Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Product with added plural inorganic mineral or element...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-25
2002-11-26
Pratt, Helen (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Product with added plural inorganic mineral or element...
C426S074000, C426S590000, C426S810000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06485764
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to hydrating beverages and to the method of enhancing hydration in animals, particularly humans.
It has long been known that glycerol can be used to enhance hydration in humans and other animals suffering from the dehydration effects of physical exertion, exposure to above normal heat, hydration stress, and the like. The use of glycerol acts to prolong fluid retention and thus have water available for sweating, cell hydration, and maintenance of blood plasma volume.
Beverages utilized to rehydrate humans for exercise purposes are commonly referred to as “sports drinks”.
The use of electrolytes alone or in conjunction with a sugar and water was originally used for hydration, but it was found that the use of a glycerol therewith provided superior hydrating effects.
In some instances where enhanced exercise endurance and performance are desired, such glycerol-containing solutions are taken prior to and during exercise as well as after exercise.
While generally satisfactory, all of these prior art electrolyte and glycerol-containing solutions and beverages are not totally effective for a variety of reasons.
One is that such prior art compositions fail to address the problem of muscle fatigue. It is known that one of the results of exercise, both during and after exercise, is muscle fatigue. The glycerol, sugar, and level of potassium previously used do not address the attenuation of such muscle fatigue.
Potassium is known to play a major role in overcoming the effects of muscle fatigue since substantial amounts thereof are lost from the contracting muscles during exercise and there is also a rapid decrease in plasma potassium after the cessation of exercise. Present hydrating fluids and beverages containing glycerol contain low levels of potassium, and they fail to provide a level of potassium sufficient to maintain an adequate blood plasma level of potassium to combat muscle fatigue, namely between about 5 and 8 meq/l, and potassium excretion in the urine during exercise recovery.
A low extracellular potassium concentration can cause muscular weakness, changes in cardiac and kidney function, lethargy, and even coma in severe cases. There are no reserves of potassium or sodium in the animal body and any loss beyond the amount of intake comes from the functional supply of body cells and tissues. The kidney is the key regulator of potassium and sodium and while the kidney can, with a low intake of sodium, reduce excretion thereof to a very low level to conserve the supply in the body, potassium is not so efficiently conserved.
The existing glycerol containing rehydrating fluids and beverages are also deficient in that they fail to ameliorate the harmful effects of the large amounts of free radicals generated during exercise.
Further, such existing fluids and beverages do not have any mechanism to delay release of glycerol for a longer period of time during rest, exercise, or recovery from exercise/dehydration so as to maximize its hydrating properties during exercise recovery.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides hydrating beverages and a method for enhancing hydration in animals; preferably with delayed release of some glycerol after ingestion while at the same time attenuating muscle fatigue and, preferably, destroying harmful free radicals.
Briefly and broadly stated, the present invention comprises a hydration beverage for humans and animals comprising water, glycerol, sodium, and potassium, wherein the potassium is present in an amount sufficient to maintain a specified level of potassium in the blood plasma and potassium excretion in the urine.
The instant hydration beverage is also appealing in that it can be used as ready to drink product (off the shelf) and thus instantly consumable when needed.
The invention also comprises the method of enhancing hydration in animals as hereinafter described.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
While the instant invention is applicable to animals generally it will be further discussed and described with respect to humans and rehydration of humans at rest, during exercise, and after exercise/dehydration. It will also be further discussed in connection with enhanced rehydration in exercise situations. Such rehydrating beverages, as noted above, are commonly referred to as “sports drinks”. Also, all the constituents of the beverages are approved for human consumption.
With respect to the hydrating beverages hereof, the essential constituents are water, glycerol, sodium, and potassium, the potassium being present in an amount sufficient to provide during rest, exercise, and after exercise/dehydration a blood plasma potassium level between 5 and 8 meq/l and potassium secretion in the urine. It is also preferred to include sweetening agents, antioxidants to destroy free radicals generated during exercise, and certain salt-containing compounds which give a delayed release of glycerol during the recovery period.
As to the sweetening agent used, any sugar or sweetening material conventionally used in rehydrating beverages can be utilized and in their usual concentrations. Examples are glucose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, mixtures thereof, and the like. For dietetic beverages the known artificial sweeteners can be substituted for the agents. Since many who exercise do not want to ingest excess calories, the level of sugars used is kept low, preferably about 2 to 4% by weight of the beverage. However, there are often exercise related needs for the ingestion of greater levels of carbohydrates, especially in the recovery from long duration exercise where carbohydrate (glucose) is needed to replace muscle glycogen. In such instances a range up to about 12% carbohydrate by weight can be utilized to meet this increased need.
The glycerol is also that conventionally used and the amounts thereof can vary widely. While amounts up to 6% by weight or higher can be used it has been found that for a small number of individuals such a level of glycerol can cause headaches, blurred vision, light-headedness, and/or nausea. Further, for purposes of taste it has been found that the higher levels of glycerol tend to give the beverage an unpleasant aftertaste. Accordingly, in order to avoid certain undesired symptoms for some and an unpleasant taste, it is preferred to maintain the glycerol concentration below 5.5%/by weight, most preferably at 5.1%/by weight.
The sodium can be used as levels conventionally utilized in rehydrating fluids and beverages; i.e., about 20 meq/l and higher, although the higher levels may cause the beverage to taste too “salty” to the consumer. A preferred level is about 15 to 20 meq/l. Any of the sodium salts commonly used in rehydrating fluids can be used with sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, other sodium salts and mixtures thereof being suitable.
It is the amount of potassium used that is critical to the instant invention since it addresses the issue of attenuation of muscle fatigue due to exercise and prevention of a post-exercise exercise rapid fall in blood potassium levels. With the instant invention a level of potassium is used in the beverage which will maintain in the blood plasma, after the ingestion of the beverage, during rest, exercise and after exercise/dehydration, a blood plasma level between about 5 to 8 meq/l and excretion of potassium in the urine. A level of at least about 6 meq/l in the beverage will provide such levels in normal, average humans. Levels as high as 50 meq/l and higher of potassium can be used. However, such higher levels may be contraindicated with certain individuals who have certain kidney and adrenal gland disorders, hypertension, and certain heart disorders such as frequently occurring abnormal heart rhythms. Suitable sources of potassium are the edible salts thereof such as chloride, sorbate, citrate, and the like and mixtures thereof, particularly with a potassium glycerophosphate as discussed below.
It has also been found that improved results before, during, and after exercise from the dehydrating and muscle fat
Robergs Robert A.
Sigalos John L.
Pratt Helen
Sigalos John L.
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