Sports drink start-up attracts investment

South Australian sports beverage start-up Preserve Health has raised more than $500,000 in seed capital to launch later this year.

The funding from angel investors and high net-worth individuals will be used to fund the market launch of PREPD – a range of hydration-boosting drinks set to revolutionise endurance sports performance, according to CEO David Vincent.

PREPD is backed by more than 20 years of innovative medical research at Flinders University in Adelaide, led by Professor Graeme Young.

His research originally focused on improving severe dehydration in children living in developing countries.

The Flinders research team identified a special resistant starch to promote fluid absorption in the gut, tapping into an unused hydration potential in the body to absorb up to six litres of fluid per day.

Then they adapted the medical formulation to meet the specific hydration needs of elite and amateur sportspeople, and created PREPD as a game changer in sports hydration.

Preserve Health CEO Vincent, said: “The latest research shows that dehydration can negatively affect sports performance by over five per cent.

“This means that even if you don’t feel dehydrated, your performance can suffer.”

PREPD is a two-part system of drinks designed to boost hydration, “allowing athletes to perform at their peak and stay there,” according to the company.

Vincent said PREPD drinks “taste like a smoothie due to the special starch, which delivers a hydration boost unlike anything else currently available.”

PREPD was developed from proof-of-concept to market ready stage in partnership with Steric Trading, which owns and manufactures the Staminade sports drink brand.

Preserve Health trialled PREPD with over 100 athletes across a broad range of sports, with the typical feedback being positive.

Athletes report feeling more energetic and suffering less cramps towards the end of sport, and noticing less fluid loss.

Picture: Preserve Health

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