Biosauce Blog

03/02/2012

Something I often hear in gyms:

"Nah mate, I don't drink that stuff (from the fridge behind the reception desk in a glass bottle) it's full of sugar. It's a load of crap."

Well, I'd certainly agree it's not a particularly good protein shake but it's not because it's full of sugar that it's poor. The reason it's low quality and will have minimal effect on musculature is because it is typically made with 'milk protein concentrate' (or retentate) which itself is 82% casein, a very slow absorbing protein.

All the scientific analysis shows that, after a workout, to help your muscles repair or grow you should be looking for something that is very fast absorbing such as a whey protein. Biosauce, of course, is full of the highest quality whey protein you can buy where, not only is every serving uniquely personalised to your body's needs, but we use a hydrolysed form of whey which is even faster absorbing than an ordinary 'intact' whey protein. My previous blog posting talks about this in more detail. However, it is the 'sugar comment' and how this relates to energy requirements that I want to explain in simple terms here.

The body constantly strives to keep the blood's sugar levels within a fairly narrow band. Why? Because if it didn't and it just let your sugar-levels go unchecked, whenever they were too high (post-dougnut frenzy) you'd be a gibbering loon bouncing off the walls annoying people, and if they got too low (it's 4pm and you haven't eaten since breakfast) you'll feel moody, distracted and flat.

Your pancreas is a very clever little gland that is designed to deal with these variations in blood-sugar levels and the demands you have for energy. From performing vigorous exercise on the football pitch to just walking around being a human, you use up variable amounts energy which comes from glucose which is what carbohydrates are made from. It's for this reason that you need carbohydrates in your diet, to supply the right amount of energy for your lifestyle, and you also need a pancreas which plays the key role in balancing the whole system.

In order to keep the blood's sugar levels (energy levels) within the correct band, the body uses two hormones to regulate these levels. One, called glucagon, is released by the pancreas if sugar levels drop below the desired floor level. Glucagon causes the liver to convert glycogen (previously stored glucose) back into glucose (sugars) and release the glucose into the blood stream, thereby raising the blood's sugar levels back to an acceptable level and providing fresh energy to the body. Conversely, if the sugar level rises above the desired ceiling level, the pancreas releases another hormone called insulin, which in turn causes the liver and muscles to effectively draw glucose (the sugars) out of the bloodstream and store it for future use. Consequently, the blood's sugar levels drop and are again returned to within the bands of acceptability. This is a self-regulating feedback system that keeps the blood's sugar levels in check. Sweet ('scuse the pun)!

OK, that's fine but why then is sugar a bad thing if our bodies can deal with it using this feedback system? Well, whether sugar is a bad thing or not depends on when you consume it. The timing of sugar consumption will determine where the excess glucose is stored following the release of insulin - the storage hormone. Will it be stored in the muscles and liver for future energy supply (as suggested above) or will it be stored as FAT? Read on...

If you provide a nice steady even supply of glucose into the bloodstream from COMPLEX carbohydrates (brown rice, brown bread, porridge, sweet potatoes, etc), which take a relatively long time for the body to break down and convert into glucose, then your blood sugar levels are going to broadly remain within this fairly narrow band. You are not performing excessively intense exercise which is going to suddenly deplete your energy supplies and you are receving a steady ongoing supply of energy from the complex carbs to support this even energy expenditure. Your blood sugar levels will rarely move outside the bands in which they are designed to remain and your body is in energy equilibrium, which is a good thing.

Now imagine, you are expending the same relatively modest level of energy evenly over a period of time, but instead of an even and extended energy supply from complex carbs you mow through a tray of doughnuts and chug a bottle sugary energy drink. Very quickly your blood sugar levels go through the roof. In this situation the pancreas starts pumping out insulin to bring the blood sugar levels back down to an acceptable level. However, your energy expenditure is not particularly exessive, your liver and muscles are still relatively 'full' of stored glycogen, so in effect there is no room in these liver and muscle 'store-rooms' for the excess glucose from the doughnuts and energy drink. You're not burning off this excess energy supply with intense exercise, so where can it be stored .... answer, in your adipose tissue (aka. chub) as FAT!

Not only this, but your energy supply then runs out very quickly as the insulin does its job in reducing your blood sugar levels to normal, however, there is no on-going steady supply of energy (as you would have had from a slowly broken-down complex carbohydrate) so you suddenly feel tired and lacking in energy as your blood-sugar levels then drop below the floor level. You then probably head back to the doughnut store for tray number 2 and another pint of sugar-water. Briefly, you'll feel elevated again but then the insulin kicks in and the cycle starts over .... with more fat storage as a result. And so on, until after years of this kind of life-style, with over 35% body fat, you develop Type 2 Diabetes which means your pancreas has pretty much said "Sod you! If you keep stuffing yourself full of sugary crap, and I keep dealing with the excess sugar levels by producing insulin but you just keep stuffing more of this crap into yourself, well, you know what, see what this stuff really does to you. I've had enough. You're on your own pal!" and it stops producing sufficient insulin to reduce the blood's sugar-levels to within the bands of acceptablity. This is not a good situation to be in and it's all down to poor diet and lack of exercise.

