See also: Vitargo supplements
Vitargo is the registered name of an exclusive polysaccharide, studied and patented at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (Sweden). Basically, it is an energy supplement with superior characteristics, which elevate it compared to other products available on the market. Like all supplements belonging to this category, Vitargo is obtained from the processing of starch, a polysaccharide (complex carbohydrate) typical of the vegetable kingdom (usually extracted from corn or potatoes). This precious nutrient consists of a long series of glucose molecules, which form linear and branched chains. During industrial processing, starch is subjected to hydrolysis, ie a process that breaks it down into glucose chains of variable length. The molecular weight of these polymers is higher the greater the complexity of the glucose chains that constitute them, and vice versa.
As shown in the table, Vitargo differs from other supplements for its high molecular weight, an index of the complexity of the carbohydrate chain that constitutes it. A further parameter that quantifies this characteristic is the so-called dextrose equivalence (DE); the more this value is lower and the greater the complexity of the carbohydrate chain that constitutes the carbohydrate.
Vitargo, therefore, is distinguished from other energy supplements by a higher molecular weight and a lower dextrose equivalence.
All these characteristics give Vitargo interesting nutritional properties. Among these, the most interesting and advertised concerns the intestinal absorption of carbohydrate. Let us briefly recall that osmosis represents the passage of the solvent - through a semipermeable membrane - from the compartment in which the solutes are more diluted to that in which they are more concentrated. If we take a common Energy drink, the solvent is water and the solutes are the carbohydrates dissolved in it.
Osmolarity expresses the concentration of a solution, underlining the number of particles dissolved in it (regardless of the electric charge and size). The osmolarity of a solution increases as the number of particles it contains increases; consequently, a drink glucose-based has a higher osmolarity than its Vitargo-based counterpart. The addition of electrolytes (mineral salts), as well as preservatives and artificial sweeteners, also increases the osmolarity of the solution.
Under normal conditions the osmolarity of the plasma i is between 280 and 330mOsm / kg. Similar values are found in the so-called isotonic drinks, higher values in the hypertonic ones and lower in the hypotonic ones.
Once ingested, hypertonic drinks (very concentrated, therefore with high osmolarity), due to the aforementioned laws of osmosis, recall liquids in the stomach (delaying emptying) and in the intestinal lumen, aggravating dehydration and becoming a source of possible intestinal disorders ( The reverse phenomenon is instead typical of hypotonic drinks, such as those based on vitargo, ideal for rapid absorption at the end of an effort.
carbohydrate content
The last parameter to consider to understand the properties of Vitargo is the glycemic index. As most people know, this value represents the speed with which the glycemia increases in carbohydrates. The simpler their structure, the higher the glycemic index, and vice versa. Vitargo, therefore, in theory should have a lower glycemic index than the other carbohydrates contained in energy supplements. The reason for this relationship lies in the longer digestion times required to break down its long chains, which would ensure a constant flow of glucose, preventing excessive glycemic and insulin spikes. Despite the theoretical premises, on its website the company announces that, although there are no specific data, the glucose and insulin values recorded after taking vitargo, suggest a higher glycemic index than maltodextrins, equal to about 137 (evidently calculated taking the glycemic index of white bread as a reference to 100, according to which glucose shows a glycemic index of 140; consequently vitargo would have a glycemic index comparable to that of pure glucose). Evidently the vitargo structure is more branched than that of maltodextrins, which facilitates the action of amylases by exposing a greater specific surface of the carbohydrate to their action.
All these characteristics justify the great efficacy of Vitargo in restoring muscle and liver glycogen reserves after intense physical effort. In the course of several studies, this property has been shown to be far superior to that of other common carbohydrate supplements. The first to benefit from this interesting property are, for obvious reasons, endurance athletes (cyclists, marathon runners, cross-country skiers, triathletes, etc.). Even bodybuilders can exploit the properties of Vitargo to increase their muscle mass, thanks to a better recovery from the most demanding sessions and a better glycogen saturation in the carbohydrate recharging phases.
The only drawback of Vitargo, being covered by a patent, is the much higher cost than other energy supplements.
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