# Osmolality of Components and Their Application in the Design of Functional Recovery Drinks
## 3 Results and Discussion  
### Osmolality of Recovery Drinks' Components  
The osmolalities of sodium chloride and potassium chloride solutions were measured at respective concentration ranges of 0.1 to 2.0% and 0.1 to 4.0%. Figure 1a,b show the effect of increasing concentration on the osmolalities of these salts, where linear increases in osmolalities were observed with the potassium chloride showing an insignificantly lower rate; the coefficients of variation (r\({}^{2}\)) were closely similar at respectively, 0.998 and 0.997, for NaCl and KCl. A similar linear relationship was obtained in the previous studies on the influence of the concentration of minerals in beverages on their osmolality [1]. The data presented in Figure 1 show that the tested salts are characterized by high osmolality. To obtain the osmolality of an aqueous solution corresponding to isotonic drinks, the concentration of NaCl should be about 0.8% and KCl 1.2%. The recommended maximum content in sports drinks of these electrolytes is much lower, amounting to sodium 1100 mg/L and potassium 225 mg/L. (Brouns). These values increase the osmolality of water drinks by approximately 60 mOsm/kg H\({}_{2}\)O. These fairly low salt additions in beverages compared to the so-called salty foods, where the NaCl content is usually above 1% (e.g., broths and soups), make both the taste and ensuring proper hydration of the body of a physically active person [7]. Osmolalities of citric acid solutions were measured at 0.1 to 9% concentrations shown in Figure 2, which increased in a linear fashion similar to the previous analytes. The amounts of citric acid used in sport drinks as an acidity regulator are usually in the range of 0.2 to 0.6% which has some slight effect on their osmolality. In the group of sugars, the osmolality was determined for glucose, sucrose, and high-sugar maltodextrin in water solutions (Figure 3a-c). As in the case of electrolytes, a linear relationship was obtained between osmolality and CHO concentration in the tested range, from 1 to 10% for glucose, 1 to 15% for sucrose and 1 to 30% for maltodextrin. A similar linear relationship between the osmolality and the extract of the tested market beverages was obtained in [PERSON] et al. (2017) [1] study. The tested CHOs were characterized by a high differentiated osmolality. The highest values of osmolality for the same concentrations were observed for glucose, followed by sucrose to the lowest for maltodextrin. The present study is consistent with the study of [PERSON] et al. (2010) [29] which showed the highest osmolalities for glucose and sucrose compared with fructose in coconut water. CHO, thanks to a relatively low osmolality (as compared to electrolytes), can be used in large amounts, enabling the achievement of satisfactory sensory quality in beverages with an addition of electrolytes with a salty-bitter taste. To achieve osmolality of an isotonic drink, 5% glucose, 8.5% sucrose, and as much as 18% maltodextrin are needed. [PERSON] and [PERSON] (1997) [7] states that the optimal CHO concentration to allow for both rapid fluid uptake and appropriate energy delivery is supposed to be in the range of 60 to 80 g/L (5 to 8%). Figure 1: Sodium chloride (**a**) and potassium chloride (**b**) osmolalities in aqueous solution. Figure 2: Citric acid osmolalities in aqueous solution. Figure 4a,b shows the osmolality for blackcurrant powders. Osmolalities were tested for blackcurrant powders obtained by using two drying methods at concentrations from 2.5 to 10%. The freeze-dried powders had greater osmolality than those obtained through the spray-drying method, which arose due to the presence of the maltodextrin carrier in the latter (60%) resulting in the decreased osmolalities. The tested powders are characterized by a much lower osmolality compared to CHO (Figure 2). Their osmolality is determined by the content of soluble solids, especially glucose and sucrose.