So to be brutally frank, most fat people are actually full of energy! It's just stored energy that was never burnt off and had nowhere to go except into the fat deposits!!

OK, so this paints a pretty bad picture for sugar. Correct. And if you never do any significant exercise and live on a diet full of simple carbs (sugars), your body is basically going to be constantly in "fat storage" mode. However, there is hope for the sugar industry yet, it just depends on when you consume your simple carbs (natural sugars).

Let's look at another situation. Imagine you go to the gym and bust a gut for an hour working out. Whatever you do, cardio or resistance training, you friggen go for it and as a result you consume huge amounts of energy (previously stored glycogen). At high levels of exercise intensity, the average body has about 1hr of glycogen (fast energy) supplies stored in the muscles and liver and you basically chew through the lot to a point where you 'hit the wall'. So now, the body is in significant energy deficit and your blood-sugar levels are well below the desired floor level. The pancreas releases glucagon to draw glucose out of the liver and muscles for energy replenishment....but there's none left! You're totally flaked (hypoglycemic to use a medical term).

And this, finally, is the moment of glory for sugar!!

Ingesting simple carbs (natural sugars such as Dextrose or Maltodextrin) right after a workout, from something like Biosauce where the amount of sugar you get is determined by your own Lean Body Mass so will be just the perfect amount for your personal refuelling, is going to cause a sudden rise in your blood's sugar levels. This, in turn, triggers the pancreas to flood the body with insulin in an effort to reduce this newly elevated blood-sugar level back into the acceptable band. Almost immediately the nutrient storage process begins and this time, thanks to your recently completed vigorous exercise, there is plenty of room in the muscles and liver for the glucose to be tucked away as glycogen (remember, you emptied them during your workout). The excess glucose is drawn out of the bloodstream and driven into the glycogen-depleted muscles and liver restoring your depleted energy supplies and vastly accelerating your recovery. Et voila! Sugar has actually done us a favour. Muscle gylcogen levels are quickly restored which has scientifically been shown to reduce recovery time between workouts and training sessions. Your body will be much better set up to undertake your next training session ..... meaning you'll workout with higher intensity more often and ultimately see much better results from your training over time.

Another benefit of post-workout carbs is that the amino acids from the protein in your drink do not get high-jacked for muscle glycogen restoration, as they are in a carb deficient post-workout shake. The amino acids are left to get on with the business of building muscle tissue which is what you pay for. I smile when I hear someone saying,

"Nah mate, no carbs for me, Whey protein only after workout. I wanna get ripped."

Well, yes, you'll be pretty lean (assuming you have a proper workout routine), but you're also going to struggle to add much lean muscle mass as all those expensive amino acids you pay for in your protein shake are actually being used to restore your muscles' energy supplies and not for building muscle. This is a process called gluconeogenesis ..... but that's another story!

So the bottom line is that simple carbs really help you recover from workouts but only if you consume them immediately after your workout when the body will put them to good use. At any other time of day they just trigger fat storage. And because we're all different shapes and sizes, the ideal amount for optimal recovery will vary from person to person (some people have more muscles , ie. storage facilities, than others). Fortunately Biosauce figures all this stuff out for you and just gives you what your body needs. Whether it's Muscle Tone (to get lean), Muscle Gain (to add size) or Hard Cardio (to improve endurance), you get the perfect mix of carbs and proteins that will give you, personally, the best results you could possibly hope for from a shake.

The rest is down to you!

Just a bri ...more

01/08/2011

Just a brief note on something we believe needs highlighting. Many gyms (including some of the ones that have a Biosauce machine) sell other brands of ready-to-drink "protein shakes". These other shakes are nicely packaged in cartons or bottles and make great claims to contain "50gms of PROTEIN!!" and other eye-catching statistics. But beware, not all proteins are equal! In fact, nearly all these other ready-to-drink protein shakes are made with skimmed milk and/or some amount of cheap 'milk concentrate' or 'milk protein'. Here's the thing: the protein in milk is made from 82% micellar casein (one type of protein) and only 18% whey (a different type of protein). Casein is a SLOW absorbing protein. It is especially useful just before bedtime as it will slowly drip feed amino acids into your system while you're asleep giving your body nutrients to feed off overnight. It has long been the bedtime favourite of athletes and body-builders who wish to minimise the catabolic effects (muscle degradation) that fasting induces. Cow's milk is a good source of casein protein. Cottage cheese is another classic. However, Casein is NOT the protein that research shows is most useful for consumption immediately after a workout. Professional sports nutritionists suggest consuming a FAST-absorbing protein (such as a whey protein, or even better, a hydrolysed whey protein) after a workout to quickly fire the amino acids into your system and kick-start the repair process at a time when your body is particularly sensitive to nutrition. So, looking more closely at the label on these products should make you think twice before you spend your hard-earned on one of these drinks. At the supermarket, skimmed milk costs about 5p for 100ml. If the 500ml "protein shake" you are buying in the gym contains 80% skimmed milk, that is roughly 20p's worth of skimmed milk plus maybe a little bit of additional milk concentrate, say another 15p's worth. It is then topped up with water and the various flavour enhancers they add to make it yummy! The gyms then put their mark up of at least 100% on each bottle and you end up paying over Â£3.00 for about 35p's worth of casein-laden skimmed milk and water. "Daylight" and "robbery" are two words that spring to mind here. If you really want to use milk as a recovery aid, then do yourself a favour and just bring a pint along to the gym with you from the corner-store! It is industry practice for many gyms to financially reward their employees for promoting certain products to their members. Often it'll be the products that earn the gym the most margin, not necessarily the one that is actually going to do you any good!! Don't be a mug just because it says "Loads of Protein" on the label and tastes like a yummy milkshake. The reason it tastes like a yummy milkshake is because it IS a milkshake!! And a bloody expensive one too, that has limited benefit for you in a training environment compared to a scientifically constructed recovery drink like Biosauce where 80% of the protein is a gold-standard, super-fast absorbed, hydrolysed whey. Do yourself a favour and always read the label!!

