Publicação
Development of a Honey and Aloe vera Sports Gel
| Resumo: | Sports supplements, designed to enhance athletic performance and recovery, have seen significant market growth due to increased awareness of exercise benefits. This trend has led to the development of sports gels, offering a digestive advantage for endurance athletes during high-intensity exercise. This study aimed to develop a novel sports gel with natural ingredients, addressing the demand for innovative sports nutrition solutions. The formulation includes mineral water for electrolytes, honey (fructose and glucose) as a primary carbohydrate source, maltodextrin for sustained energy release, and aloe vera for antioxidant properties. The combination of simple and complex carbohydrates was strategically chosen to provide efficient and sustained energy delivery through distinct metabolic pathways. The product development process focused on optimizing gelling agent formulations to create a sports gel with rheological properties comparable to those of a commercial control product. Initial analyses of the control gel established key reference parameters: firmness (26.5 ± 0.49 g), consistency (247 ± 5.44 g/s), cohesiveness (-19.6 ± 1.48 g), index of viscosity ( -79.40±8.06 g/s ) and viscosity (133.7 ± 14.84 mPa/s). To achieve similar properties, five gelling agents—carrageenan (IC), gellan gum (GG), guar gum (GU), locust bean gum (LB), and xanthan gum (XG)—were evaluated at concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 3%. These agents were screened based on their influence on rheological properties (firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, viscosity, and index of viscosity), as well as their time-stability, visual appeal, and cost-effectiveness. The goal was to identify gums that closely matched the reference values of the control product while maintaining high quality and market feasibility. Based on the results of the parameter evaluations, concentrations between 1.25% and 2.25% were shown to be the most appropriate. The gelling agents were ranked from 1st to 5th place, with xanthan gum ranking first, followed by GG and GU, so these three gelling agents were selected for further studies. Finally, a mixture design experiment was conducted to refine the formulation, identifying optimal combinations of Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, and Guar Gum to meet the target rheological properties. The regression models generated demonstrated strong predictive accuracy, with high R² values (>0.7) and no significant lack of fit (p>0.05). Simultaneous optimization of the rheological parameters, aligned with the properties of the control gel, yielded an optimal gelling agent formulation consisting of 0.75% xanthan gum and 0.25% gellan gum. Validation experiments confirmed the reliability of the predictive models, showing strong agreement between predicted and experimentally observed values across all measured parameters. The final product formulation comprised 47.40% honey, 43.14% water, 7.46% maltodextrin, 1% aloe vera, 0.75% xanthan gum, and 0.25% gellan gum. Compared to the control sports gel, the final product demonstrated similar firmness (27.4 g vs. 26.5 g) and consistency (258.8 g\s vs. 247 g\s), cohesiveness (-10.99 vs -13.93 g ), while showing a lower viscosity index (-57.7 g\s vs. -79.4 g\s) and viscosity (36.71 mPa\s vs 57.87 mPa\s ). Chemical and physicochemical analyses revealed a reduced moisture content (41.2% vs. 66.5%), likely attributed to the inclusion of honey. The sugar content, comprising glucose (15 g/100 mL) and fructose (30 g/100 mL), aligned with the desired amount, while the pH (4.1) was within an acceptable range. The final product exhibited antioxidant activity, measured at 10.42 µl Trolox equivalents using the DPPH assay. The DPPH assay for aloe vera alone indicated a significant antioxidant potential (47.33 µl Trolox eq), highlighting its promising contribution to the overall antioxidant properties of the gel. These findings suggest that increasing the aloe vera content in future formulations could further enhance the antioxidant profile of the product. Additionally, Aloin concentrations derived from aloe vera were measured at 0.83 mg/L, which is below the legal limit of 10 mg/L, ensuring the product's safety for consumption. Overall, the results confirm the feasibility of developing a sports gel with optimized texture, stability, and natural ingredients. Future research should prioritize optimizing aloe vera concentration to enhance antioxidant benefits and further evaluate the functional advantages of the final formulation. |
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| Autores principais: | Najar, Ahmed Rami |
| Assunto: | Sports gel Rheological parameters Gelling agentes Carbohydrates Minerals Sport supplement |
