HK1054172A - Energy food product - Google Patents

Description

Energy food product

The present invention relates to high energy polysaccharide food products containing galactocarbohydrates as a performance enhancing agent, particularly but not exclusively for persons participating in sports or other forms of exercise. The products of the invention have also been found to be useful in hunger or fatigue states in the average human.

Exercise creates an excessive demand for intramuscular and extramuscular substances (substructures). Carbohydrates are particularly important as precursors to glycogen in the liver and muscle, and as energy sources that can be used immediately. Accordingly, a short-term energy supply is required under anoxic and aerobic conditions. Carbohydrates are also needed as precursors for the synthesis of glycogen, either directly or indirectly, in the liver and muscle. If glycogen stores are low or not optimal, the muscle is unable to function effectively or maintain a high level of functional output. Glycogen consumption in athletes can lead to poor performance and inefficiency. The use of specific carbohydrates as functional enhancers has been shown to increase or maintain the availability of glycogen stores and blood glucose.

The food product of the present invention may comprise a chewable or edible stick, candy, pastry, biscuit, lozenge or chewing gum. Chewable or edible sticks are preferred.

According to the present invention, the high energy polysaccharide food product is composed of a saccharide component comprising 3-37% w/w galactose, 0-25% w/w creatine and other optional components selected from carbohydrates, fibres and fat.

Unless otherwise specified, percentages in this specification are percentages by weight, and the total amount is selected to be 100%.

The amount of galactose is preferably 5 to 20%, more preferably 5 to 15%.

The saccharide component also includes glucose. In a first preferred embodiment, equal amounts of glucose and galactose are used. In a second preferred embodiment, the amount of galactose is greater than glucose.

The use of galactose gives rise to several advantages. It is not proinsulin, i.e. it does not itself induce an insulin response, so its use is almost independent of insulin response compared to an equal weight of glucose. Diabetic patients or people who do not tolerate insulin may use the product of the invention. The liver can rapidly utilize galactose to synthesize glycogen or glucose. It causes little tooth decay compared to other sugars.

The use of creatine is not essential. In a preferred embodiment of the invention 10-25% creatine is added. Preferably creatine is used to inhibit conversion to creatinine. This transformation is a natural equilibrium. The kidneys allow rapid excretion of creatinine. To minimize or prevent conversion to creatinine, creatine is preferably encapsulated in a dry, water-impermeable shell in the form of granules or powder. Microencapsulation is preferred. In this way, creatine is released in the stomach by dissolution. Alternatively, the creatine can be isolated from the wet portion of the edible stick by being formulated into a layered dosage form, except for encapsulation in a capsule. For example, creatine may be contained in a separate layer in an edible stick or lozenge.

The food product of the invention is useful in the general case of creatine consumption, for example for vegetarians or individuals for whom the establishment of muscle function requires creatine, or in clinically appropriate cases.

Exercise creates an excessive demand for substances (substrates) inside and outside the muscles. Creatine phosphate is derived from dietary creatine or endogenous synthesis. Creatine phosphate is essential for short-term energy supply and energy transfer from mitochondria to contractile muscles in hypoxic conditions. If creatine stores are low or suboptimal, the muscle is unable to function effectively or is in a state of high level energy output. Creatine consumption in athletes results in poor performance and inefficiency.

Galactose may be provided as a pure component, mixed with glucose, starch and other components during the preparation process. Alternatively, a glucose-galactose syrup prepared by hydrolysis of lactose, for example, may be used. The amount of galactose in this syrup may be supplemented with additional pure galactose.

The use of fiber in a stick is beneficial because different fiber products affect the release of sugars and the binding of various components and can effectively delay digestion. Amounts of 0-5% may be used. In addition, galactose or galactose-glucose syrup may be absorbed onto the fibers prior to preparation. In this way, galactose absorption can be delayed.

In another embodiment, the food product may have an outer coating layer containing galactose to promote rapid absorption of galactose.

Formulations with high galactose concentrations are preferred to promote galactose absorption by the liver and rapid glycogen production. Increased amounts of galactose reduce the amount of lipids produced from glucose. Galactose is not a direct fat precursor. This is beneficial because lipids do not provide a rapid source of energy.

The invention is further described by way of examples without any intention to limit it.

The following tables and examples set forth the components and amounts of the food product compositions of the present invention. These products can be formed into sticks, candies or lozenges by conventional methods.

In a layered arrangement, the creatine powder or aggregate may be covered with a hard, dry sugar layer. Or an additional chocolate-containing layer may be used as a moisture barrier. The creatine-containing layer can be used as a plate-like cylindrical layer arranged in a rod as an inner layer. In this way, the creatine-containing component may be encapsulated. Or additional components such as fibers, nuts and dried fruit may be layered on the creatine to form a laminate. The fibrous layers may be combined with the syrup to form a composite layer.

The outermost layer of the stick or other food product may contain a single thin layer of hard candy, for example consisting of galactose or a mixture of galactose and glucose or sucrose. This arrangement of sugar layers dissolves rapidly as part of the stick enters the stomach.