So, it's b ...more

08/07/2011

So, it's been a while friends. But there's been lots going on since my last musings as our machine numbers have steadily grown - we are now at 10 machines. It's amazing to think we only had 1 machine operating in September 2010....now we have 10! 7 of the 10 are now operating in the market (the latest was added this week at Nuffield Health in Covent Garden) with 3 more, currently at our top secret storage location, waiting to be deployed over the next 2-3 weeks. 2 of these will be going to Gymbox gyms at Holborn and Westfield and the final one going to easyGym in Wood Green. It's a busy schedule managing the roll-outs but the feedback we are getting is more and more positive. I think this is because we realised, following the installation of the last batch during the end of 2010, that actually we didn't have a fully finished product. Make no mistake, we busted our balls at that time trying to get everything right: the machine reliability, the ingredient integrity, the drink taste, the website presence, the brand image, the post-installation support and so on. However, during the moments when we actually stopped to draw a breath, it became apparent that our "complete solution" wasn't in fact ready for full-scale roll-out. And thank god we did pick up on that at that time ..... because with such a small number of machines (only 6 at the time), it meant we could go back to the drawing board to redesign certain aspects of the solution and come to market with a bit of a "relaunch" during Q1 of this year. So we fixed: - the taste of the drink .... with hindsight, we made life difficult for ourselves by ignoring the fact that in all honesty, Biosauce tasted pretty awful. I felt that the nutritional integrity of the product would overcome any shortfall in taste ..... but I was well wrong! So, with just a few simple tweaks (like adding Salt) to the mix, we have been able to maintain our super-high quality nutritional integrity (we use only the highest quality whey protein money can buy - hydrolysed whey) but it also tastes great now. And people have been telling us that, repeatedly. - cups were constantly getting stolen for water use .... not something we foresaw, but it became clear we had a real issue with people nicking cups from the 'gun turrets' to use for water. Those cups ain't cheap and that represented valuable margin lost. So we worked diligently with our suppliers to build an automated cup-drop unit, which seems to be working perfectly (fingers crossed). No more cup thieves!! - the brand .... frankly, it was a mess. The machine didn't actually tell what the product was (a protein shake), nor did it tell you why it was special (every drink was personalised). It did tell you a lot of stuff that was utterly irrelevant and as such we were missing a huge opportunity to promote our product on a really high visibility platform (the machine itself). The website was also dull, confusing, irrelevant and repetitive. We also didn't have any kind of relationship with the PTs, who are the ambassadors for any product in the gym. So with a bit of a re-think on the website, long hours into the night looking at the on-machine messaging, and a revelation while I was standing in the shower about how to use our Loyalty Cards in conjunction with the PTs, I think we have fixed a lot of those things. It's not perfect of course, but it's a hell of a lot better!! - and we are rolling out in a more considered fashion. Rather than just pinging 4 machines out there all at once, we are doing them one at a time. I then spend 10 days or so in each gym, chatting to customers, explaining why the product is so special, listening to their feedback and so on. It makes a big difference and I think helps build up trust in the brand more quickly. It's a slower and more expensive way of doing it but in the longer run, I think it's the way forward. So, after 2 days of in-gym promotion on our latest machine, I am starting to relax. We had a few teething problems, as I've learned to expect every time you unwrap a new box (the coin mech had a mind of it's own!), but they are all ironed out and she is purring along now! There's lots of interest from customers and to a man (and woman) they all think it tastes great. Not that taste is important of course (!) but it means one major hurdle to repeat custom is out of the way. I really am happy we held back from rolling out last year. We had the orders at the time and it was tempting to just 'go to market' but it is abundantly clear now we were a long long way from a properly scalable package. I'm not saying we have the perfect package now either, but we are certainly a much stronger proposition than we were just a few months ago. So with that, back to business. Someone else has just walked up to the machine .... ahem, can I help you there, sir?

