The long, uninterrupted energy that you get from Perple is because of 3 very unique characteristics. First, the unrefined superfood carbs we use, mean’s you get constant energy, without the crashes. Second, we use a special blend of plant-based amino acids as another source of energy. The added bonus is that these natural carbs and aminos also work together to speed up your oxidation of fats. This means you’re getting a triple whammy of energy sources in Perple. That’s more energy per gram of carbohydrate than anything else out there.

Carbs are the preferred energy source for our muscles [9], and not just simple unrefined sugars.  All types of carbs are eventually broken down into glucose, which is converted to energy to power our muscles during exercise. If you’re not taking in enough of the right carbs, then you will lose energy, power and endurance. A superfood like sweet potato has a broad array of carbs, including starches and fibre. They are digested, absorbed and metabolized by our bodies at different rates. Giving you steady energy, good gut health and helping to maintain lean body mass.

By contrast, the energy you get from other products, like gels and sports drinks, is short lived. Because they contain ultra-processed sugars like glucose, or synthetic carbs like maltodextrin. They’re high on the Glycemic Index (‘GI’), meaning you’ll burn through them fast. Moderate GI foods enhance performance times far better than High GI foods [1]. And multiple carbs help to improve times, as proven in controlled trials, compared to simple carbs [2]. Basically, you need multi-carb food sources if you want constant energy in prolonged exercise. Which is why Perple is packed with superfood ingredients like Sweet Potato, Coconut Water, Brown Rice and Agave.

Feel depleted of energy towards the end of your training, exercise and competition? We wanted to change this with Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). It’s widely documented that BCAAs are the building blocks of protein and are critical in protein synthesis. The process of repairing damaged muscles resulting from prolonged or intense exercise. Yet, what is less well known is that they can also be valuable as another source of energy, in the later stages of exercise. Especially when your Glycogen stores are low.

What we’ve learned is that the body breaks down amino acids, from skeletal muscle protein, to use as energy for as much as 10% of total requirements. However, if your body breaks down and uses more than it needs to retain for proper protein synthesis, your muscle mass could be reduced. This means you could lose strength and power. What’s more, is that improvement in times to exhaustion in controlled trials, has been proven, over subjects whom did not supplement with BCAAs [3] [4]. This is why we add plant-based Branched Chain Amino Acids in Perple. To help for increased energy during prolonged activities, and in a giving you a head start on muscle repair, once you’re done.

The combination of natural unrefined carbs and plant aminos in Perple, will help you to burn more fat for extra energy, giving you a leaner body and increasing your endurance. Who doesn’t want that? But first, lets debunk the myth that low-carb diets have sporting performance benefits. Fats are oxidized at half the rate of carbs and we use 10% more oxygen in processing them. It means you won’t get the same energy output as you would receive from ingesting carbs. It is true that you can improve your capacity for fat oxidation, by training with restricted carb availability. But there is no clear evidence to support the suggested performance benefits of a low-carb diet in sports and exercise [5] [6]. But  there is a strong body of evidence to support the benefits of carbs [7] [8] [9].

Yet, the management of body fat does have a supportive role to play in increasing your endurance. Higher body fat percentages can result in reduced VO2 max and lower endurance capacity [10] [11].

Firstly, the balanced starches and fibres in Perple help to improve the rate at which your body burns fat [12] [13] [14]. Secondly, the plant-based BCAAs in Perple are also doing the same [15]. So, our natural carbs and plant aminos are working in unison, to help you burn fat at a higher rate and give you more energy.

If you want to go out and hit a PB, it is important to make sure that your body is functioning at its peak. Minerals, otherwise known as electrolytes, can also play a key role here. They help to distribute nutrients to the right organs, stop you from overheating, help to regulate your heartbeat, and provide proper muscle contraction. All of this means that your body can work harder for longer during your workouts.

