engleski

Determination of the glycaemic index of energy preparations

Introduction: Consumers are increasingly informed and educated about the nutritional value of certain foods and products and their effects on the body. Extremely great interest by consumers and the professionals is directed towards the glycaemic index (GI). GI is an indicator of how much a certain amount and type of carbohydrate can affect the rate of blood glucose change (GUK), and is associated with numerous health aspects. Sports performance is no exception, and the interest is particularly pronounced among the younger male population. To achieve maximum athletic performance besides general principles, diet should meet the needs of training and competition, and carbohydrates take the spotlight. Studies have shown that consumption of carbohydrates with different GI before, during and after training affects athletic performance, and the consumption of high GI food is preferred. Aim: To determine the GI of honey and energy preparations specifically formulated to be consumed before and during training available on the market. Also, the aim was to compare their effect on glycaemia and their potential in terms of sport performance. Methodology: A controlled clinical trial according to the method ISO 26642: 2010 was conducted. Two commercially available energy preparations specifically formulated for the consumption before and during training (one gel and one jelly) and acacia honey were analysed. The study included 10 men aged 23.2 years (20 to 27 years old) who are physically active for minimum of 4 hours per week and involved in at least one sport (semi-professionally or recreationally), who represent the potential consumers for the products tested. Results: Out of all tested products, the worst acceptability (determined by hedonic scale) had the gel (mean score 3.1). Glycaemia observed through the area under the blood glucose curve (iAUC ± SE) was significantly the lowest iAUC for honey 81.0 ± 8.6, while jelly had the highest iAUC 149.2 ± 16.2 (p = 0.002 compared with honey ; p = 0.032 compared with the control). A statistically significant difference (p = 0.008) was found between honey GI (89.6 ± 37.1) and jelly GI (162.1 ± 60.9), while no statistical difference was found for gel GI 124.1 ± 61.5. Conclusion: The results show that according to its GI, honey can be considered as a good alternative to energy preparations formulated for sport performance.

glycaemic index ; sport performance ; energy preparations ; honey

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