It still a ...more

26/11/2010

It still amazes me how, for some people, the first question they ask about Biosauce is: "What does it taste like?". Rather than wanting to know more about the physiological benefits of getting a really clean customised dose of pure carbohydrates and pure protein immediately you finish your workout they're concerned about the taste. I'm always saddened when somebody spends hours working out in the gym and then lets taste drive their decision-making when it comes to recovery nutrition afterwards. Perhaps the only thing worse than that is to ignore the anabolic window that opens as soon as you finish your workout altogether and not bother with proper post-workout nutrition at all. In short, my honest answer is: "What does it matter what it tastes like?". As December's Muscle & Fitness magazine states on page 126: "EMERGENCY! The postworkout window is the most crucial feeding of the day. Not only are your muscles in dire need of fuel, but they have a higher capacity to absorb nutrients such as amino acids, ......., creatine, glucose and protein after training. We recommend that ..... you don't miss this important window of time in which your body is primed to grow." Quite frankly, the very large majority of customers say Biosauce tastes absolutely fine. Don't forget that there's over 1,000 different versions of the drink in each machine so no two are going to taste identical anyway. Our customers are also surprised that it's not served chilled (it's ambient temperature for another reason - to sit lightly in the stomach and optimise absorption in the gut) but once they understand that Biosauce isn't designed to be a tasty refreshing drink then the true value of the drink becomes apparent. The marketplace is crowded enough with sugary-water options if that's what you think you need. Or you could always head off to Starbucks! Biosauce is uniquely designed as tailored fuel. Pure and simple. It's an utterly functional drink - not an aesthetic one. So we haven't added acidifiers, colouring agents, bulking agents, preservatives, endless flavour enhancers and so on. Apart from the pure whey and casein proteins (milk-based) and natural carbohydrates, we put in a tiny bit of vanilla flavouring and water. In the optional Power Mix we do also add the absolute minimum of sweetener to counter the taste of the amino acids which are pretty disgusting in their natural state. Why put in more than you need?!! Mixed with fresh water, every drink is 620ml of personalised post-workout refuelling shake designed to fine tune everybody's individual recovery to the absolute max. Taste? Honestly, for this one 'meal' of the day, it really doesn't matter!!

Gradually ...more

18/10/2010

Gradually things are really starting to happen. We install our second machine this week at The Reebok Sports Club in Canada Square at Canary Wharf. Along with The Third Space, our first customer, these two gyms sit at the very top of the UK gym food-chain so we are very proud that they have become our first two customers. In fact, we are picking up 5 new machines this week. One for The Reebok and the other four being rolled out between now and mid-November. Names and locations will follow! By the way, the new machine design rocks! On so many levels it is an improvement on version 1. I guess like any entrepreneurial business you have your doubts along the way as to whether something is actually going to work in the long-run. Well, whatever worries we may have had over the last year as we battled against some operational challenges have now been properly banished. Biosauce really works. The machine works beautifully (ask Beau). The ingredients work nutritionally (ask our customers). Now I just have to make sure we get our message across to the masses. Biosauce really is coming to a gym near you soon. Drink it. Your body will thank you.

Big day ye ...more

05/10/2010

Big day yesterday! We finally installed the first production machine at Third Space!!! The last 12 months have been pretty fraught at times but looking at her standing there yesterday, a host of new features in place (mostly invisible to the customer but very visible to me), ingredients flowing perfectly through the mixers, graphics tweaked, cup stacks and card-payment mech perfectly placed .... well, quite frankly it made me all warm and fuzzy inside! My wingman, Beau Bulgin, has been a legend. Third Space (members and management) have been amazing. And perhaps most surprising of all, I'm still on good terms with all my suppliers which says a lot for their ability to stand by the maxim that "the customer is always right"! I thank them all. We have 5 more machines on the production line to be rolled out over the next 3 weeks. I'll reveal more on where these are going shortly but, for now at least, I think we can finally say that we are leaving the launch-pad behind. Game on!

Little by ...more

16/08/2010

Little by little we are building a great service here at Biosauce. The latest addition, going live tonight, is a new component on our website that allows you to manage your Biosauce prepaid card easily from home. We issued a few trial Biosauce prepaid cards last month to certain customers and they said they really liked having the card stored in either their locker or gym bag, guaranteeing that they always have a means of purchasing their Biosauce. There was also the added benefit of not having to pull out your more valuable debit or credit card in the gym risking a major potential headache should you then lose that card. Well, from midnight tonight they can top-up their Biosauce card online at www.biosauce.com/cards. You will also be able to get a 10% bonus top-up added to their card for free by topping up a minimum of Â£30. For any Third Spacers reading this blog, you will be able to obtain your Biosauce prepaid card at the Third Space reception desk later today - instructions printed on the back! But remember, treat it like cash. If you lose it, you lose it! No replacements for lost or stolen cards.

