The Development of Kluai Namwa (Musa Sapientum Linn.) Energy Gel: An Alternative Ergogenic Aid for Enhancing Endurance Running Performance
Chutinan Suksaard
Krittiya Kuenpetch
Nattiporn Nokkaew
Kluai Namwa (Musa Sapientum Linn.; Banana; BAN) is one of the most ancient species of banana well-grown in Thailand. BAN has a long history of use as a nutritional supplement and medical food due to its beneficial nutritional and therapeutic effects. Being an ergogenic aid, BAN has shown significant changes in the lipid profile, muscle and liver glycogen, enzyme activity, and Nitric Oxide (NO) activity inhibition, which results in prolonged exercise time. The objectives of this study were to develop a BAN energy gel and examine the effects of BAN energy gel on endurance running performance. The nutrition values of the developed BAN energy gel, glucose, sucrose, fructose, sodium, potassium, magnesium, protein, fat, ash, and total carbohydrate were assessed. The BAN energy gel nutrition values were 1.20±0.02 (g), 8.77±0.08 (g), 1.31±0.01 (g), 25.67±0.13 (mg), 184.83±0.54 (mg), 14.07±0.09 (mg), 0.43±0.08 (g), 0.14 ±0.02 (%), 1.23±0.19 (g), 0.55±0.01 (g), 15.95±0.21 (%) per 100 g sample, respectively. BAN energy gel had total energy of 66.75±0.84 Kcal/100 g of sample. For examining the effects of BAN energy gel, eleven Thai male runners (aged 27.36±8.89 years and VO2 max 69.43±12.69 ml/kg/min) participated in this study to investigate Time To Exhaustion (TTE). TTE in subjects who consumed BAN energy gel was significantly longer than in subjects who consumed placebo (PLA) (55.23±10.32 min. vs. 46.13±9.87 min). The potassium level in the blood of subjects who consumed BAN energy gel was significantly higher than in subjects who consumed PLA (p<.05). This study found that BAN energy gel can prolong time to exhaustion. Therefore, BAN energy gel can be used as an ergogenic aid for runners, which is suitable to be consumed before and during the competition.
Keywords:Kluai Namwa (Musa Sapientum Linn.), Endurance running, Blood potassium, Blood glucose, Blood lactate, Time to exhaustion
