CRICKET POWDER, THE NEW SUPERFOOD FOR ATHLETES

As athletes, we are constantly looking for nutritional products that will help us get stronger, faster and perform better. In a market packed with options that use unwanted extra ingredients, Montreal-based company Naak has created a high-performance and eco-friendly nutrition product that’s based around one simple ingredient, crickets.

 

Crickets are a superfood

Eating insects has become a trend in North America, but did you know crickets are actually a superfood with tons of nutritional benefits for athletes?

Proteins have an energetic role during a long-term effort, but their main function lies in muscle repair after exercising. Cricket proteins are complete, which means they contain the 9 amino acids essential for muscle synthesis.

Calcium has many roles in the human body, including bone health and muscle contraction.

Iron is one of the components of red blood cells, the cells specialized in the transport of oxygen. It is therefore particularly important for athletes.

Crickets are sustainable

Beyond the myriad of health and performance benefits for athletes, you can rest assured that you’re not hurting the planet when consuming crickets.

Cricket powder, also known as cricket flour, is one of the most sustainable source of complete protein in the world. To produce the same quantity of meat compared to beef, crickets need 12 times less feed, 2000 times less water and produce 100 times less greenhouse gases! A huge difference when we know that the livestock sector generates as much greenhouse gases as the transport sector and monopolize two thirds of the cultivated surfaces on Earth.

 

Did you know: everyone is already entomophagous! Without knowing it, we eat about 500 g of insects per year, hidden in salads, fruits, rice, peanut butter and many other foods.

Cricket energy bars made for endurance athletes

Young Canadian entrepreneurs with a  passion for triathlon and nutrition created the first cricket energy bars, entirely designed for endurance athletes. The Naak bars: www.naakbar.com. Naak was born from a passion for nutrition and triathlon.

It all started in 2016 when William Walcker and Minh Pham qualified for the triathlon world championships as age-groupers.

Looking for a healthy, efficient and environmentally friendly diet, they couldn’t find an energy bar that suited them, that is able to support long-time physical efforts and which is respectful of the environment. When they learnt about the benefits of cricket protein, they immediately saw the huge potential for athletes.

With the help of nutritionists and athletes, they developed two delicious flavors for their cricket energy bars: Choco Orange and Choco Banana.

The Naak bar is made of a short list of ingredients, all natural and unprocessed. It is a product with no preservatives, no added sugars or food coloring.

The texture is designed to meet the needs of athletes looking for performance as well as ergonomic products. Indeed, the cricket bar does not melt in the heat, with its soft texture, it is easy to swallow during exercise, and finally, it does not crumble!

Moreover, the cricket energy bar contains 400 mg of sodium, a boost in electrolytes to replace those lost during exercise and promote hydration of muscles. In accordance with the advice of nutritionists, the Naak cricket energy bar presents the perfect ratio of 30 g of carbs for 10 g of protein, promoting the absorption of all nutrients

The company just released their new flavour: Coco Macadamia.

Naak on the TV show “Dans l’oeil du dragon” in Quebec.

 

NAAK: Nutrition for Adventurous Athletes who run Kilometers

With its products, Naak want to share some values such as excelling oneself, leading a healthy lifestyle and respecting the environment.

Many professional athletes have understood the benefits of insects on their performance, their health and the environment. In this regard, Alexis Lepage, Magali Tisseyre, David Lacombe, Valérie Bélanger, Caroline Saint-Pierre and Stéphanie Roy have integrated Naak cricket energy bars into their diet.

Magali Tisseyre, 3rd place at the 70.3 World Championships in 2009 and 2010:

“As a professional athlete, I consume energy bars and sport nutrition products in general on a regular basis. I have often been concerned by the artificial ingredients list in the vast majority of efficient products. Naak bars are the option mixing health and efficiency. I love everything of Naak bars. Their taste, their nutrition facts that sustain performance but also the fact that they are an eco-friendly alternative.”

Alexis Lepage, 8th in the U23 elites at the 2016 World Triathlon Championships:

“I put one or two cricket energy bars in my pocket during long-distance biking session to satisfy my appetite and have enough energy throughout the training. This is a product to adopt!”

To find more information about Naak: www.naakbar.com.

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