Development and Standardization of Germinated and Fermented Foxtail Millet Flour Incorporated Idli Batter for Enhancing Sports Performance

Millets are a group of cereal grains that belong to the Poaceae family, commonly known as grass family. They contain many health promoting nutrients. Among the millets, Foxtail Millet (Seteria italica) is a highly nutritive, gluten free, easy to digest and non-acid forming millet. Fermentation improves gut health which is an essential part of athletic performance. It improves digestion, enhances absorption of nutrients, strengthens the immune system and improves intense exercise tolerance.In this study, Foxtail millet was soaked for 24 hours and germinated for 96 hours due to high antioxidant of 94% and less antinutritional factors. The germinated millet was subjected to cabinet drying and powdered. Foxtail millet Idly was prepared in various proportionsat 10 hours fermentation. The fermented product was subjected to sensory evaluation and the result revealed that 50%foxtail milletflour incorporated idliwas highly ranked based on the overall acceptability. Foxtail millet flour incorporated idly batter was prepared with the selected proportion of 3:1 ratio in different fermentation intervals of 6 hours,8 hours,10 hours and 12 hours. The comparative analysis of protein and vitamin C showed that when the fermentation period of idli batter increased, protein and vitamin C contents were also increased. Protein plays an important role in building and maintenance of muscles. High protein intake prevents soreness ,improves endurance, musclerepair, recovery and reduces muscle damage. Antioxidants like vitamin C is beneficial in assisting with sports recovery and supporting return from injury. Hence, the germination and fermentation processesfor millets could be utilized to prepare low cost nutritious food products, to enhance sports performance and to improve the nutritional status of the athletes.