Dr. John Ivy, professor of kinesiology and health education, was recruited by Wheaties cereal to formulate a new iteration of the 85-year-old product. Ivy has spent the past year working with General Mills’ Wheaties team and applying the latest in sports nutrition science to create long-lasting fuel for top athletes.
He worked closely with champion athletes Peyton Manning, Hunter Kemper, Kevin Garnett, Bryan Clay and Albert Pujols to develop and test the new cereal and determine what fuels the strongest, fastest bodies. Three formulas were created and “everyday athletes” chose the final, winning formula. Although the new product, called Fuel will not be on store shelves until January, a collector’s edition is temporarily available online.
With more than 30 years of research on the acute and chronic effects of exercise on muscle metabolism, Ivy was uniquely qualified to devise a scientifically advanced super fuel for maximum physical performance. He is chair of the College of Education‘s Department of Kinesiology and Health Education and has gained significant attention in the past few years for his book titled “Nutrient Timing.” In the book he revealed that when you fuel your body is as important as what fuel you choose when you’re trying to optimize physical performance. In addition to working with Wheaties, Ivy also developed a sports nutrition drink about a year ago that was used by the U.S. Olympic swim team and is the choice of several collegiate and professional athletes.
View six webisodes of Ivy’s work with Wheaties and athletes Manning, Kemper, Garnett, Clay and Pujols.