The Maltodextrin Myth

As endurance athletes, we all know that a healthy lifestyle and successful training and racing plans should include a diet rich in complex carbohydrates. Therefore, many sports drinks, gels, and bars contain, and are marketed to endurance athletes as containing, complex carbohydrates. Naturally, an athlete would think they were getting exactly what they need. The complex carbohydrate most often used in these sports drinks is maltodextrin, sometimes referred to as glucose polymers or long chain complex carbs.

Maltodextrin is a synthetically manufactured complex carbohydrate which is typically comprised of 3-19 glucose molecules. Glucose is a simple sugar which is the primary source of energy used by the brain and muscles, and into which all forms of carbohydrates are converted. So, by combining a string of glucose molecules together, you end up with a complex carbohydrate. This means that maltodextrin will be classified as a carbohydrate on the nutritional label rather than as a sugar. However, once ingested, maltodextrin acts like a simple sugar.

Maltodextrin = Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose + Glucose

The MALTODEXTRIN MYTH goes like this: Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate, therefore it must provide a stable, long-lasting energy source. The FACT is that simply stringing many sugar molecules together to form a long chain complex carbohydrate does not provide the body with a long-lasting source of energy. In the case of maltodextrin, the opposite is true.  

The Glycemic Index is a numerical index that rates carbohydrates based on how quickly they are converted to energy (glucose).The Glycemic Index gives foods a “GI” score using a scale of 0 to 100 which allows a comparison of how quickly certain foods cause a rise in blood sugar.The higher the GI, the more rapid the rise in blood sugar. (Low GI = 0-55, Medium GI = 56-69, High GI = 70-100) Glucose is a high glycemic food and is used as a reference point. Glucose has a GI of approximately 100. The GI of maltodextrin ranges from 105 to over 130! What does this mean? It means that rather than providing a steady stream of energy, it causes a rapid rise in blood sugar. This in turn causes the body to produce large amounts of insulin, which results in a rapid drop in blood sugar. These peaks and valleys are what we aim to avoid during training and racing. And, they can be avoided.

In order to provide endurance athletes with a more stable source of energy, a blend of low glycemic and medium glycemic carbohydrates is used in SciTri^TM Endurance Sports & Recovery Drink which provides a steadier stream of energy as compared to other sports drinks. The carbohydrates contained in SciTri^TM include fructose and sucrose. What? Simple sugars? Absolutely. Fructose is classified as a low glycemic food and sucrose is classified as a medium glycemic food. The GI of fructose is 22 and the GI of sucrose is 64. We invite you to feel the difference for yourself.

Accomplish your Mission. Experience the difference of SciTri^TM Endurance Sports & Recovery Drink today!

 

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