Raising the bar for faster recovery times new

PURE ATHLETE:NEW ZEALAND-BORN fitness coach Greg Muller is well known within the Irish rugby fraternity as the former performance coach to Connacht Rugby. But Muller recently hung up his boots to concentrate on getting a new business off the ground. With over 20 years' experience helping athletes recover from injury, Muller has developed a range of recovery products aimed at sports people and those leading active lives.

The first Pure Athlete products were launched late last year and the latest addition, a shower gel, arrives in a few weeks’ time. The line-up currently comprises bath salts, soap, muscle relief oil and an anti-chaffing sports balm. A large pack of salts retails at €17 while the sports balm costs €15.

“The products have been developed to assist the body in its natural recovery process,” Muller says. “They are made from 100 per cent organic ingredients known for their healing properties – for example arnica, dead sea salt and rose oil.

“Our aim was to formulate ingredients that would have a positive effect on both health and athletic performance. We wanted to avoid chemicals as when the pores are open, due to perspiration or showering, anything applied to the skin will be absorbed into the body.”

Muller is the prime mover behind the venture, which has its headquarters in Galway. To date, the project has cost €300,000 to get off the ground and has been privately funded. The company employs six people and is making its bath salts locally. Manufacture of its other products has been outsourced to China.

The products are currently available in a small number of gyms, health and sports stores, but distribution is about to be ramped up. The company’s target is sales of €1 million in Ireland in a full year. Exports to the UK are due to begin in a few months’ time and Muller also has Europe in his sights.

He acknowledges it would be extremely difficult to get scientific proof of the efficacy of his products. “To arrive at a scientific conclusion would involve measuring muscle and blood markers which is a very, very expensive process,” he says.

“We are using a combination of healing remedies that have been known about for centuries and we believe the results will speak for themselves.”