The Canadian beverage company Vampt is currently doing taste tests for their new drink called Lean Machine, a low-alcohol, protein-packed beer.
Lean machine has only 77 calories and 0.5 percent alcohol in volume, according to NPR. The drink is reportedly filled with nutrients, electrolytes and antioxidants intended to help the body refresh after intense exercise.
Vampt founder Ian Toews said the purpose of Lean Machine's development is to create a beverage that fits in the active lifestyles of young beer fans while also promoting responsible drinking, NPR reported.
"We just thought that maybe we could do something that would support a drinker, make it still socially fun, and help them accomplish what needs to be accomplished after an aggressive workout," Toews said.
Ben Desbrow, a sports nutritionist at Griffith University in Australia, said that if beer is formulated correctly, it may be able to function in the same manner as sports drinks, which are packed with carbs, sodium and other nutrients that keep the body hydrated and energized during and after a workout, NPR reported. He said beer contains a small amount of electrolytes and carbohydrates, and that although it's not enough to help the body after a workout, experiments could help beer have the same properties as sports drinks without its dehydrating effects.
A German study suggested additional benefits for athletes drinking a certain amount of beer, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The study suggested that if marathon runners drank a non-alcoholic beer for several weeks before and after a marathon, they had fewer upper respiratory tract infections and a smaller chance of catching colds, most likely due to the polyphenols in the beer.
Desbrow and his colleagues worked on a study published last December in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. In the study, they discovered that dehydration caused by beer can be weakened by changing its electrolyte content. They found that athletes could be hydrated by beer if the level of alcohol by volume is lowered by 2.3 percent, along with the addition of salt. Desbrow also said that because beer is plant based, it contains many different nutrients not found in manufactured sports drinks, according to NPR.
Toews said he is confident in Lean Machine's ability to succeed in the market, NPR reported. He said the company is currently taste testing in Canada, adding, "Canada knows what a good beer is."
