A RevO₂lution in Endurance Sports
Erik Van den Akker is helping the world of elite cycling to evolve

When Erik, a cyclist and middle school teacher, relocated to Athens, Ohio from Nevada he knew already that the cycling conditions in southeast Ohio were some of the best in the country.  At that time, Erik had been an elite cyclist for ten years, and spent whatever time he could on the road, riding upwards of five hundred miles a week.

Teaching social studies may have been Erik’s day job, but cycling was his passion.  He often dreamt of turning his passion into a career, but it wasn’t until a 2001 testing session at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado that Erik found the key to making it happen.

While at the Olympic Training Center, Erik trained on a supplemental oxygen device. Supplemental oxygen, or hyperoxia, when delivered precisely increases the percentage of oxygen flow to the lungs and thus increases the intensity of an athlete’s workout.

Inspired, Erik says, he “wanted to invent a product, that would provide the precise oxygen delivery method to create optimum performance for elite athletes and the public, using hyperoxic technology.” Over the next three years Erik researched the science of hyperoxia, obtained a patent for his product, ‘Evo₂lve ’and incorporated Aeras Performance Products in Reno, Nevada, where he already had potential business collaborators.

As with any burgeoning business, Aeras needed both industry acumen and considerable funding to continue to grow.  With the help of TechGROWTH Ohio’s network of experts, Erik has been able to see Aeras through the early design stage, secure funding for the development of a first prototype, and begin trials at the University of Nevada – Reno. Erik credits TechGROWTH Ohio with helping to preserve his stake in Aeras: “I appreciate the preseed investment and consulting services that have been provided by TechGROWTH Ohio.  With their help and encouragement I can see my vision becoming a reality.”

Although  Evo₂lve is still in the development stage, the continued cooperation between physiology experts at Ohio University, and the University of Nevada – Reno has produced encouraging results.

Evo₂lve is already garnering interest among elite cyclists, including teams that ride in the famed Tour de France.  But the product may one day produce benefits far beyond the athletic community.  Evo₂lve has the potential to improve upon a wide-range of health and fitness therapies, particularly those in the area of respiratory health. Research will continue, aided again by TechGROWTH Ohio, which helped Erik secure funding for Aeras in order to obtain FDA approval, a key step in moving forward.

Erik is especially keen to see his efforts benefit the economy of southeast Ohio: “We are hoping to keep manufacturing in the county.  It is very important that the Aeras continue to Evo₂lve in this region.”