However, we can lose these important minerals in sweat, and in some cases, we might not be getting enough from our daily diets. For instance, if you’ve taken potatoes out of your meal plan, you won’t be taking in enough Potassium. Perple’s superfood ingredients are packed full of minerals like Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium and Calcium. These are often stripped away in ultra-processed sugary sports drinks or maltodextrin-infused energy gels. Some add back Sodium, claiming that if you don’t replenish what was lost through sweat, you will suffer cramps. Not true. There is a strong body of evidence to refute this claim, and clear evidence that cramping is rather a condition of neuromuscular fatigue [1] [2] [3]. Overcome by adapted training, warm-up, stretching and keeping your muscles well fed. Perple gives the muscles what they need and when.

Now, lets look at why the minerals in Perple are helpful to improve body functions and sustain physical effort for prolonged periods. Starting with Sodium. Sodium is essential for normal water distribution and fluid balance. This helps to regulate temperature and maintain proper body functions. Because if your body overheats, then your performance will decline. [4] [5]

Potassium helps in regulating heartbeat, in muscle and nerve function, and in metabolising carbs. During exercise, Potassium plays a major role in making nerve signals needed for proper contractions in your skeletal and heart muscles. Along with helping to convert carbs to energy, this mineral is vital to help keep your muscles working harder for longer. [6] [7]

Magnesium is critical in biochemical reactions, including muscle, nerve and immune function, blood glucose control and energy metabolism. As with Potassium, it is important to power your muscles efficiently during exercise. [8] [9]

Calcium is important for vascular and muscle function, nerve transmission and bone strength. The latter is of particular importance for many of us who take on the more risky challenges. [10] [11]

Perple gets busy with the process of muscle damage repair, before your workout has even finished. Because extra fitness gains come from a fast recovery from the last set, so that you can smash the next one.

We thought about how we could adapt the nutrition you put in during exercise, to make the recovery faster once you’ve finished. Eureka! We’re back to the power of plants again. The superfood ingredients in Perple are working in several ways to give you that head-start on recovery, and compliment your post-exercise protein shake routines.

Firstly, there are naturally occurring proteins in our ingredients, that can help with muscle repair. But only in amounts that your body will be able to digest during exercise, without any stomach problems. Secondly, our unique plant-based branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), help to further conserve your skeletal muscle proteins. This is important for proper protein synthesis to occur, in the repair of your muscles. Any deficits could result in muscle mass and power being reduced.

However, the most exciting benefit is in the anti-inflammation properties of naturally occurring plant phytochemicals. In the context of prolonged exercise, reduced muscle inflammation means you will experience less fatigue and improved recovery between sets. [1] [2] [3]

One of the remarkable observations of Perple in our early trials, was in our subjects’ ability to take on intense sets, time after time.

One of the main reasons you can get an upset stomach, is by ingesting large amounts of a single carbohydrate alone, which is more than your small intestine can absorb. And especially without enough water, which is vital to help this biological process. This is a fairly typical experience of High-GI (Glycemic Index) Gels that are mainly made of simple sugars, like glucose. Because the energy produced is burned through quickly, we tend to over consume them, and with insufficient water. What your small intestine cannot process, shifts to your large one, and that’s when you hit trouble. You get gastrointestinal distress, with symptoms such as bloating, cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Some gel manufacturers attempt to overcome this problem by using a synthetic man-made carb called maltodextrin. It’s higher molecular weight means that it can pass through your small intestine faster than glucose. But it’s high GI status also brings the problem of energy spikes and crashes. To make matters worse, Maltodextrin can contribute to Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. [1] [2] [3]

Here at Perple we don’t use anything synthetic that can negatively impact your health. We select superfood ingredients that contain a variety of different carbs. We’re also very precise in balancing the amounts of each. Because these ratios are important for steady digestion and in helping your small intestine to absorb more, without being overloaded. For instance, certain combinations of Glucose and Fructose increase the capacity for absorption.[4] This is especially important for multiple hours of activity, when you need to take in higher amounts of carbs, for increased energy. We also focus on the chemical importance of water. Because it plays a vital role in your body’s digestion process, helps your small intestine to absorb carbs, and is critical in converting those carbs to energy for your muscles. Carbs and water together help your muscles work harder for longer. As opposed to just carbs alone.[5] [6]