Well, it's ...more

01/07/2010

Well, it's been a while but I figured I owed it to our faithful followers (of whom there is a growing army) to provide an update on our progress. In short ... we know now that we have a real business on our hands! We have proved the concept. Beyond doubt. Consumers are willing to spend hard earned cash, in straightened times, on a protein supplement that they know is going to be beneficial to them because it is made, uniquely, for that individual and reflects the goals they are striving to achieve; not too much ingredient that it builds undesirable amounts of muscle or is laid down in fat deposits because the body can't process it all (this happens with many traditional products); and not too little so as to have minimal effect thereby wasting the money they've just spent. We're all different shapes and sizes and have different aims in the gym so how can a single generic serving size of a product give the optimal dosing of post-workout nutrients for everybody at the same time? It can't. Period. The variable dosing offered by the Biosauce platform at point-of-sale means that all types of exercise and all body-shapes can be accommodated and even women are starting to understand that a little protein, in the correct ratio to the other ingredients, helps them achieve their aims. It seems every other protein supplement vendor on the planet is either talking about how they offer "more protein" or a "better tasting" drink than the next guy. For us, taste is almost irrelevant! You want a nice tasty drink? Go over to the coffee-shop and get yourself a macchiato or fresh fruit juice (although Biosauce contains no artificial sweeteners, which most other protein products do, it tastes more than good enough to our customers!). Biosauce is a functional drink, not an aesthetic one. You've just sweated your bits off in the gym - now your body wants the proper nutrition, not 'tasty'. And more, by the way, is definitely not better. If we go back to December and the installation of the machine in Third Space, I will admit we were venturing into the unknown. I believed people would buy our product but I didn't know for sure that they actually would. I couldn't. It has never been done anywhere on the planet before so there was no evidence to support the idea and I am not Mystic Meg. All I knew is that I would have paid for such a product ... but that is not always a guarantee that others would have done the same. Well now we have categorically proved the concept - this is most certainly a viable product. In fact, our serving volumes have surprised even me! A vending machine is such a great platform for this kind of thing, if you can get it right. And trust me ... it ain't easy! There are so many unknowns that can't be anticipated until you stumble right over them and then you still have to figure out how to deal with them. And since there is no point of reference, finding a solution can take an age. And when you do, you discover that you have negatively impacted another area of the solution and so you have just created another problem .... and so it goes on. The nice thing for us is that we have been working on this, without the distraction of having to run an existing supplements business, for nearly 2 years now. And now we have a solution. Finally. We also have our patents filed which gives us further protection from market entry by other players so we feel we are in a good place. We are selling at full retail price and we are growing our customer base. I am not going to give away too many details here on the good ol' interweb but suffice is to say .... Biosauce is coming. And if we continue to make pitches to the right partners, in the right way, it could well be coming to a gym near you soon.

OK folks, ...more

14/04/2010

OK folks, this is it! The moment we have been working towards for the last 4 months .... the final version of the prototype Biosauce platform is about to be born. We have the new ingredients, we have the new functional components; as Oscar Goldman once famously said: "We can rebuild him - we have the technology". The Biosauce platform will be removed from Third Space this weekend, to a secret location, where some of the industry's best brains will go to work on further improving what is already a truly unique and effective body-enhancement solution. We are going to take something that is challenging and disrupting an established, but stale, industry and make it even better. Nerve-endings are jangling at Biosauce HQ as this next step in our evolution will define our company for years to come. The Biosauce machine will be 'off site' for the whole of next week, then returned to Third Space early during the week of the 26th April with the enhanced ingredients and functionality in place. We can't wait to see the results .... we hope you will be just as excited as us. As always, the Third Space management team, personal trainers and members have been fantastic in supporting us and allowing us to develop the Biosauce concept in the heart of their gym. And make no mistake ... Third Space is no ordinary gym. I'm not sure what the correct industry category is for this amazing place but 'über-gym' can't be far off the mark! Wherever we go from here, Biosauce will always be grateful to Third Space and its members for giving us a chance. We are doing our best to repay them. Use The Sauce!

On a side ...more

29/03/2010

On a side note, I thought I'd just mention that we have a new addition to the Biosauce family. A (not so) little 11lb baby boy - born on Friday last week. I am a proud Dad and Mum is massively relieved! This isn't actually a completely 'off topic' posting ... it is worth noting that natural mother's milk, nature's solution to the physical demands we experience at the time in our lives when we are growing at proportionately the fastest rate we are ever likely to experience (immediately after birth) has a whey/casein content ratio of 70% whey and 30% casein. In a few weeks time, we will be using our new improved protein formulae in the Biosauce platform which also just happens to contain this exact ratio of whey and casein. If a 70/30 ratio is what nature has come up with after millennia of testing for human beings seeking growth, then this would suggest that this is likely to be the most 'in tune' and beneficial ratio of whey and casein that we can offer our bodies when striving for growth later on in life post-workout.

