iBCAA (4g):

BCAA stands for Branched Chain Amino Acids. These are three of the twenty amino acids that make up all the proteins in humans. Your body cannot produce valine, leucine, and isoleucine and so your body depends on supply from your diet.

The “i” stands for instant - referring to the use of free-form amino acids that are soluble and easy to mix, making them convenient to use around your training routine.

These amino acids are special as they are directly absorbed into muscle, rather than first requiring processing by the liver which makes them particularly relevant for physically demanding activities such as dancing.

​​

While studies suggest that for endurance-related exercise, the performance gain is trivial, there is a consensus that BCAAs reduce muscle soreness and damage. Several markers for muscle damage were lower at 24 and 48 hours after exercise compared to placebo, and participants noted less muscle soreness. Dancing uses a large range of muscles and muscle fatigue is experienced among dancers making BCAA a perfect addition to our pre-training drink.​

A recent study suggest that pre-exercise BCAA supplementation may support muscle preservation and enhance performance outcomes during energy restriction and helps to maintain lean muscle mass. Leucine triggers muscle protein synthesis to repair the micro-tears caused by that increased workload. It reduces muscle soreness, limits post-exercise protein breakdown, and can enhance recovery speed when consumed as part of an amino acid blend.​​​

Creatine Monohydrate (3g):

Creatine is a naturally occurring molecule made by your body, in your kidneys and liver, using amino acids. It can also be consumed from the diet. Natural food sources contain creatine in small amounts with concentrations of roughly 4-5 grams of creatine per 1 kilogram of raw red meat or fish.

Inside the muscles, creatine is converted into phosphocreatine, which helps regenerate ATP - the body's main energy source for muscular contraction. During high-intensity exercise ATP is rapidly consumed but supplementing with creatine increases available energy supply.

​

Creatine has been shown in many different papers to improve physical performance measures like power and speed. A lot of the creatine studies have been performed on sports with short bursts of high intensity exercise, like 100m sprint or sprint swimming. Creatine was shown to enhance performance in such sports, as the energy during this exercise comes predominantly from the anaerobic pathway in which creatine plays a role. This kind of exercise, we believe, is comparable to competitive dancing.
​
Creatine can be used as a supplement in two ways. Some athletes may use a high loading dose for a short time followed by a maintenance dose, and others may use a lower dose for constant supplementation. Based on the long season of competitive dancing and that we intend our products to be used for building a sustainable (hassle-free!) regimen, we have chosen for a constant lower dose supplementation in our pre-training drink.

Beta-alanine (1g):

Beta alanine is a non-essential amino acid made by the liver or ingested by eating poultry, fish or meats. It combines with the amino acid histidine in skeletal muscle to form carnosine. Carnosine acts against the hydrogen ions that accumulate in muscles during high-intensity exercise, which causes a drop in pH and produces the "muscle burn" that leads to fatigue.

A lot of studies have been done on the effects of beta alanine. Twelve individual randomised clinical trials have each shown beneficial effects of beta alanine on performance in different sports.​

​

These trials show that beta alanine is effective at improving performance for high-intensity, short-duration exercise, lasting 60 to 240 seconds. The specific effects range from increasing power, to increasing time to exhaustion and attenuating fatigue, meaning that athletes who received supplementation could keep going for longer than athletes receiving placebo.

Competitive dancing is similar to the sports tested in that it is also a high-intensity and short duration of around 1-2 minutes for each dance. Supplementation with beta alanine might therefore be extremely useful for dancers.​

Doses used in trials range from 800mg to 4.8g per day, and it has been shown efficacious within this range. Studies suggest that it requires at least 2 to 4 weeks of daily consumption to reach its peak saturation and produce significant effects.

Beta alanine is known to cause paraesthesia, a harmless tingling sensation that may occur for example in the lips soon after consuming the drink. It typically starts 5-10 minutes after consumption and lasts for about 30 to 60 minutes. This effect is related to the dose and so consuming the drink more slowly can make this effect less pronounced.

Beta-Hydroxy Beta-Methulbutyrate (1g):

HMB, is a breakdown product leucine that we covered before in the BCAA section. This molecule acts on several other processes to cause a number of effects that may be beneficial. It has been shown to reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and improve muscle recovery. Studies have shown it improves muscle strength as well, and that this effect is additive when taken together with creatine (meaning that there is an effect from HMB as well as from creatine, that is greater than the beneficial effects of creatine alone).

Another study looked at muscle contractions and flexibility. They found that supplementation with HMB improved range of motion of joints after exercise, even from taking low doses of HMB. Overall, in trials, beneficial effects can be detected from as early as 2 weeks, but for optimal effects, the recommended minimum duration is 6 weeks. 

Interestingly, some studies have even shown that by its mechanism of action, HMB can lead to reduced fat mass and increased lean body mass when used with exercise. However, more research is needed to confirm these effects. This mechanism does not affect the performance benefits of HMB. 

Beetroot powder (1g):

Beetroot powder is a popular, nutrient-dense dietary supplement rich in inorganic nitrates and antioxidants. The antioxidants in beetroot powder help the body fight cellular damage from free radicals and reduce oxidative stress.

Exercise causes temporary, acute inflammation as a normal response to muscle stress, but regular exercise acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent long-term. Intense workouts trigger micro-tears and immune responses, releasing cytokines to repair tissue, while chronic, regular activity reduces overall systemic inflammation and lowers inflammatory markers. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits may help reduce muscle soreness and damage after strenuous exercise, leading to reduced muscle pain and faster recovery times.

Some studies suggest that beetroot consumed in liquid (juice) or powder form (capsules) contributes in lowering blood pressure and improves overall cardiovascular function.