The Effect of Sodium Alginate and Pectin Added to a Carbohydrate Beverage on Endurance Performance, Substrate Oxidation and Blood Glucose Concentration: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Abstract

Introduction Scientific and public interest in the potential ergogenic effects of sodium alginate added to a carbohydrate (CHO) beverage has increased in the last ~ 5 years. Despite an extensive use of this technology by elite athletes and recent research into the potential effects, there has been no meta-analysis to objectively elucidate the effects of adding sodium alginate to a CHO beverage on parameters relevant to exercise performance and to highlight gaps in the literature. Methods Three literature databases were systematically searched for studies investigating the effects of sodium alginate added to CHO beverage during prolonged, endurance exercise in healthy athletes. For the systematic review, the PROSPERO guidelines were followed, and risk assessment was made using the Cochrane collaboration’s tool for assessing the risk of bias. Additionally, a random-effects meta-analysis model was used to determine the standardised mean difference between a CHO beverage containing sodium alginate and an isocaloric control for performance, whole-body CHO oxidation and blood glucose concentration. Results Ten studies were reviewed systematically, of which seven were included within the meta-analysis. For each variable, there was homogeneity between studies for performance (n = 5 studies; I2 = 0%), CHO oxidation (n = 7 studies; I2 = 0%) and blood glucose concentration (n = 7 studies; I2 = 0%). When compared with an isocaloric control, the meta-analysis demonstrated that there is no difference in performance (Z = 0.54, p = 0.59), CHO oxidation (Z = 0.34, p = 0.71) and blood glucose concentration (Z = 0.44, p = 0.66) when ingesting a CHO beverage containing sodium alginate. The systematic review revealed that several of the included studies did not use sufficient exercise intensity to elicit significant gastrointestinal disturbances or demonstrate any ergogenic benefit of CHO ingestion. Risk of bias was generally low across the included studies. Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that the current literature indicates no benefit of adding sodium alginate to a CHO beverage during exercise. Further research is required, however, before firm conclusions are drawn considering the range of exercise intensities, feeding rates and the apparent lack of benefit of CHO reported in the current literature investigating sodium alginate.

The Effect of Alginate Encapsulated Plant-Based Carbohydrate and Protein Supplementation on Recovery and Subsequent Performance in Athletes

“…The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of alginateencapsulated CHO-PRO supplement (ALG) intake immediately after exhaustive exercise on cycling performance after 5 h of recovery. The novelty of ALG is that the CHOs are encapsulated before ingestion, whereas prior studies have added alginate to a beverage, which forms a hydrogel when reaching the low pH in the stomach [36]. In addition, we have added protein (derived from potatoes) to the CHO hydrogel, which, to our knowledge, makes this the first study to investigate the of encapsulating both CHOs and PRO in an alginate hydrogel on TTE performance.…”

“…Furthermore, this study differs from prior investigations on alginate-CHO supplements as the CHOs were already encapsulated in an alginate hydrogel before ingestion in this study. Prior research provided a CHO beverage with alginate, which forms a hydrogel at pH levels found in the stomach [36,37].…”

“…Alginate is a biopolymer extracted from brown seaweed that is often applied in a wide range of food products, for example as a stabiliser or in the preparation of gel particles, encapsulating micronutrients and probiotics [33,34]. Adding alginate to a CHO beverage has gained attention in the last ~6 years in the field of sports nutrition as a new way to provide CHOs during exercise [35][36][37]. The novelty of ALG is that the CHOs are encapsulated before ingestion, whereas prior studies have added alginate to a beverage, which forms a hydrogel when reaching the low pH level in the stomach [36].…”

“…Adding alginate to a CHO beverage has gained attention in the last ~6 years in the field of sports nutrition as a new way to provide CHOs during exercise [35][36][37]. The novelty of ALG is that the CHOs are encapsulated before ingestion, whereas prior studies have added alginate to a beverage, which forms a hydrogel when reaching the low pH level in the stomach [36]. In addition, we have added protein derived from potatoes to the CHO hydrogel, which, to our knowledge, makes this the first study to investigate the effects of encapsulating both CHOs and PRO in alginate hydrogel on performance.…”

Different Approaches to Ergogenic, Pre-, and Probiotic Supplementation in Sports with Different Metabolism Characteristics: A Mini Review

“…Additionally, there is growing interest in the impact of sodium alginate on glycemic control. However, a meta-analysis found no ergogenic effects of drinks containing carbohydrates and sodium alginate [ 59 ]. Interestingly, in a study comparing the effects of carbohydrate drinks and pectin–alginate-enriched carbohydrate drinks on gut barrier status of athletes training in a hot–humid environment, researchers found no significant differences.…”