In this episode of Lecka Bites, Markus takes us to the heart of Lecka’s operations in Central Vietnam. From the ancient streets of Hoi An to the bustling beachfront of Da Nang, he shares an inside look at the brand’s latest product breakthroughs.

Get the first scoop on the newly finalized Ultra Gels—featuring a refreshing Passion Fruit Mango and a "real food" Banana Peanut Butter—and learn how the move to locally sourced tapioca syrup is revolutionizing the flavor profile of the Gel 2.0 lineup.

Beyond the lab, Markus dives into the vibrant local community, recounting 5:00 AM runs through misty ancient towns and the explosive growth of the Da Nang fitness scene.

He discusses Lecka's expanding footprint in luxury hotels like the Four Seasons and Hyatt, and the brand’s unique position as the only Vietnamese "real food" option on retail shelves. Whether you're an endurance athlete or interested in the business of sports nutrition, this episode is a deep dive into the passion and logistics behind powering the next generation of runners.

Find out more here:

www.getlecka.com

www.instagram.com/leckanutrition

Join Lecka founder Markus Gnirck as he returns to the brand’s roots in Vietnam during the Lunar New Year (Tet) to outline the next phase of the "real food" revolution. From the trails of Northern California to the streets of Manila, Lecka is proving that clean-label, gut-friendly nutrition is the future of endurance sports.

In This Episode:

Expansion in the USA: We’re welcoming Reno Running Company (NV) and Gold Country Run & Sport (CA) to the Lecka family. Find us near the iconic Western States finish line!

The Subscription Launch: Learn how to save 15-20% on your favorite energy gels—like Passion Fruit, Banana, and Kumquat—via our new subscription models on Amazon and the Lecka website.

Community First: A look at our recent Valentine’s Day Run with Heyday in the Philippines and why building offline connections is the heart of our mission.

Mission China 2026: Markus shares insights on his upcoming trip to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, challenging the "maltodextrin-heavy" market with 100% natural, real-food alternatives.

Hoi An Prototypes: A sneak peek into the factory in Central Vietnam where new product innovation happens.

00:00 – Introduction: Returning to Vietnam for Tet

00:31 – The Energy of Vietnam’s Business Landscape

01:12 – US Expansion: New Partners in Nevada & California

02:24 – Launching Lecka Subscriptions (Amazon & Web)

03:30 – Community Events: Valentine’s Day Run in the Philippines

05:11 – Upcoming: Product Innovation in Hoi An

06:43 – Future Strategy: Reshaping for 2026

06:24 – Exploring Real Food Opportunities in China

About Lecka:

Lecka is a nutrition brand born in Vietnam, dedicated to providing athletes with natural, gut-friendly energy that doesn't compromise on performance or the planet.

Shop Lecka & Subscribe: www.getlecka.com

Follow our Journey: www.instagram.com/leckanutrition

#LeckaBites #RealFood #EnduranceNutrition #UltraRunning #CleanLabel #VietnamStartup #EnergyGels #RunningCommunity #SustainableSports

Exciting Developments at Lecka: New Products, Markets, and Growth Strategies

Are you curious about how innovative nutrition brands like Lecka are expanding globally and launching new products? In this post, we’ll explore the latest updates from Lecka, including their upcoming product launches, market expansions, and insights into the health trends shaping their strategy. Whether you're an industry insider or just interested in how brands grow, this overview offers clear takeaways on navigating product innovation and market penetration.

Drawing from recent interviews and updates from Markus, Lecka’s founder, we gain practical insights into how a brand scales successfully in competitive markets while staying true to its core mission of gut-friendly, real food ingredients. Let’s break down their recent achievements and future plans, making it easy to see how Lecka is shaping its path forward.

The Future of Performance Nutrition: Launching the Ultra Gel and Ultra Jelly

Lecka is pioneering new frontiers in sports nutrition with the upcoming launch of their Ultra Gel, a larger, more electrolyte-rich version of their already popular gel product. Expected to debut shortly after the lunar new year in Asia, the Ultra Gel signals a strong focus on serving the ultra-endurance community.

What makes the Ultra Gel different?

• Increased volume: Around 100 grams per serving, double the current gel size
• Enhanced formulation: Approximately 65 grams of carbs, 400 mg of sodium to support extended performance
• Flavor innovation: Tropical options like mango or passion fruit, possibly a mix
• Packaging improvements: Packaged in a spout pouch for convenience and improved fill efficiency

Why it matters: This product specifically targets ultra athletes who need more electrolytes and carbs per serving—answering a real demand with a tailored, functional product.

