Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Products per se – or processes of preparing or treating... – Beverage or beverage concentrate
Patent
1996-11-01
1998-07-14
Pratt, Helen
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Products per se, or processes of preparing or treating...
Beverage or beverage concentrate
426658, 426804, 426810, A23L 260, A23L 268
Patent
active
057800944
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a non-alcoholic beverage particularly but not exclusively for use as a sports drink, especially for use by participants in endurance sports or activities.
Exercise acts to deplete the body of fuel stores and increases the rate of perspiration causing loss of water and mineral salts. These losses can be significant if exercise is prolonged and particularly if ambient temperatures are moderate or high. Losses of water and salts may not be a problem to a person engaging in light exercise for short periods, particularly if a normal eating and drinking pattern has been maintained prior to the exercise. However the losses can be significant if the exercises are heavy and prolonged such that the depletion of energy and loss of water and salts are not within a person's usual tolerances. Tiredness and dehydration may act to limit or restrict performance.
The efficacy and timing of replacement of liquids and metabolites during and immediately after exercise is of importance. Repletion of some or all of the lost energy, water and salts will not only restore the body to its normal balance but can enhance and restore performance. This is particularly relevant for competitive sports or activities such as cycle racing and football wherein fatigue is a primary limiting factor for overall performance. The glycogen content of liver and muscle is crucial to endurance and stamina. For this reason restoration of glycogen levels or limitation of glycogen losses will enable a person to sustain exercise for a longer period. The maintenance of correct hydration and adequate glycogen content of liver and muscle are crucial to endurance and stamina. Prevention of significant dehydration and the restoration of glycogen levels or limitation of glycogen losses enables a person to sustain exercise for a longer period. Sports drinks containing inorganic salts to replace those lost as sweat are well established. Drinks having a high concentration of sugar are also common but a high sugar content may afford a solution having a high osmolality, preventing the fluid from rapidly entering a person's body from the stomach. Indeed fluid may be drawn in the opposite direction. Sports drinks containing a high concentration of sugar are not effective.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,421 discloses a non-alcoholic drink incorporating galactose at high concentrations which finds application in building of tissue and which avoids a tendency to hyperglycaemia. Tissue formation is a long-term process and such a drink would not find application in rapid rehydration or energy production as a sports drink.
According to the present invention a sports drink comprises an aqueous solution including a saccharide selected from: galactose, a galactose containing disaccharide or oligosaccharide, sorbitol, lactose, fructose or mixtures thereof; optionally including not more than 2.5% w/v glucose.
Preferably the drink contains not more than 1.25% w/v glucose.
The saccharide of the present invention can be used as a source for either glucose or glycogen in the liver. Galactose is a naturally occurring hexose and uses an effective sodium co-transport system for GI tract absorption.
The drink of the present invention can be rapidly absorbed to give efficient rehydration. The saccharides give energy and directly enhance the glycogen reserves in the liver and skeletal muscle.
Drinks in accordance with this invention may also include inorganic salts in proportions and amounts suitable to replenish salts lost in sweat.
The concentration of the saccharide (as monosaccharide) may lie in the range of 0.5 to 5.0% w/v, preferably 2.5% w/v. In preferred embodiments of the invention the combined osmolality of the saccharide(s), the electrolytes and other ingredients lies within the range of 150 to 280 mosm.kg.sup.-1, preferably 240 mosm.kg.sup.-1.
In the case of disaccharides or oligosaccharides the concentration may lie in the range 2.0 to 15.0% w/v to a total solution osmolality of 230 mosm.kg.sup.-1 at which the carbohydrates supply 140 mosm.kg.sup.-1. The unit m
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patent: 4038421 (1977-07-01), Mendy et al.
patent: 4042684 (1977-08-01), Kahm
patent: 4309417 (1982-01-01), Staples
patent: 4312856 (1982-01-01), Korduner et al.
patent: 5032411 (1991-07-01), Stray-Gundersen
Marathade, Ltd.
Pratt Helen
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