Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Technologia Alimentaria

Background. The animal model study was aimed at evaluating the effect of diet composition and energy drink intake on body weight, accumulation and distribution of deposited fatty tissue, and concentrations of glucose and triacylglycerols in blood plasma.

Material and methods. The experiment was carried out on 30 male rats. The animals were sorted into three groups, fed on group I – standard feed, groups II and III – modified feed, in which part of whole wheat and corn grains were isocalorically substituted with wheat flour and saccharose. Animals from groups I and II were receiving settled tap water for drinking, whereas these from group III were administered 3 ml of an energy drink, and then were provided drinking water.

Results. In analysing the results obtained it was stated that the addition of the energy drink to diet affected diminished body weight gains of the animals (per energy unit in the diet) as compared to the group of animals fed modified diet. The animals receiving the energy drink were additionally characterised by a lower content of peri-intestinal and intramuscular fatty tissue, whereas were found to deposit significantly higher amounts of peri-cardiac fatty tissue. Samples of blood plasma of these animals were found to contain a significantly higher concentration of glucose, compared to those of the animals fed modified diet. In turn, the concentration of triacylglycerols was comparable in all groups of animals.

Conclusions. The analysis of results achieved enabled concluding that the addition of energy drink to diet was significantly modifying the rate and tendency of metabolic changes, which was manifested in: increased glucose concentration in blood plasma, diminished body weight gains of the animals and deposition of peri-cardial fat.