Newroom: America’s Cup champion’s breakthrough to fuel female athletes

Originally published by Newsroom on December 17, 2025

Author: Suzanne McFadden

Original article:

https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/12/17/americas-cup-champions-breakthrough-to-fuel-female-athletes/

Why this matters

This story highlights why Leaft Blade has found its clearest fit with high-performing female athletes - a group that has long been under-served by sports nutrition, despite having distinct physiological and metabolic needs. Blade was developed to deliver fast, highly digestible protein at times when solid food isn’t practical, supporting training, recovery, and day-to-day energy without gastrointestinal load.

The Leaft Blade's overall nutrition, digestibility and amino acid profile allow for rapid uptake, while the liquid format supports consistent fuelling around hard sessions, travel, and altitude - conditions where female athletes are particularly vulnerable to energy and iron deficits. The early feedback from elite athletes reflects this alignment: not just improved recovery, but better energy availability and cycle stability over demanding training blocks.

Excerpt from the article

"While training at 2200m altitude in Mexico for seven weeks, the cyclist saw the change. “In an endurance sport, we try to monitor our cycles in terms of energy, making sure we don’t go into the red. And this was the first time I’d done an altitude stint for that long and kept a regular menstrual cycle,” she says.

“I didn’t change anything in my training, but I’d been taking the Leaft Blade every day. It must’ve been a combination of the macronutrients and the iron, and I felt better for it. I first saw it as a protein supplement to keep your muscles strong and help them repair from training – so to have that extra outcome was really cool.”"

(Excerpt reproduced for commentary purposes. All rights remain with the original publisher.)

Read the complete story on Newroom

https://newsroom.co.nz/2025/12/17/americas-cup-champions-breakthrough-to-fuel-female-athletes/

About Leaft Foods

Leaft Foods harnesses the planet's most plentiful protein, extracted directly from green leaves, to make industry-defining products with a fraction of the carbon footprint of conventional dairy protein. Leaft's allergen-free Rubisco protein matches animal proteins in digestibility and nutritional profile and allows their farmer-growers to diversify how they use their land. Founded in New Zealand by highly experienced corporate leaders John Penno and Maury Leyland, who bring deep expertise in food and farming, and led by food industry veteran Ross Milne, Leaft has evolved from a kitchen experiment into a proven sustainable protein solution for pasture-based agricultural economies worldwide. Now accelerating its expansion with a focus on the United States, the company's transformative approach has attracted diverse backers including prominent Silicon Valley firm Khosla Ventures, NBA basketball star Steven Adams, indigenous investor Ngāi Tahu and ACC. Learn more at LeaftFoods.com and LeaftBlade.com