Our sister publication FoodNavigator-Asia previously reported on the company’s efforts to capture a more mainstream market, but the company is now focusing on product innovation for endurance athletes.
The company plans to launch energy gels in the region later this year to complement its range of energy bars and granola bites.
Carbohydrates and sugars are essential for endurance training, but Lecka founder Markus Gnirck explains that it’s important to have the right glucose-to-fructose ratio to ensure that these sugars are optimally converted into energy for the body during long training sessions.
“Endurance athletes might train for several hours a day. They’ll need 80 to 90 grams of carbohydrate per hour, which equates to about 250 to 400 calories per hour, depending on their size and gender. They need energy, and energy is sugar.”
“If you’re an athlete, you want sugar, you need sugar. Our products have a lot of sugar in them. But the question is, what kind of sugar should athletes be consuming?”
“Our products have a great glucose to fructose ratio and only use natural sugars, so not only do they improve your performance and help you power for longer, they also don’t cause any intestinal issues and are easier to digest because they’re made from natural ingredients.”Gnirk said:
All Lecka products are made from natural ingredients sourced from Vietnam, which is crucial for distribution in Asia because it means the supply chain is simpler and much shorter than if ingredients were sourced from faraway places like Europe or America.
“Our products stand out from other sports nutrition brands thanks to the freshness of our ingredients. We use fresh tropical fruits like mango and banana and our Asian-inspired flavours set us apart from similar tasting bars made by American and European brands.”Gnirk said he has received positive feedback that taking Rekka products does not cause the problems some athletes experience, such as nausea and stomach discomfort.
The planned new energy gel will contain essential electrolytes and natural sugars from brown rice syrup and fruit. The team has spent six months developing the product, which will come in flavors such as passion fruit, mango and banana.
“During endurance training, especially after two hours, athletes need to start eating, usually a mix of carbohydrates and electrolytes. The important electrolytes are magnesium, potassium and sodium. You need these to stay hydrated,” Guniruk explained.
“The gel format was chosen for its convenience and ease of digestion. It has to be easy to take on the go. Easy to digest means it’s absorbed better and faster into the body. Essentially, it’s a real, whole food product that’s clean and tastes great.”
However, in a climate where sugars and starches are avoided for weight maintenance and overall health, some effort is needed to educate consumers, especially those new to sports, about the need to properly nourish the body for endurance sports.
Gnirk himself is a professional endurance athlete from Germany and is also an expert in sports nutrition.
To spread the word about Rekka’s products and how they improve performance in endurance sports, he is running an ambassador program for targeted geographies.
“Our ambassadors are active in sports like running, cycling, triathlon and swimming. They embody the Rekka values. Through these ambassadors, we support our community on their journey through our products. We also provide them with nutritional advice, tips and tricks.” Gnirck explained their decision to focus on face-to-face interactions with customers rather than relying primarily on online and digital marketing.
The company also has distribution partners in Vietnam, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Germany.
The company’s products are sold online through Amazon, Shopee and Lazada, but mostly through sports specialist stores.
The company is now focused on the endurance racing segment and hopes to expand into all major markets.
“In India, for example, out of a population of 1.4 billion, this segment comprises maybe 20,000 to 40,000 people, so the market we are targeting is not large. The endurance sports segment is similar in other Asian regions such as Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. It is still a fairly small segment we are talking about, which is good for us in that it makes it relatively easy to launch our product. But it is not a big market, so we need to capture a significant number of regions to build a successful business.
“We want to enter all markets in Southeast Asia, where there is a very young and developing industry. In Europe and the US, the industry is already established and mature. Supermarkets and retailers in these regions stock around 30 different brands offering nutritional foods for endurance training. But in a region like Indonesia, the situation is totally different, with only three or four brands competing with us.”Gnirk said:
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