| Ano: | 2025 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Instituto Politécnico de Bragança |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Biblioteca Digital do IPB |
| Resumo: | Sports supplements, designed to enhance athletic performance and recovery, have seen significant market growth due to increased awareness of exercise benefits. This trend has led to the development of sports gels, offering a digestive advantage for endurance athletes during high-intensity exercise. This study aimed to develop a novel sports gel with natural ingredients, addressing the demand for innovative sports nutrition solutions. The formulation includes mineral water for electrolytes, honey (fructose and glucose) as a primary carbohydrate source, maltodextrin for sustained energy release, and aloe vera for antioxidant properties. The combination of simple and complex carbohydrates was strategically chosen to provide efficient and sustained energy delivery through distinct metabolic pathways. The product development process focused on optimizing gelling agent formulations to create a sports gel with rheological properties comparable to those of a commercial control product. Initial analyses of the control gel established key reference parameters: firmness (26.5 ± 0.49 g), consistency (247 ± 5.44 g/s), cohesiveness (-19.6 ± 1.48 g), index of viscosity ( -79.40±8.06 g/s ) and viscosity (133.7 ± 14.84 mPa/s). To achieve similar properties, five gelling agents—carrageenan (IC), gellan gum (GG), guar gum (GU), locust bean gum (LB), and xanthan gum (XG)—were evaluated at concentrations ranging from 0.5% to 3%. These agents were screened based on their influence on rheological properties (firmness, consistency, cohesiveness, viscosity, and index of viscosity), as well as their time-stability, visual appeal, and cost-effectiveness. The goal was to identify gums that closely matched the reference values of the control product while maintaining high quality and market feasibility. Based on the results of the parameter evaluations, concentrations between 1.25% and 2.25% were shown to be the most appropriate. The gelling agents were ranked from 1st to 5th place, with xanthan gum ranking first, followed by GG and GU, so these three gelling agents were selected for further studies. Finally, a mixture design experiment was conducted to refine the formulation, identifying optimal combinations of Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, and Guar Gum to meet the target rheological properties. The regression models generated demonstrated strong predictive accuracy, with high R² values (>0.7) and no significant lack of fit (p>0.05). Simultaneous optimization of the rheological parameters, aligned with the properties of the control gel, yielded an optimal gelling agent formulation consisting of 0.75% xanthan gum and 0.25% gellan gum. Validation experiments confirmed the reliability of the predictive models, showing strong agreement between predicted and experimentally observed values across all measured parameters. The final product formulation comprised 47.40% honey, 43.14% water, 7.46% maltodextrin, 1% aloe vera, 0.75% xanthan gum, and 0.25% gellan gum. Compared to the control sports gel, the final product demonstrated similar firmness (27.4 g vs. 26.5 g) and consistency (258.8 g\s vs. 247 g\s), cohesiveness (-10.99 vs -13.93 g ), while showing a lower viscosity index (-57.7 g\s vs. -79.4 g\s) and viscosity (36.71 mPa\s vs 57.87 mPa\s ). Chemical and physicochemical analyses revealed a reduced moisture content (41.2% vs. 66.5%), likely attributed to the inclusion of honey. The sugar content, comprising glucose (15 g/100 mL) and fructose (30 g/100 mL), aligned with the desired amount, while the pH (4.1) was within an acceptable range. The final product exhibited antioxidant activity, measured at 10.42 µl Trolox equivalents using the DPPH assay. The DPPH assay for aloe vera alone indicated a significant antioxidant potential (47.33 µl Trolox eq), highlighting its promising contribution to the overall antioxidant properties of the gel. These findings suggest that increasing the aloe vera content in future formulations could further enhance the antioxidant profile of the product. Additionally, Aloin concentrations derived from aloe vera were measured at 0.83 mg/L, which is below the legal limit of 10 mg/L, ensuring the product's safety for consumption. Overall, the results confirm the feasibility of developing a sports gel with optimized texture, stability, and natural ingredients. Future research should prioritize optimizing aloe vera concentration to enhance antioxidant benefits and further evaluate the functional advantages of the final formulation. |
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