"So I need ...more

30/01/2010

"So I need to know my Body Fat Ratio? Is that the same thing as my Body Mass Index?" It's something that often comes up when folks are looking at the Biosauce platform for the first time. It's a critical part of the drink creation process as it allows the machine to calculate your Lean Body Mass (we'll come to that later). Well, the answer is: "Yes" to the first question. And "absolutely NO!!!" to the second! Actually, it's a little bit of a crusade of mine to try and get people to fundamentally understand what both these statistics refer to, how they are calculated and why one is almost meaningless and the other absolutely critical to most easily understanding your current 'fat status'. Let's start with Body Mass Index. It's the Government's favourite because it's easy to understand and measure - and those are the only things it's got going for it. Don't you just love old Gordon and his celebrity politician pals? They love a good fear story, keeps the general population on their toes. Gives the masses something to think about while they drive the country towards economic ruin, invoice us for their piles in the country and wage dubious wars in lands that are handily placed on the other side of the world. But they need a hook for the obesity diversionary tactic and BMI serves as a great hook. Everyone can understand it. So what if it's actually of limited use! Maybe I'm overplaying it a bit, but damn it ... you better watch out because if you catch this obesity bug thingy, you'll be standing at St. Peter's Gates before you can say "yeah sure, make it a meal". It's very true that obesity is a killer. And if it doesn't kill you, it'll ruin your life - or at least it'll ruin your life compared to how your life might have turned out if you'd have remained a healthy size. The thing is, you'll never know it because you'll just be happy with who you are: fat, breathless, with high blood pressure, clogged arteries, possibly diabetic, susceptible to glaucoma.....but happy all the same. Like John Candy. Obesity is most definitely bad .... but then, how do we measure it? According to the Government it can be measured by Body Mass Index (BMI). If we have a BMI between 18.5 - 24.9 we're okay, but if we're 25 - 29.9 we're overweight and if we're 30+ .... well, you better reserve yourself a supersize plot down at the local cemetery quick sharp. So, what is BMI? Well, BMI is calculated as: your body weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. Don't worry about the 'meters squared' bit - that just makes for a meaningful range. The bottom line is it's calculated as a ratio between your weight and your height. So let's try it for two very different people (we'll use guys if that's alright ladies?): Guy A Height - 6ft (1m 83cm) Weight - 84 kgs Lifestyle - outdoorsy, active, eats well, drinks moderately, goes to the gym 3 times a week to lay down a bit of muscle, the girls always take a second glance Guy B Height - 6ft (1m 83cm) Weight - 84 kgs Lifestyle - loves a burger, worships at the "Church of XBox 360", rarely sees the light of day but damn...he's happy! So what are their BMIs? The answer is - exactly the same! Based on their height and weight, the actual BMI number is 25. So where does that leave our two brave warriors? Overweight according to the Government. That's where. So let's give the Government a little round of applause for their 50% accuracy rate. One of these guys is definitely not overweight but the other certainly is! If I recall correctly from University that equates to a borderline 3rd. Sounds about right on so many levels..... I may be a little facetious, but the point is, BMI doesn't really provide an accurate measure of personal well-being. Particularly for fit and active people (like you Biosauce customers) or indeed at the other end of the scale .... for little old ladies. My gran would have been a chronic anorexic for the last 30 years of her life until she died at the ripe old age of 92. Get my point? The reason the government talk about BMI is because it's easy to calculate. You know your height, right? You know how much you weigh, right? Cool. Well, here's your BMI .... and they can even publish a nice looking chart to help you along: http://howmuchshouldiweighformyheight.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/BMI-Chart.png So there we have it: our loving, caring Government, keeping an eye out for us, telling us (rightly) to avoid obesity but not really understanding how best to measure it. The point is, according to BMI, Guy A and Guy B are identical. Well, quite clearly they are not and therefore BMI is limited in its usefulness. Body Fat Ratio (BFR) however .... ah, now there's a stat we should all know. It's a great stat! As stats go, in fact, apart from the "number of friends" you have on Facebook, there's not a better way to measure your overall well-being and if you're into it, body attractiveness (assuming you don't think heroin chic or Big Daddy physiques are desirable). I can't tell you from their height and weight what the BFRs are for Guy A and Guy B above but we can have a guess. I'll take stab and say that Guy A is about 12% body fat. And Guy B about 27%. Or put it another way: 12% of Guy A's weight is attributable to the fat on his body (nice abs coming through by the way), whilst 27% of Guy B's weight is attributable to fat....hence the moobs, triple-chin and belly overhang. Get the picture? What the BFR tells you is "how much of your weight is attributable to fat". A large part of your weight is attributable to bones, muscles, major organs, ligaments, tendons, skin and the like. All of these components positively contribute towards any activity you may be doing. For the most part, the rest of you is going to be made up of FAT! Fat is just along for the ride and aside from acting as a source of energy (fat is stored glucose) it is just a passenger. So when you have finished working out, you need to refuel and replenish the part of your body which has contributed towards the exercise. The bits which contributed can be defined as everything this isn't fat. And that number, we call the Lean Body Mass (LBM). So the LBMs of our two heroes could be expected to be around the following: Guy A - 84kgs x [(100-12)/100] = 74kg LBM Guy B - 84kgs x [(100-27)/100] = 61kg LBM Two very different numbers that clearly distinguish between two people that have identical Body Mass Indexes! So finally, a number that really gets to the essence of our make-up and gives us a proper picture of where we stand on the obesity scale. Here's a link to a chart that will give you some more clarity around what's an acceptable number for your sex and your age: http://www.dietandfitnessresources.co.uk/info_charts/body_fat_chart.htm So how do we measure it? Well, unfortunately it is not straightforward. There are a number of methods, ranging from "the caliper test" (pinching skin folds around the body), to clever bathroom scales, to being dunked in a specially set-up tank of water! Most gyms will offer you the first two if you ask. Equally, Tanita scales are recognised as the best 'home kit' available for this measure. See here: http://www.tanita.co.uk/. Just make sure you measure yourself at the same time each day or week and that you do this before any vigorous excercise. So you can see, the clever thing about the Biosauce platform, is that even if Guy B (the couch dweller) decided to do something about the amount of lard he's carrying around and went to the gym, started doing some cardio, then lifting weights, the Biosauce drink personalisation process is going to give him a very different drink to Guy A with lower amounts of carbohydrates and proteins that Guy A. You only need refuelling for the parts of your body that are contributing to the workout you are doing. And in time, Guy B's Body Fat ratio is going to drop - and so inversely, the carb and protein amounts in his post-workout Biosauce drink will increase to service the higher proportion of his body that is now contributing towards his exercise. The perfect mix. Everytime!

