Lebron James Launches Nutritional And Supplement Brand

NBA superstar, actor, producer, and new entrant on the Forbes World’s Billionaires List, Lebron James, has started a nutrition and supplement brand called Ladder.

The brand has been created with James’ long-time trainer Mike Mancias. The new company intends to begin with a slew of products including whey and plant protein, pre-workout, superfood greens, plant-based nutrition shakes, and hydration products.

The introduction and concept behind the brand were inspired after James’ tumultuous 2014 postseason where he suffered from severe muscle cramps. James started working with Mancias to fix the problem and strengthen his nutrition and fitness regimen. Supplements were a part of this.

However, on the duo’s search, they found locating products that were free of banned substances and had no contaminants was very difficult. James of course did not want to risk tarnishing his reputation from a contaminated product.

Hence Ladder was imagined and has been developed over the past four years to break into the market with clean products known for taste, quality and performance.

The company’s official Instagram account describes the journey and mission of the brand in one of its latest posts.

“It’s a lifelong journey to create a legacy. Don’t shortcut the process. It’s not just about the finish line, championship, or personal best,” reads the caption. “It’s about putting in the work every day, creating habits to help you go faster and harder for longer. LeBron James knows it best. He knows what his body needs to perform at its peak. When he couldn’t find it, he assembled a team of experts to make it. And now it’s ready for you.”

Key insight

The supplement industry has been tainted for professional athletes across numerous vertices due to contamination in products that could cause failed drug tests and subsequent major issues with governing bodies and athletic commissions.

Another brand that has been growing on the journey to develop clean products is Hustle Drops led by co-founder and inventor Joshua Hollings.

Focusing on the natural compound of peppermint, the brand is a performance supplement with purported near-instant effects. Utilizing organic peppermint, Hustle Drops relaxes and expands the user’s blood vessels, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to the body.

The formula was developed through Hollings with a team of chemists in Salt Lake City, Utah. Similar to James, Hollings was a professional athlete having problems with performance. Playing doubles squash on the SDA world tour after 3 months of experimenting with the compound during games Hollings ranking grew from 67 to 23 in the world. Hollings mainly attributes his success to the noticeable boost in stamina and alertness on the court.

“I completely understand Lebron’s journey. Getting the most out of yourself in a natural way is very difficult, and like me, he took it upon himself to find a solution,” said Hollings.

He continued, “We feel there are many natural compounds that have not received the attention they deserve in the performance supplement world. There are natural compounds with great potential, but simply have not been communicated properly to the public.”

Currently, Hustle Drops has sold over 40,000 bottles of their statement product and has 200 million views across social media in under 12 months of operation.

NHL All-Stars Tom Wilson, John Gibson, Cam Talbot, Thatcher Demko, and Tristan Jerry are some of the notable names that use the product.

“Proving our legitimacy has not been easy, there have been doubters but it’s impossible to doubt the product once you use it,” said Hollings.

He continued: “Like Ladder is trying to do, we would love to garner more mentions on the potential health benefits of natural compounds like peppermint. The health benefits of peppermint are becoming apparent to the public, but the compound is still underutilized. Our company hopes to bring several other natural compounds into the public eye over the next few years so that athletes can finally have truly clean products.”