I came up with a groundbreaking approach to simultaneously promote new products from both Glico and LOOK.
I procured Glico's new "Oxydrive" series product called
Oxydrive Supplement.
It's formulated with paprika xanthophyll, which apparently increases respiratory endurance.
But just writing that doesn't really explain what it is.
Paprika xanthophyll refers to the xanthophyll found in paprika.
The natural pigments in plants and animals are called carotenoids,
and the reason tomatoes and shrimp are red is because of carotenoid coloration.
Among carotenoids, those composed of carbon and hydrogen are called carotenes,
while those composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are called xanthophylls.
(Beta-carotene is the familiar term for carotene,
and there are many spelling variations like "carotin,"
but I'm using carotene since the etymology of the "carot" part comes from carrot.
The "xanth" in xanthophyll means yellow,
and since animals can't synthesize xanthophyll on their own, they have to get it from food.
The reason egg yolks are yellow is because of xanthophyll coloration.)
According to a press release from Glico about half a year ago,
they extracted and refined paprika xanthophyll from Spanish paprika,
named it "Paprikax," and successfully developed and mass-produced it in-house.
They claim that the effect of seven xanthophylls contained in Paprikax
increases antioxidant power in the blood and improves motor function,
which is something only food companies or pharmaceutical companies can state based on testing.
According to clinical trials, when measuring oxygen uptake and heart rate during 30 minutes of exercise on a treadmill,
those who took Paprikax were able to perform the same intensity of exercise with lower oxygen uptake and lower heart rate,
and this is their basis for claiming it can increase respiratory endurance.
Actually, the Glico catalog for user-facing supplements contains not a single character mentioning Paprikax,
but based on keywords like "paprika xanthophyll" and "oxygen transport,"
it's definitely a supplement containing Paprikax.
The Oxydrive series currently has three products,
and the Oxydrive Supplement mentioned at the beginning
is a soft capsule tablet, with recommended intake timing
before bed and after waking.
Whether developing a habit of taking this will make you think
"Ahh, my oxygen transport capacity is really improving!"
I don't know.
That's supposedly the effect it has.
If you're curious, give it a try.
Among all supplements, not just Glico's,
the one I can definitively say has an effect you can actually feel in your body,
despite ultimately being "personal opinion,"
is this "Extra Amino Acid," commonly known as "Gold Glico" or "Gold Guri."
If you have a habit of taking it before bed and forget one morning,
you'll know from the sluggish grogginess upon waking.
There's one other supplement I can say definitely works,
but it's not from Glico and it's somewhat sketchy, so I can't write about it here.
I bought a new LOOK bottle.
From right in the image: Zéfal, Zéfal, TA, TA, and Cobra,
but the one I bought this time is the one on the far right.
Cobra is an Italian bottle and bottle cage manufacturer,
and back in the day they also made bottles for Campagnolo.
A Campagnolo bottle from the early 1980s has the same shape as this bottle,
and since LOOK's bicycle division was founded in 1986,
it's possible this bottle might be the original LOOK bottle.
For more on Cobra (→here).
↑There were non-clear white bottles during these eras too,
but at some point I basically stopped using anything but clear bottles.
The exception is probably when using an insulated bottle.
With clear bottles, you can immediately spot stains like tea discoloration,
even if not quite moldy.
Plus, I feel like the new bottle "plastic smell" is less noticeable.
Both of the bottles above are Zéfal brand,
but the latest one handles differently than the previous ones.
Besides the supplement, the Oxydrive series also has
"Whey Protein" and "Hypertonic Drink,"
but I personally bought the protein.
Grapefruit flavor.
Some people make protein with milk instead of water,
but grapefruit flavor doesn't go well with milk.
Perhaps because of that, the package instructions only say
to make it with water.
As for the taste, it's closer to a sports drink than typical protein,
so it contradicts the instruction "④ Drink immediately,"
but I use it as a drink for my bike bottle instead of a shaker.
↑Notably, "during exercise" is listed among Glico's recommended intake timings,
and since this icon isn't seen on other protein products from the company,
it might be the intended usage.
As for the LOOK bottle,
Except for the latest Zéfal, the diameter when the cap is removed
is noticeably smaller than the spoon that comes with the protein,
so you can't pour it in without spilling.
In this regard, the latest LOOK bottle is extremely useful.
The serving instructions say
3 spoonfuls for 200-300cc of water,
but I added more water than that.
From the perspective of osmotic pressure and absorption efficiency, making it thinner shouldn't be a problem.
When dissolved, it becomes this color.
Apparently the color of paprika xanthophyll.
The cap on the new bottle has a curved arc for some reason,
and from this direction it drinks fine,
but from this angle, when you drink,
the edge of the cap hits your upper lip.
If you're not used to it, you have to check the cap orientation before drinking,
and during a race when your mind is foggy and you want to avoid wasting energy on unnecessary things
and focus only on your legs, this doesn't seem like the right bottle,
but as a LOOK fanatic, that doesn't concern me at all ha ha.
The new bottle looks so cool—(sponsored content)
By the way, a recent issue of Tarzan magazine (not the latest one)
also had an article about paprika xanthophyll.
What they wrote is somewhat of a leap, but the thrust seems similar.
On the edge of the page there are two types of paprika,
and apparently shishito pepper-shaped varieties have stronger antioxidant power
than bell pepper-shaped varieties.
Shishito-shaped paprika is Spanish origin, so
now I understand why Glico
uses Spanish paprika.
The bell pepper-shaped paprika commonly seen in supermarkets
is almost 100% Korean-grown, but it's originally an Dutch breed.
