at the terminus of the peptide chain, liberating an individual amino acid. The exopeptidases in Ignitor have been optimized to specifically cleave off the BCAAs and glutamine, while the endopeptidases in the product have been optimized to specifically cleave…leucine, valine, isoleucine, and glutamine,” the company explains. “This creates fragments with the desired amino acids at the end, allowing the exopeptidases to cleave them off more easily, resulting in a much higher proportion of individual branch chain amino acids and glutamine being released from the protein.”
According to Glanbia, some other enzyme blends on the market contain general endopeptidases and exopeptidases that may not specifically target the release of BCAAs or glutamine. The company has in vitro data to support its claims. A study comparing 150 mg of Ignitor to 2500 mg of a competing enzyme product found that Ignitor released approximately twice as much leucine and BCAAs from 40 g of whey protein concentrate compared to the competitor. Another study found that Ignitor released nearly 2.5-times more leucine and BCAAs from whey protein concentrate than endogenous enzymes did alone. Moreover, both trials found that Ignitor released approximately 3- and 4.25-times more glutamine, respectively.
“Ignitor’s ability to provide a more efficient release of BCAAs and glutamine allows for formulations that contain less protein to achieve desired effectiveness levels. This allows for a reduction in the serving size along with a decrease in the negative side effects known to come from protein intake such as bloating, poor digestion, gas, etc.,” Glanbia says.
Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine jennifer.grebow@ubm.com
Photo © iStockphoto.com/mediaphotos