Did you kn ...more

04/01/2010

Did you know Carbohydrates are just as important in a post-workout environment as Protein? Protein on its own will certainly give you benefit .... but without combining it with the correct amount of the right type of carbohydrates the protein benefit will be muted. The trick is to clearly understand your training aims which in turn will dictate the correct ratios between these two components. Get this right and 1 + 1 really does = 3 !! Are you lifting weights to gain maximum bulk and muscle mass with a heavy weight / low rep routine? Then you should be consuming simple carbohydrates and protein in a 2:1 ratio immediately post workout in order to get maximum benefit from your session. You should be aware that you will add a little body fat to your frame as you lay down the new muscle fibre under a bulking program. Once the new muscle bulk is in place though, weight trainers will often then switch to a “cutting” program (of lower weights and a higher number of reps) to strip away the fat deposits whilst still adding noticeable muscle mass and density. In a cutting scenario the carbohydrates and protein should be consumed in a 1:1 ratio. If you look at professional cyclists and distance athletes, they are not as focused on muscle growth (although some is desirable) but are looking for optimally replenished energy stores (muscle glycogen) that allow them to train hard again in as short a timeframe as possible following their previous session. The carb/protein ratio here is different again. It’s actually a 4:1 ratio, but with the carbohydrate component including a large proportion of complex carbohydrates giving a longer and smoother carbohydrate absorption profile. So there you go, you’ve got the ratios but how much of each component do you actually need? Again, there’s a little maths you can apply here. In essence, the protein component can be calculated as 0.25gms of protein for each pound of Lean Body Mass if you are resistance training. And 0.125gms for each pound of Lean Body Mass if you are on a Cardio / Aerobic program. Then apply the appropriate carbohydrate ratio and voila!! You have your own personalised perfect mix. But if that sounds a headache then don’t worry. The Biosauce platform does all this for you. All you need to know is: - What you’re training aim is - How much you weigh (stones or kgs) - What your Body Fat Ratio (%) is The vending machine will do the rest and allows you to move through the gears, switching between programs, whilst all the time giving you your own optimally personalised mix of essential post-workout nutrients. No headaches. No hassles. These are the numbers that professional athletes apply to their post workout nutrition calculations. Now you can easily do it too!

