It was found that the composition of ingredients in energy stick products sold in Korea varies widely by product. Some products are centered on sugars, while others are formulated with higher ratios of amino acids, leading to analysis that selection criteria should differ depending on the exercise purpose.
The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) on the 18th released the results of quality and safety tests on 13 energy stick products. Among those surveyed, 12 products used five types of sugars—glucose, fructose, sugar, lactose, and maltose—as their main energy sources. Sugar content per stick ranged from 5g to 12g. That amounts to as much as a 2.4-fold difference between products.
In addition, 9 products among those surveyed contained 0.3–3.0g of "palatinose," a type of sugar. Seed Marketing's "N-Up Power Gel" had the highest palatinose content at 3.0g, while Kolon Pharmaceuticals' "PerfecT Power Gel" had the lowest at 0.3g. Palatinose is known as a "new-type sugar" with a slower rate of blood sugar increase compared with other sugars.
Amino acid content showed marked gaps between products. For 10 products that included 18 types of amino acids, the per-stick content ranged from 220–2,828 mg, a difference of about 13 times at maximum. OA's "Samdaeobaek Cardio Energy Gel" recorded the highest level at 2,828 mg, while three products either did not include amino acids at all or contained 20 mg or less.
Daesang Wellife's "Newcare SpoSix Energy Gel" did not include amino acids at all. Yohemity's "Energy Gel" was at 0.9 mg, and Pro Gainer's "Power Gel" was at 16.2 mg.
Among the 13 products, Ildong Foodis' "High Mune Amino Poten" was the only one formulated with amino acids as the main ingredient. In particular, it contained 1,476 mg of BCAA (branched-chain amino acids), known to help with fatigue recovery, the highest content among those surveyed.
The consumer agency said, "The ratio of sugars to amino acids varies greatly by product, so it is necessary to choose according to the exercise purpose," adding, "Sugar- and palatinose-based products are more suitable for aerobic exercise, while products with higher amino acid content are more suitable for strength training."
Meanwhile, three products—V-Sol's "Vital Solution Arginine Boost," Vegaberry's "Enduro Gel," and X-treme's "Energy Gel"—highlighted their palatinose content, but it was confirmed that the actual content based on finished goods did not match the content based on compound raw materials. The consumer agency recommended that companies provide accurate content labeling and improve advertising.