Maury Leyland-Penno’s Journey Fuels Female Athlete Nutrition

Maury Leyland-Penno’s groundbreaking role in the world of sailing has now transitioned into a powerful influence on female athlete nutrition. She was the first and remains the only woman to race on a New Zealand boat, participating in the pursuit of the America’s Cup. In 1995, she contributed to Team New Zealand’s historic victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup in San Diego at just 24 years old.

During her time with Team New Zealand, Leyland-Penno held multiple roles, including boat designer, navigator, and performance analyst. She recalls the rigorous demands of her position: “I was out on the boat every single day – grinding and sailing for eight or nine hours, six days a week.” Despite her commitment, Leyland-Penno faced significant physical challenges, leading her to rethink her approach to nutrition and health.

Leyland-Penno’s journey reflects a broader need for awareness in athletic nutrition. After her time in competitive sailing, she ventured into the corporate world, serving on the executive team at New Zealand’s largest company, Fonterra, where she navigated significant challenges, including a botulism scare in 2013. In 2019, she co-founded Leaft Foods, focusing on extracting high-performance protein from crops, specifically rubisco, to support athletes.

Innovative Nutrition for Athletes

Leaft Foods aims to offer a sustainable alternative in nutrition. Leyland-Penno and her husband, John Penno, developed the company’s flagship product, Leaft Blade, which combines rubisco protein with other macronutrients. This protein has shown promise for enhancing the performance of female athletes, improving iron levels and menstrual health. “There’s been little research into protein metabolisation and benefits for women, so it’s a space we’re keen to lean into,” Leyland-Penno explains.

The couple has successfully extracted rubisco at a commercial scale, a feat that many have attempted but few have achieved. Leyland-Penno emphasizes the environmental advantages of sourcing protein from plants. “Producing rubisco protein has a far lower environmental footprint than meat or dairy,” she states. The lucerne, or alfalfa, used in their products is a drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing crop that thrives in New Zealand’s fertile conditions.

Farmers in Southbridge, New Zealand, where Leaft sources its lucerne, produce 2.5 times more protein per hectare compared to traditional dairy farms, with 94 percent fewer emissions and 97 percent less water usage. This sustainable approach is not only beneficial for the environment but also offers a high-quality protein source for athletes.

Real Results from Female Athletes

Early trials of Leaft Blade with female athletes have yielded promising results. Nathan Sheppard, Leaft Foods’ head of go-to-market, noted a significant improvement in one athlete’s iron levels, which increased by 48 percent after using the product. Professional cyclist Samara Sheppard, who represented New Zealand at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, has also experienced benefits. “I was getting extra protein on a daily basis, and the rubisco was super digestible,” she says. She specifically highlighted improvements in her menstrual cycle, which are critical for performance in endurance sports.

Olympic kayaker Lucy Matehaere has similarly integrated Leaft Blade into her regimen, discovering that it helps maintain her energy levels during intense training. With her background in biomedical science, Matehaere has a keen interest in the nutritional aspects of athletic performance. “Nutrition is one of the key factors that drives performance,” she asserts.

Leyland-Penno’s dedication to improving nutrition for female athletes stems from her own experiences in a male-dominated field. She hopes to inspire a new generation of female athletes and is heartened by recent changes in America’s Cup rules, which now mandate a female presence on every crew starting in 2027. “These women haven’t had the same opportunities or experience, so how else do you bridge this divide?” she reflects.

As Leyland-Penno continues her work in agriculture and nutrition, her journey from the competitive sailing world to the forefront of athlete nutrition illustrates a commitment to fostering a healthier future. “Women don’t have to be athletes to benefit from this,” she concludes, highlighting the broader implications of her work. With a focus on sustainability and performance, Leyft Foods is poised to make significant strides in the nutrition landscape for athletes and beyond.