Maltodextrin and Dextrose are both easily digested carbohydrates, commonly used in post workout (PWO) drinks.
Dextrose goes by many names, including glucose, d-glucose, or blood sugar. It occurs naturally in food, and is sweet. It is a simple carbohydrate.
Maltodextrin is moderately sweet, easily digested carbohydrate. It does not occur naturally, and is thus generally manufactured from rice, corn or potato starches. Maltodextrin is technically a complex carbohydrate, but the bonds that compose Maltodextrin are very weak and are readily broken apart in your stomach.
Exercise Recovery:
Maltodextrin and Dextrose are commonly combined in post workout (PWO) drinks. This is a critical time for athletes as hard training depletes energy supplies and creates a potentially catabolic (muscle burning) state in the body
This is primarily due to the release of cortisol; a catabolic hormone released during hard workouts.[1] Among the key functions of cortisol are the reduction of protein synthesis and the halting of tissue growth.
It is thus essential that cortisol release is controlled if you are to benefit from your workouts. So how do you do that? By prompting the body to release insulin. The easiest way to do this is to consume simple carbohydrates as soon as possible after your workout, during what is termed the “window of opportunity”.[2]
Post Workout
Getting the right nutrition Post Workout will therefore help you to:
1. Gain or maintain lean mass
2. Recover glycogen stores.
3. Increase anabolic hormone levels.
By consuming protein and simple carbohydrates as soon as possible following a workout, you will maximise the benefits of your hard work.
However, although there is a need to get carbs in quickly, most simple sugars are not ideal post-workout. Fructose, sucrose, and lactose all fail to fit the bill for differing reasons:[3]
Ironically, for PWO uses, fructose (fruit sugar) is too low on the Gycemic Index (GI) – it is thus not digested as quickly, and therefore does not significantly raise insulin levels,[4] a crucial factor in reducing the flow of cortisol. In addition, fructose is used by the body to restore liver glycogen – it does not, therefore restore muscle glycogen.[5],[6] Sorry but your banana just doesn’t cut it.
Sucrose (table sugar) is a disaccharide consisting of one molecule of fructose and one of glucose, and therefore half fructose, so again it will not restore muscle glycogen. Thus consuming products high in sugar (sucrose) is not beneficial PWO. Sorry, no excuse for junk here.
Lactose (milk sugar) has a moderate rating on the GI. It is also a disaccharide (one molecule of galactose and one of glucose), and again, galactose does not restore muscle glycogen.
As a result, the best options PWO are dextrose and maltodextrin. Both are absorbed directly through the gut into the bloodstream, and thus raise blood sugar and insulin levels faster than any other carb. In addition, because Maltodextrin and Dextrose are in the form the body requires, glucose, they can be used immediately to replace muscle glycogen.
There is a difference between the two though. Before the body can utilise maltodextrin for glycogen replenishment, it must pass through the liver. Therefore it breaks down slower than dextrose, meaning that when you combine the two you get the best of both worlds – the quick action of the dextrose, and a steady flow of blood sugar and insulin from the maltodextrin.
This has been supported by recent research that found that including two different forms of carbohydrates increased the rate of transportation out of the small intestine and into the blood. This had the additional benefit of increasing the flow of water into the blood (hydration), another key element of PWO recovery.[7],[8],[9]
Because of this fast absorption rate, dextrose is therefore the primary ingredient in many isotonic sports drinks. They are simply a 6-7% solution of dextrose, with a little added flavouring and some minerals added. However you can make your own with a pinch of sea salt added for mineral content.
