By By Kelli DeWalt
Put away the Gatorades, Red Bulls and Power Bars, because a new energizer is in town. Jelly Belly has found a new way to give althletes a boost of energy with their Sport Beans.
“Sport Beans are a first of a kind jelly bean that is formulated for sports and exercise,” Tomi Holt, a Jelly Belly spokesperson, said.
This newest edition to the Jelly Belly family contains carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins C and E, which give athletes extra energy. The Sports Beans are designed to refuel athletes after intense workouts.
Their portable packages make it easy to grab one on the go.
“They’re the ideal portable power team for endurance athletes, weekend warriors and sport enthusiasts of all types,” the Jelly Belly Candy Company Web site proclaims. They come in one ounce servings for 99 cents, but it is up to the individual to determine how many they need.
The idea behind this new commodity is that it is unique. The beans can be taken either before, during or after the workout. Basically, it is up to the individual to decide when a boost of energy is needed.
If a person is not an athlete, they might want to be careful of the calories; there are 100 in each serving. The beans contain 25 grams of carbohydrates, 20 percent of the daily value for vitamins C and E and 60 grams of potassium and sodium.
While currently there are no known hazards, some still remain skeptical.
James Sewell, coach for the University’s cross country team would not recommend anything to his Division One athletes that has not been on the market for a while. He said he would stick with Gatorade and other reliable products. At the end of the day, they are just jelly beans, Sewell said.
This poses a question of will the new Sports Beans be taken seriously? While some might view the product as just another candy, some athletes have responded well to this new idea.
Nick Altomare, a freshman football player, points out that even though he could get all the nutrition the beans provide in the Student Center, he would still try them out.
Similarly, most that were asked were willing to try these jelly beans at least once to see if they liked them. Many were intrigued by the idea of jelly beans actually containing nutritious ingredients. Most would even recommend them to others, including their coaches, if they turned out to be satisfying.
“In golf you lose a lot of energy, and that’s key to a mental game when you’re finishing your round,” Liz Warren, a freshman member of the golf team, said.
A few members of the golf team even said they were sure their coaches would buy the Sport Beans for their team.
The fact that Sport Beans are made by Jelly Belly turned out to be both their greatest asset and disadvantage.
“Yeah, if they’re made by Jelly Beans, I’d try them,” Edward Greene, a senior football player, said.
His opinion was reiterated by others, all eager to try something new by a candy company.
“Yeah, it’s awesome,” Brian Greenspan, a senior sports enthusiast, said. “I like candy and electrolytes are good.”
Yet, when asked if the Sport Beans would work at refueling the body of carbohydrates after an intense workout, many said probably not. They either thought a jelly bean could not be anything more than candy, or they didn’t believe in energy bars at all.
“No, that stuff never works,” Mike Pucillo, a freshman on the wrestling team, said.
“It’s like any other power drink, you get used to it after a while,” Greenspan said.
Yet athletes still held positive outlooks.
“They would probably work,” Warren said. “If they have the same stuff as Gatorade in them.”
Others happen to be skeptical of sport nourishment altogether.
“I’m not a full believer in sports replenishing items,” Alicia Boyle, an avid swimmer and runner, said. “Because I would much rather replenish my body with real food.”
Nevertheless, the marketability of these products is high. Sport Beans will be available in 100 college bookstores, along with grocery, convenience, health and sporting good stores across the country. At the moment they come in two flavors, lemon lime and orange, but more flavors are expected in 2006.
Jelly Belly reports that there are no dangers in taking the Sport Beans.
“For athletes, managing their energy intake is vital for performance,” Holt said.
The Sport Beans base their ingredients on extensive research done on the body’s need for carbohydrates. The research indicated that carbohydrates taken during exercise that lasts 45 to 60 minutes will help delay exhaustion and boost sprint performance. The American College of Sports Medicine also supports these claims. They are also known to improve decision making and coordination.
It is too soon to tell if Jelly Belly has hit on something big, but it will be interesting to see where the Sport Beans lead them in the competitive energy supplement marketplace.