Ingestion of maple-based and other carbohydrate sports drinks: effect on sensory perceptions during prolonged exercise

Abstract

Background Taste and appreciation of sports drinks can affect perceived exertion during exercise. Anecdotal evidence shows that maple products are regularly consumed by recreational and professional athletes but very few studies have reported on their effects during exercise. The purpose of the current study is to report the taste, appreciation and perceived exertion following the ingestion of maple-based sports drinks and other carbohydrate drinks during prolonged exercise. Methods Recreationally and competitively active male subjects (n = 76, mass = 73.7 ± 10.3 kg, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) = 4.4 ± 0.5 L/min, maximal aerobic power (MAP) = 309 ± 42 W) ingested one of four carbohydrate solutions (all at 60 g CHO/L): concentrated maple sap (MW), diluted maple syrup (MS), glucose (G), a commercial sports drink (CSD), or a placebo (P; water sweetened with stevia) at every 30 min during 120 min of steady-state exercise (SSE) on a cycle ergometer at 66% MAP. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE, Borg CR-10) were recorded at each 30 min throughout SSE. A questionnaire was administered to assess sensory characteristics (sweetness, acidity, refreshing, and overall taste on a visual analogue scale, converted to decimals from 0 to 1) and appreciation (sweet, acid and overall on a 9-point hedonic scale) 30 min before (immediately after the first ingestion) and immediately after SSE. Results Sweetness was perceived to be higher for MW than G and P (pre: 0.60 ± 0.19, 0.51 ± 0.17 and 0.50 ± 0.17 and post: 0.69 ± 0.19, 0.34 ± 0.18 and 0.48 ± 0.22; p < 0.05, respectively) and MS was rated higher than MW for the appreciation of the sweet taste (pre: 6.5 ± 1.5 vs. 4.6 ± 1.8 and post: 6.8 ± 1.8 and 4.1 ± 1.8; p < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, subjects that had ingested MW, reported a significantly lower RPE than those with P at 120 min (14.1 ± 2.2 vs. 16.0 ± 2.0, respectively). Conclusions A sports drink containing maple syrup is well appreciated during prolonged exercise and appears to be a viable alternatives to more common sources of carbohydrates. Trial registration NCT02880124. Registered on 26 August 2016.

What Is Authentic Maple Water? A Twelve-Month Shelf-Life Study of the Chemical Composition of Maple Water and Its Biological Activities

“…Further studies are warranted to identify unique compounds in these extracts and evaluate their biological activities. Nevertheless, findings from the biological assays in the current in vitro study showed that phytochemicals in maple food products exerted antioxidant and inflammatory effects, which may partially contribute to the overall beneficial health effects reported in published human clinical studies [2][3][4][5].…”

“…The potential market for this new type of water could become as popular as coconut water, reaching millions in sales, without affecting the more traditional maple syrup market. Notably, in the past few years, several human clinical studies have been published investigating the potential health benefits of maple water products [2][3][4][5], supporting increasing research interest in these beverages. The market development and promotion of maple water products is long overdue as maple water was identified as a valueadded product with immense growth potential for the maple industry.…”

Nutritional, pharmacological, and sensory properties of maple syrup: A comprehensive review

“…Limited nutritious properties of maple products have also been investigated in humans. Based on ratings of registered exertion at every 30 min during 120 min of steady-state exercise, sports drinks containing maple syrup were decribed as “well appreciated” during prolonged exercise and seem to be an applicable alternative to more common carbohydrate sources [ 43 ].…”