By Christina Young

Contributing Writer

Danny Drake and Mike Dalberth did not always have their sights set on a career on sport nutrition.

But the co-founders of Enduraphin, a Syracuse-based sports nutrition company, are finding a way to redefine typical protein shakes.

Drake and Dalberth graduated from Cicero-North Syracuse High School in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Drake went on to attend Clarkson University, and Dalberth went to Onondaga Community College.

While they were friends, their partnership didn’t come to fruition until after they graduated.

“We were both very entrepreneurial-minded,” Drake said. “As we both got into athletics, we soon discovered the problem with typical protein shakes.”

Drake and Dalberth found there were only two ways to get proper nutrition after a workout, and neither were quite satisfactory from their perspective.

“You can get a big bulk jug of protein powder that you mix into a reusable shaker bottle, but that can get really unsanitary,” Drake said.

Protein powders clump and stick to the shaker bottle if not cleaned properly.

Because of this, shaker bottles are considered a breeding ground for rapid bacteria buildup and they can start to smell.

The other way according to Drake and Dalberth was to invest in ready-to-drink protein shakes sold in stores, but they found that large amounts of preservatives were added for shelf-life, and they didn’t want that either.

To remedy this problem, the two came up with a product called PHINTECH, which is a patented, single-use blending bottle. The bottles are prefilled with a single serving of either whey protein or athletic fuel powder. Each is targeted toward different kinds of workouts. The whey protein was developed for athletes’ consumption post-lift, whereas athletic fuel was developed for strenuous lifts, practices, and games to help restore glycogen levels and stimulate muscle recovery as well.

The idea behind PHINTECH is very simple, according to its creators. Water is added to the bottle with the prefilled powder and shaken. It is then ready to drink.

Once the drink is gone, the bottles can be recycled.

This eliminates the issue of unsanitary shaker bottles and ready-to-drink protein shakes pumped full of preservatives altogether.

And according to Drake and Dalberth, there is no need to worry about harmful, artificial ingredients at all.

Enduraphin products do not contain any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners. Enduraphin uses all-natural ingredients, which Drake and Dalberth believe create great tasting and effective products.

The work the partners have put in seems to be paying off and is gaining the attention of pro athletes. The company has recently teamed up with Nico Sturm, a pro hockey player who uses their products.

Sturm is a German native, but in 2016 he decided to attend Clarkson University for his education. While he was there, he scored a total of 103 points with 36 goals and 67 assists, was named to multiple ECAC All-Academic Teams and was named ECAC Best Defensive Forward in back-to-back seasons.

Sturm closed out the 2018-2019 season by joining the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.

As a user of the product, Sturm has endorsed the products made by Enduraphin and has been a something of a spokesman, sharing his experiences.

This has helped shine a light on Enduraphin.

Enduraphin is gaining momentum on other fronts as well.

Enduraphin has teamed up with several different Division I programs to help fuel athletes after workouts, practices, and games. Among these programs are Clarkson University’s Men’s and Women’s Hockey teams, St. Lawrence University’s Men’s Hockey team, Niagara University’s Men’s Hockey team, University of North Texas’ Football team, and University at Buffalo’s Men’s Basketball team. 

The company is also looking to recruit more Division I teams in the near future.

“Division I schools have people going professional all the time,” Drake said. “Our goal is to be number one when it comes to sports nutrition.”