Development of jujube matcha energy gel and its effect on physical endurance performance of young active subjects

Energy gels are widely used as an ergogenic aid to enhance athletic performance. Most energy gels in the market contain mainly maltodextrin. Prolonged or high-intensity exercise can result in the formation of free radicals, oxidative stress in active muscle, and accelerated muscle fatigue which affect physical endurance performance. This study aimed to develop an antioxidant energy gel using jujube as the base ingredient. Jujube is rich in natural glucose, fructose, potassium, and ascorbic acid. The gel was fortified with 2.5% matcha powder with antioxidant properties. Other minor ingredients include whey protein and pectin. Sensory attributes of jujube matcha energy gel were evaluated by fifty panellists. The mean overall acceptability score of the energy gel was 6.94 out of 9 with an acceptance index of 77%. Jujube matcha energy gel contains 72.44% moisture, 16.30% carbohydrate, 7.72% protein, 1.33% fat, 2.21% ashes, and 108 cal/100 g. The energy gel exhibited a relatively high antioxidant activity with DPPH free radical scavenging activity of 83.26%, ferric reducing antioxidant power of 49.21 mg FE/g, total phenolic content of 29.36 mg GAE/g, and total flavonoids content of 7.54 mg CE/g. Twenty-meter beep tests were conducted to examine the effects of consuming jujube matcha gel on the physical performance of 10 active subjects (ages 18-25). Blood glucose, time to exhaustion, Borg rating of perceived exertion, and predicted VO2max were recorded. Overall, subjects were found to endure longer in the 20-meter beep test after consuming jujube matcha gel with an 18% improvement in time to exhaustion as compared to the control.