Peptides are a popular aid which is used in sports nutrition systems by athletic training in amateur and professional sports. All peptides as components of sports nutrition can be divided into 2 groups — short (small) peptides and polypeptides («long» peptides). Peptides consist of basic components — amino acids. If the peptide consists of small number of amino acids, for example 3 or 4, it is a short peptide. If the peptide contains 20-30 or more amino acids, it is a polypeptide. Polypeptides are almost the same as proteins — the most important molecules in our body. Why is the separation into short peptides and polypeptides so important? The length of the peptide depends on its function when used in sports nutrition.
Currently polypeptides are very popular as components of sports nutrition, which promote fat burning, stimulate muscle growth, improve immunity and increase general well-being. However polypeptides have obvious disadvantages. Polypeptides, in particular peptide hormones, can be incompatible with each other. In addition all «long» peptides are foreign to the body and can cause allergic reactions. Vigorous physical activities which are constantly experienced by the athlete’s body often lead to decrease in immunity that strengthens collateral allergic reactions from use of polypeptides even more. As polypeptides are often of animal origin in case of violation of purification technology they can contain dangerous impurity – such as foreign proteins, DNA fragments, viruses, prions with an immunogenic effect (ability to cause allergies) and can lead to development of diseases.
Is it possible to preserve the beneficial bioregulatory properties of polypeptides and at the same time eliminate their shortcomings? Yes, now it has become possible. As a result of long-term scientific research it has been established that each polypeptide has an active center — the small part which is responsible for performance of peptides function. Based on the analysis of the polypeptide composition, short peptides (consisting of 2, 3 and 4 amino acids) were created with special technologies. Such short peptides need not be isolated from animal tissues, they can be synthesized chemically. It is safer as synthetic peptides won’t contain the components causing allergies. At the same time short IPH peptides are completely identical in structure to the natural active (functional) centers of polypeptide molecules and are not perceived by the body as foreign substances. It is important to note that short IPH peptides being essentially a «function» of a polypeptide molecule are used in sports nutrition in lower concentrations than «long» peptides.
How does this happen? Proteins and polypeptides entering the human body with food come to digestive tract. There special enzymes (peptidases) «cut» them into small fragments — short peptides consisting of 2 or 3 amino acids. Then short peptides enter the bloodstream and are transported to the muscles and other organs and tissues where they have a regulatory effect. Most part of polypeptides that we get as a part of sports nutrition will be «cut» by peptidases and will not have the expected effect or this effect will be weaker. At the same time the short IPH peptides included in the sports nutrition will immediately enter the blood and tissues from the gastrointestinal tract without breaking up. Currently Ideal Pharma Peptide GmbH has developed and synthesized a series of short peptides IPH for the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics and sports industries. The IPH peptides stimulate nervous, immune and hormonal systems, have antioxidant properties, activate metabolism and serve for cancer prophylaxis and longevity. It should be noted that exact mechanism of biological activity of polypeptides is not always known, whereas for short IPH peptides such studies are much easier to conduct; and we can trace the entire mechanism of peptide action up to genes. All this let us speak with confidence about efficiency and safety of short IPH peptides made by Ideal Pharma Peptide GmbH (Germany).
Thus, short IPH peptides possessing all biological effects of polypeptides are safe, non-immunogenic, have scientifically proven mechanism of action and are the best solution as components of sports nutrition; they are a vector of development for modern pharmacology and molecular medicine.