Finally, w ...more

14/12/2009

Finally, we're starting to settle in. The people we're meeting, the conversations we're having, the responses we get....all extremely positive. All supportive. And all absolutely in agreement that this is a fantastic idea that serves a real purpose. The machine is set up nicely and doesn't need much attention - all in all, it's just starting to feel "right". There's so much mystique that surrounds the supplements industry that, unless you're a professional trainer or athlete and have the knowledge to filter and translate the plethora of information and misinformation that's out there, it's almost impossible to figure out what's the right approach. What should I be taking, if anything? And how much should I take? And what the heck is a "stack"? Supplements, especially protein and carbs in the correct dosages, do work. But due to the crowded nature of the industry, with every provider trying to gain the edge over their competitors, the message becomes unnecessarily complicated and ultimately confusing. In very simple terms, here's how it works: immediately after a workout your body is depleted of energy sources and the nutrients it needs to recover and rebuild itself (working out burns fat and damages muscles fibres which need to repair themselves). Consuming the correct amount of fast-absorbing simple carbohydrates immediately after a workout quickly restores the depleted energy supplies in your body (without adding to your fat stores) and causes the pancreas to release insulin into the system. The insulin in turn acts as a "shuttle" within the body ultimately driving the amino acids available from any consumed protein into the muscle tissue to kick-start the fibre rebuilding process. There are a number of additional steps in the above described chain of events but in essence it's the key concepts of "correct amount of fast-absorbing simple carbs" coupled with the "appropriate dosing of protein" that dictate the effectiveness of any protein-based post-workout supplementation. And it's a concept that no other protein provider readily addresses. Whether you buy tubs of powder or ready-made bottles of protein drink, the message is "one size fits all ('drink this bottle' or 'take one scoop')". In our v‪iew that is the biggest failing that existing protein providers offer with their products. And because there are so many players now in this space, all competing within the same limitations, the only real marketing option available is to conjure up increasingly exotic and unusual substances to add to the mix in order to give them a hook onto which they can hang a promotional campaign. At the end of the day, the increases in the benefits they offer the consumer is often negligible. The messages coming from the labs is increasingly complicated and often leads to confusion in the market-place as consumers fail to consider the most important of all elements when supplementing: how much carbohydrate and protein is exactly the right amount for me? If you were a professional athlete your team nutrition coach wouldn't be saying: "Guys, here's a case of ready-made protein shakes for everyone from XYZ Inc - drink one a day after training", he'd actually be saying: "Little John, you need 28 gms of protein and 56 gms of simple carbs after your bulking workout - here are all the powders and scales....make sure you stick to it". And then he'd be saying to the next guy in the team: "Big Fella, you need 46 gms of protein and 46 gms of simple carbohydrate after your cutting workout - here are all the powders and scales....make sure you stick to it". And so on.... The majority of benefits come from the amounts and ratios of carbs and proteins. Keep it clean, keep it simple, and stick to the correct dosages. So I see part of the challenge for Biosauce is that we need to bring this knowledge to the wider audience of regular gym-goers and athletes. To date, the best selling shakes tend to be the best tasting ones. It seems ironic to me that someone that goes to all the trouble of going to the gym and working out in the first place is then often most easily steered towards one particular shake or powder because it "tastes great!" without necessarily considering whether it is really going to give them the best results. I fully expect our drink will change in taste over time but not at the expense of diluting our ingredients-base and degrading the benefits it offers.

What a few ...more

11/12/2009

What a few days! We haven't stopped finalising and executing the launch since dawn on Tuesday until now with just a few hours sleep to show for it. But the machine is in! And wow! Was it worth it? Without a shadow!! My dream of nearly 5 years ago is sitting in a fantastic spot at one of the best gyms in the world. I'm home little more than an hour and it's nearly midnight .... absolutely shattered but up for it again tomorrow morning, early doors. And we had our first customer today (one of several, by the way!). A moment I shall cherish! (I may just frame that first coin he put through the slot). No questions asked, justed walked straight up, read the info on screen and put his money in. One perfect mix, coming right up! I'll follow up with a better post over the weekend but for now, a little tweaking tomorrow morning and we'll see whether we just got lucky....!

This is it ...more

09/12/2009

This is it! Today is the day! The first day of the rest of our lives... In 10 minutes we jump into the wagon and start the journey from darkest Surrey up to sunny Soho and into The Third Space! The calibration is done. The ingredients are in. Last night she was purring like a finely tuned race machine. There is nothing more we can do. Now she has to stand on her own four legs! I will give you a full update on this day of days later tonight. Asta la vista!

So here we ...more

08/12/2009

So here we are - literally, on the launch pad! An idea that I first pipe-dreamed about nearly 5 years ago. A concept I have been actively working on for the last 2 years with various partners: ingredients providers; vending machine manufacturers; gym chains; strength & conditioning coaches; PR guys; graphic designers; web designers; the lot! Everything is coming to a head right here and right now. In 24hrs time, the world's first personalised sports nutrition platform is going to be available for public use in one of the best gyms on the planet - The Third Space in Soho, London! Nervous does not describe the half of it! Nervous maybe, but at the same time, quietly, I'm pretty chuffed. Various sages have pointed out to me on more than one occasion that we're going through the worst recession in living memory. Should I really be giving up that well paid job for this? All I had was a Powerpoint, a laptop, a dodgy sports jacket and what I thought was a good story to tell. Sage or not, deep down I felt (and still feel) that I was onto something. How often have you sat in the pub with your mates and said "I'd really like to run my own company" .... then it's all gone quiet as that magical combination of beer and brain fails to come up with a small but fairly essential part of the jigsaw puzzle: the good idea? Well, I know I have a good idea and to hell with the nay-sayers! If I don't do it now, I'll never do it. At the grand old age of 37 you might even put it down to a touch of mid-life crisis, but I really don't believe I'll ever have this chance again. So it's come to this: we're on the verge, the very cusp, the lip, a new frontier, a new dawn, the genesis ... ok, ok, just calm down now! You can probably tell that I haven't slept much in the last week or so. For the best part of 2 years, this whole project at been at a 'safe' distance but now, suddenly, the status has very definitely changed and we're padded up, helmets on, swords drawn, ready for battle. It's DEFCON 1 and I can't wait!! Let's do it!