I procured Glico's new "Oxydrive" series product called
Oxydrive Supplement.
It's formulated with paprika xanthophyll, which apparently increases respiratory endurance.
But just writing that doesn't really explain what it is.
Paprika xanthophyll refers to the xanthophyll found in paprika.
The natural pigments in plants and animals are called carotenoids,
and the reason tomatoes and shrimp are red is because of carotenoid coloration.
Among carotenoids, those composed of carbon and hydrogen are called carotenes,
while those composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are called xanthophylls.
(Beta-carotene is the familiar term for carotene,
and there are many spelling variations like "carotin,"
but I'm using carotene since the etymology of the "carot" part comes from carrot.
The "xanth" in xanthophyll means yellow,
and since animals can't synthesize xanthophyll on their own, they have to get it from food.
The reason egg yolks are yellow is because of xanthophyll coloration.)
According to a press release from Glico about half a year ago,
they extracted and refined paprika xanthophyll from Spanish paprika,
named it "Paprikax," and successfully developed and mass-produced it in-house.
They claim that the effect of seven xanthophylls contained in Paprikax
increases antioxidant power in the blood and improves motor function,
which is something only food companies or pharmaceutical companies can state based on testing.
According to clinical trials, when measuring oxygen uptake and heart rate during 30 minutes of exercise on a treadmill,
those who took Paprikax were able to perform the same intensity of exercise with lower oxygen uptake and lower heart rate,
and this is their basis for claiming it can increase respiratory endurance.
Actually, the Glico catalog for user-facing supplements contains not a single character mentioning Paprikax,
but based on keywords like "paprika xanthophyll" and "oxygen transport,"
it's definitely a supplement containing Paprikax.
The Oxydrive series currently has three products,
and the Oxydrive Supplement mentioned at the beginning
is a soft capsule tablet, with recommended intake timing
before bed and after waking.
Whether developing a habit of taking this will make you think
"Ahh, my oxygen transport capacity is really improving!"
I don't know.
That's supposedly the effect it has.
If you're curious, give it a try.
Among all supplements, not just Glico's,
the one I can definitively say has an effect you can actually feel in your body,
despite ultimately being "personal opinion,"
is this "Extra Amino Acid," commonly known as "Gold Glico" or "Gold Guri."
If you have a habit of taking it before bed and forget one morning,
you'll know from the sluggish grogginess upon waking.
There's one other supplement I can say definitely works,
but it's not from Glico and it's somewhat sketchy, so I can't write about it here.
I bought a new LOOK bottle.
From right in the image: Zéfal, Zéfal, TA, TA, and Cobra,
but the one I bought this time is the one on the far right.
Cobra is an Italian bottle and bottle cage manufacturer,
and back in the day they also made bottles for Campagnolo.
A Campagnolo bottle from the early 1980s has the same shape as this bottle,
and since LOOK's bicycle division was founded in 1986,
it's possible this bottle might be the original LOOK bottle.
For more on Cobra (→here).
↑There were non-clear white bottles during these eras too,
but at some point I basically stopped using anything but clear bottles.
The exception is probably when using an insulated bottle.
With clear bottles, you can immediately spot stains like tea discoloration,
even if not quite moldy.
Plus, I feel like the new bottle "plastic smell" is less noticeable.
Both of the bottles above are Zéfal brand,
but the latest one handles differently than the previous ones.
Besides the supplement, the Oxydrive series also has
"Whey Protein" and "Hypertonic Drink,"
but I personally bought the protein.
Grapefruit flavor.
Some people make protein with milk instead of water,
but grapefruit flavor doesn't go well with milk.
Perhaps because of that, the package instructions only say
to make it with water.
As for the taste, it's closer to a sports drink than typical protein,
so it contradicts the instruction "④ Drink immediately,"
but I use it as a drink for my bike bottle instead of a shaker.
↑Notably, "during exercise" is listed among Glico's recommended intake timings,
and since this icon isn't seen on other protein products from the company,
it might be the intended usage.
As for the LOOK bottle,
Except for the latest Zéfal, the diameter when the cap is removed
is noticeably smaller than the spoon that comes with the protein,
so you can't pour it in without spilling.
In this regard, the latest LOOK bottle is extremely useful.
The serving instructions say
3 spoonfuls for 200-300cc of water,
but I added more water than that.
From the perspective of osmotic pressure and absorption efficiency, making it thinner shouldn't be a problem.
When dissolved, it becomes this color.
Apparently the color of paprika xanthophyll.
The cap on the new bottle has a curved arc for some reason,
and from this direction it drinks fine,
but from this angle, when you drink,
the edge of the cap hits your upper lip.
If you're not used to it, you have to check the cap orientation before drinking,
and during a race when your mind is foggy and you want to avoid wasting energy on unnecessary things
and focus only on your legs, this doesn't seem like the right bottle,
but as a LOOK fanatic, that doesn't concern me at all ha ha.
The new bottle looks so cool—(sponsored content)
By the way, a recent issue of Tarzan magazine (not the latest one)
also had an article about paprika xanthophyll.
What they wrote is somewhat of a leap, but the thrust seems similar.
On the edge of the page there are two types of paprika,
and apparently shishito pepper-shaped varieties have stronger antioxidant power
than bell pepper-shaped varieties.
Shishito-shaped paprika is Spanish origin, so
now I understand why Glico
uses Spanish paprika.
The bell pepper-shaped paprika commonly seen in supermarkets
is almost 100% Korean-grown, but it's originally an Dutch breed.