Expanding product portfolio: Ultra Jelly on the horizon

Lecka isn’t stopping at gels. They’re testing ultra jelly and other recipes, which could become valuable additions for athletes seeking easy-to-digest, real food ingredients during long activities.Pro tip: When launching products in niche segments like ultra-endurance, success hinges on deeply understanding your target’s needs and optimizing packaging and flavor innovation to boost usability.

-> www.getlecka.com

It's been a while since our last episode. Now it is time for an update. We have been busy launching in France and the UAE and are working on more countries like Australia, China and Chile. Fingers crossed!

Also, we are replacing the imported brown rice syrup in our energy gels with locally sourced tapioca syrup. We are doubling down on our commitment to only source ingredients close to our factory.

In the US, we are trying our best to get into many running shops, while experimenting with our amazon sales.

More updates coming soon!

Two key elements to building Lecka are having a great product and building long-lasting trust with communities. Everything else will fall into place then.

How do we build communities?

We work with numerous running clubs around the world. We give them samples to try, we tell the story, and try to understand how we can add value.

We work with various sports events where we provide small 10g samples of our bars for checkpoint nutrition. We don't provide actual products for free giveaways. That devalues our products.

We work with athletes who have a strong offline community. As people need to experience Lecka offline, we prefer athletes who can share the Lecka love with their friends and community members. Also, we do not ask for being the exclusive nutrition partner of the athlete.

Plus, we work with other brands that host events and share our vision of community building.

Find it here:

USA: www.getlecka.com

Denmark: www.getlecka.dk

Vietnam: www.getlecka.vn

Germany: www.getlecka.de

Singapore: https://www.rdrc.sg/products/lecka-energy-gel-cacao-coffee

Hong Kong: https://foodisdom.is/products/lecka-natural-vegan-energy-gel-coffee-cacao-43g

Follow us on Instagram:

- www.instagram.com/leckanutrition

- www.instagram.com/lecka.bites

Hear the background story about the launch in Puerto Rico and Switzerland. He takes you through the last few months of work and how those two countries came about. Also, each country brings its challenges and opportunities. We never stop learning!

Additionally, learn more about why we stopped the research into a hydration powder based on processed sugars. No dextrin, fructose, sucrose or anything whatsoever can be found in our products.

We stay true to our mission of real food nutrition.

Find it here:

USA: www.getlecka.com

Denmark: www.getlecka.dk

Vietnam: www.getlecka.vn

Germany: www.getlecka.de

Singapore: https://www.rdrc.sg/products/lecka-energy-gel-cacao-coffee

Hong Kong: https://foodisdom.is/products/lecka-natural-vegan-energy-gel-coffee-cacao-43g

Follow us on Instagram:

- www.instagram.com/leckanutrition

- www.instagram.com/lecka.bites

Hear the background story of creating and launching the coffee cacao energy gel - the world's first energy gel made from Vietnamese robusta coffee and cacao.

From testing with the first ingredients in late 2024 to testing with our athletes and launching it in May 2025, this gives you insights into how we at Lecka create a new product from scratch.

Delicious and functional. This gel delivers 100 calories and 90mg of caffeine.

Find it here:

USA: www.getlecka.com

Denmark: www.getlecka.dk

Vietnam: www.getlecka.vn

Germany: www.getlecka.de

Singapore: https://www.rdrc.sg/products/lecka-energy-gel-cacao-coffee

Hong Kong: https://foodisdom.is/products/lecka-natural-vegan-energy-gel-coffee-cacao-43g

Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/leckanutrition

We invite our two AI experts, Tom and Ann, who were 'fed' with the latest research on 'eco-friendly packaging'.

They explore the complexities of evaluating the environmental impact of bio-based and fossil fuel-based polymers. The discussion centres around the finding that there is no simple answer to which type of polymer is more environmentally friendly.

The episode highlights a recent study that compared 50 bio-based polymers and 39 fossil-based polymers and found no clear winner in terms of environmental impact.

The research reveals a significant variation in environmental impacts across all materials, making it impossible to declare any single material as superior.

Link to research:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652620312051?via%3Dihub

Available on all major podcast platforms:

Listen on Apple Podcast

Not many other people in Asia love Backyard racing as much as Ned Phillips does. He recently won the Singapore Backyard Championship and qualified for the BIG's Backyard World Championship in Tennessee 2025.

Listen on Apple Podcast

In this Lecka Bites episode, Markus dives into the adventurous life of Kieren D’Souza, India's first ultramarathon runner to complete the grueling Spartathlon—a 246 km race in Greece.

Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kieren_D%27Souza

Listen on Apple Podcast