UT swimmers past and present are making their marks in the pool at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, but one UT professor ensured that the University's presence was felt in the drink cooler as well.
Members of the U.S. Olympic swim team, including Michael Phelps and former UT student athletes Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker and Aaron Peirsol, are drinking and endorsing PureSport, a sports drink developed by John Ivy, chairman of kinesiology and health education at UT.
"I think it's wonderful," Ivy said. "The top athletes in the world have seen the benefits. That's the thing that pleases me the most - that people are able to benefit from this, get more out of their workouts and feel better afterwards."
Austin's Human Performance Labs manufactures and markets PureSport. CEO Michael Humphrey is currently in Beijing promoting the drink, which the company provided to the swim team during training in Singapore. Humphrey said U.S. gymnast Nastia Liukin also drinks PureSport.
"Anyone who exercises can use our product, from the guy working outside in 100-degree temperatures to weekend warriors to elite athletes," Humphrey said.
Although many endorsements have come from swimmers, Humphrey said PureSport has been widely used by athletes, from NASCAR drivers to pro bass fishermen. It is currently sold in RunTex stores in Austin and should be available at the University Co-op within a few weeks, Humphrey said.
"We want to grow our business and maintain our identity as an Austin start-up," Humphrey said. "It truly helps our identity, as many people around the world really view Austin as a major lifestyle city."
PureSport is currently undergoing independent tests at UT and Texas Christian University with promising results, Humphrey said.
Ivy said he began developing PureSport two years ago, partially at the urging of Longhorn Aquatics swimming coach Randy Reese, who wanted to see a sports drink for children.
"I thought it would be a good idea to develop sports and recovery drinks for young athletes - something that worked, something that was all-natural, that tasted good and that was compliant with the standards set by the NCAA and other organizations," Ivy said. "Something not on the fringe of being illegal. Something backed by real science."
Ivy developed the drink with help from UT and U.S. Olympic swim team head coach Eddie Reese. PureSport comes in two formulas, Workout and Recovery. The former is designed for use before and during exercise to maintain energy and minimize muscle damage, while the latter, developed with serious athletes in mind, promotes quick recovery and repair to muscle tissue after training sessions.
University athletes drink PureSport on a regular basis, he said.
"Some of them have even told me that they did better in class because of it," Ivy said. "I love to hear that."
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