A novel hypotonic sports drink containing a high molecular weight polysaccharide

Abstract

Carbohydrate consumption during exercise can improve performance and delay the onset of fatigue. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel sports drink powder, Jxdrink, containing the high molecular weight polysaccharide Jxsac. Animal experiments including digestion and exhaustive swimming experiments were conducted to observe the physiological effects of this beverage. Human experiments involved the participation of 10 healthy male athletes completing a 180 km road cycling test. The osmolality of Jxdrink was 170–175 mosmol kg⁻¹, lower than that of human blood. Jxdrink was found to prolong the exhaustive swimming time in test animals. Moreover, Jxdrink had a relatively high glycemic index that maintained blood glucose levels during human cycling experiments. Thus, Jxdrink was found to effectively delay the onset of fatigue in both human and animal experiments.