In other food products, the creatine powder or aggregates may be covered with a hard candy mixture, chocolate, or both, to form particles in a weight of 100-500 mg. These substances can be combined with other components in a matrix to form discrete units, for example as chocolate flakes in pastries. This wrapped arrangement may be combined with the layers described above.

The following table contains the conventional ranges for the preferred components. TABLE 1

Components	Range (% w/w)	Remarks for note
			Carbohydrate compound	50-75	Monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, syrups, and the like
Fat	0-10	Saturated and unsaturated
			Fiber	0-10
Creatine	0-25	Monohydrate
			Protein	0-15

Vitamin preparation	50-100％RDA	All ranges of
			Galactose	5-20
Dried fruit	0-15
			Seeds and nuts	0-15
Glucose	0-10
			Flavoring agent	Proper amount of
Stabilizer	1-3
			Water (W)	0-30

TABLE 2

	Example 1	Example 2	Example 3	Example 4	Example 5	Example 6
							Corn starch	20g	10g	20g	10g	10g	8g
Maltodextrin	20g	10g	20g	10g	10g	8g
							Crude sucrose	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g
Fructose	3g	3g	3g	3g	3g	--
							Refined sucrose	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g	--
Glucose	5g	5g	--	--	5g	5g
							Galactose	5g	5g	--	--	5g	5g
Glucose/galactose syrup	--	--	10g	10g	--	--
							Fat	10g	10g	10g	10g	10g	5g
Fiber	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g

Creatine	--	20g	--	20g	--	20g
							Vitamin preparation	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g
Protein	10g	10g	10g	10g	10g	7g
							Flavoring agent	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g
Stabilizer	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g
							Water (W)	11g	11g	11g	11g	11g	11g
Fruit	--	--	--	--	10g	10g
							Seeds and nuts	--	--	--	--	10g	10g

	Example 7	Example 8	Example 9	Example 10	Example 11	Example 12
							Corn starch	20g	10g	20g	10g	10g	8g
Maltodextrin	20g	10g	20g	10g	10g	8g
							Crude sucrose	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g
Fructose	3g	3g	3g	3g	3g	--
							Refined sucrose	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g	--
Glucose	5g	5g	--	--	5g	5g
							Galactose	5g	5g	--	--	5g	5g
Glucose/galactose syrup	--	--	10g	10g	--	--
							Fat	10g	10g	10g	10g	10g	5g
Fiber	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g
							Creatine	--	20g	--	20g	--	20g

Vitamin preparation	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g
							Protein	10g	10g	10g	10g	10g	7g
Flavoring agent	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g
							Stabilizer	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g
Water (W)	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g
							Fruit	3g	3g	3g	3g	13g	13g
Seeds and nuts	3g	3g	3g	3g	13g	13g

	Example 13	Example 14	Example 15	Example 16	Example 17	Example 18
							Corn starch	15g	5g	15g	5g	5g	8g
Maltodextrin	15g	5g	15g	5g	5g	8g
							Crude sucrose	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g
Fructose	3g	3g	3g	3g	3g	--
							Refined sucrose	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g	--
Glucose	5g	5g	--	--	5g	5g
							Galactose	5g	5g	--	--	5g	5g
Glucose/galactose syrup	--	--	10g	10g	--	--
							Fat	10g	10g	10g	10g	18g	3g
Fiber	5g	5g	5g	5g	2g	2g
							Creatine	--	20g	--	20g	--	20g
Vitamin preparation	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g

Protein	5g	5g	5g	5g	5g	2g
							Flavoring agent	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g	1g
Stabilizer	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g	2g
							Water (W)	20g	20g	20g	20g	20g	20g
Fruit	3g	3g	3g	3g	13g	13g
							Seeds and nuts	3g	3g	3g	3g	8g	8g

Claims (11)

1. An energy polysaccharide food product comprising: a saccharide component comprising 3-37% w/w galactose; 0-25% w/w creatine; and other optional components selected from carbohydrates, fibers and fats.

2. A food product according to claim 1, comprising:

galactose 5-20%

Creatine 0-25%

Carbohydrate 50-75%

0-10% of fat

0 to 10 percent of fiber

And other optional components, wherein the total amount of each component is 100%.

3. A food product according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the amount of galactose is from 5 to 20%, preferably from 5 to 15%.

4. A food product as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the carbohydrate component comprises glucose.

5. The food product of claim 4, wherein equal amounts of galactose and glucose are included.

6. The food product of claim 3, wherein the amount of galactose is higher than the amount of glucose.

7. A food product according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the creatine is present in an amount of 10-25%.

8. A food product according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the creatine in granular or powder form is encapsulated.

9. The food product of claim 8, wherein the creatine is encapsulated in microcapsules.

10. A food product according to any preceding claim, wherein the creatine is contained in a separate layer.

11. A food product according to any one of the preceding claims having an outermost layer of hard candy comprising galactose or a mixture of galactose and sucrose.