Named Gold Experience, this service is catered to gym users who have a strong interest in nutrition as well as those who engage in sports activities regularly.
Gold's Gym is a chain of international fitness centres, originally from the US.
According to Statista, gym members in Japan reach about 2.7 million in 2020, a drop from 3.3 million in 2019.
Despite this, Kirin has seen increasing demand for protein and sports-related nutrition products in recent years, coupled with growing interest in the personalised nutrition space.
Chisato Kubo, assistant manager from corporate communication department at Kirin Holdings, told NutraIngredients-Asia: “The purpose of this service is to create new value by responding to the needs of individual customers who wish to maintain a healthy body, supporting healthy lifestyles through exercise, and solving social issues.”
Personalised supplements
This service works via a smartphone app and a physical supplement dispenser in the gyms.
On the app, users will input data on their workout, mood, and training history, which will then recommend a combination of supplements to match the user's situation.
There are eight supplements available on this service including BCAA (branched-chain amino acids), EAA (essential amino acids), arginine, citrulline, creatine, citric acid, vitamins, and plasma lactic acid bacteria. The latter is Kirin’s proprietary active ingredient in its iMUSE brand of functional food and drinks.
Users are also free to adjust the dosage and combination of the recommended supplements.
The service will be rolled out and tested at three Gold’s Gym locations in Tokyo in September.
Premix supplements
There are currently two powdered premix supplements available, the Gold Experience GXBOOST to help maintain muscle, and Gold Experience GXCHARGE to increase muscle strength.
“The supplements provided by this service are individually packaged amino acid-based supplements based on the concept of ergogenic aids,” Kubo said.
Gold Experience GXBOOST contains amino acids such as citrulline, arginine, BCAA, citric acid and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and C.
GOLD EXPERIENCE GXCHARGE contains EAA, creatine, glutamine, L. lactis strain Plasma, citric acid and vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and C.
These supplements will be available for test sales at 30 Gold’s Gyms nationwide (Kanto region, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Osaka) by the end of 2021.
All supplements including the personalised supplements are manufactured at a GMP-certified plant in Japan using Kyowa Hakko Bio's amino acids and Kirin Holdings' plasma lactic acid bacteria.
