DEVELOPMENT OF AN EFFERVESCENT TABLET BASED ON CREATINE AND SWEET POTATO

Food supplementation has gained prominence for helping sports performance and muscle recovery. Creatine is one of the most studied supplements, but it still faces acceptance limitations due to low palatability and possible gastrointestinal discomforts. In this context, effervescent formulations emerge as an alternative to improve the administration and bioavailability of the compound. The present study aimed to develop an effervescent solid formulation containing creatine nanoparticles and flavored sweet potato powder. The work was carried out at the Department of Food Technology of UFS, using creatine, sweet potato powder, organic acids, sodium bicarbonate, binder and natural coloring. The tablets were obtained by manual pressing and the nutritional characterization was conducted according to official methodologies (AOAC and IAL), evaluating proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. The results indicated a high protein content (69.45%), attributed to the quantification of creatine nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method, which can overestimate real proteins. The carbohydrate content was 25.11%, reflecting the contribution of sweet potatoes as an energy matrix with a low glycemic index, while lipids showed low concentration (2.53%), favoring the stability of the formulation. The association of creatine with complex carbohydrates has shown synergistic potential, and can optimize muscle absorption. Microscopic analysis revealed good dispersion of creatine nanoparticles in the sweet potato matrix, suggesting structural and functional stability