What is maltodextrin used for? Benefits and properties

By using maltodextrin (a carbohydrate), you will boost your metabolic rate, promoting fat burning and muscle growth.

An undernourished muscle can cannibalize itself after a workout, which is why maltodextrin is used together with protein. Remember that combining carbohydrates with protein is crucial for all hypertrophic processes.

After a hard training session, many people consume a protein shake to support muscle growth and recovery.

The body will inevitably convert part of this protein shake into energy instead of using it to fuel the muscles. To prevent this from happening, you need to optimize nutrient delivery.

Adding maltodextrin post-workout will not only replenish muscle glycogen stores, but will also prevent the protein shake from being converted into energy..

This, in turn, will increase the body's absorption of protein, and these amino acids can be used as building blocks and driven toward the muscles by high insulin levels.

Due to the carbohydrate's fast-acting nature, it is very unlikely to be stored as fat; therefore, it is used rapidly for two purposes: losing weight and gaining muscle.

What is maltodextrin?

Maltodextrin is a processed carbohydrate that can improve performance if you take it before or during a hard workout to meet the demands of very strenuous routines.

Although it is a carbohydrate, it has the added benefit of tending to break down rapidly through enzymatic processes.

Maltodextrin supplements are generally added to beverages purchased to quickly replenish carbohydrate stores that may have been depleted during exercise..

It provides 4 kilocalories per gram, like any other carbohydrate.

• It is a very convenient source of energy that facilitates the rapid delivery and absorption of important nutrients by muscle tissue.
• In this way, muscle glycogen can be replenished immediately during or shortly after training.

As a nutritional compound, it is derived from cornstarch and is very easy to digest. The starch is first cooked; then acids and/or enzymes are added to break the starch down into smaller polymers. The process is very similar to what happens inside the human body when digesting carbohydrates.

Some types of maltodextrins are dextrose polymers, also known as glucose polymers, that come in the form of dry powders.

These powders do not contain much fat, fiber, or protein, although some products are well known for containing soluble fiber, which is very useful for reducing fat and excess fat. Most maltodextrin formulas also do not include vitamins or nutritional flavors.

What properties does maltodextrin have?

The word «maltodextrin» actually refers to various lengths of dextrose polymers. It is not very sweet compared with dextrose and is made especially from rice, corn, rice, or potato or wheat starch.

It is the main ingredient found in most weight-gain products and sports supplements that are useful for people who need to gain more muscle mass and weight, such as ectomorphs.

A large number of nutritional supplements for increasing body weight include a large number of calories to help people gain weight and muscle mass.

The result is that the consumer adds much more than their usual nutritional intake without having to eat as much across many daily meals.

The powder, which is white and pure, has a mild flavor. It mixes perfectly with unique types of liquids and can also help improve the ability of protein powders to mix with other liquids.

Based on this concept, those 1 to 2 teaspoons of maltodextrin with 1 or 2 servings of protein powder should be mixed with a medium- to large-sized glass of water.

They contain no extra fat and can provide vitality for many hours, even during endurance events.

Dextrose equivalent? The key term for differentiating maltodextrin

When we talk about maltodextrin, we are referring to a mixture of several “sugars” resulting from the hydrolysis of starch, comprising a range of different carbohydrate entities (oligosaccharides, maltotriose, maltose, glucose, etc.).

An index is given for the degree of hydrolysis. Therefore, the value “ED” is known as the dextrose equivalent. The higher it is, the greater the hydrolysis and the shorter the chains, with a greater tendency toward a number of glucose molecules in shorter chains. This is the principle of “digestion”!

On a scale of values from 0 to 100:

• ED= 0: corresponds to unconverted starch
• ED= 100: corresponds to pure glucose (or dextrose), or completely transformed (hydrolyzed) starch;
• 0< ED <20: corresponds to the state of maltodextrins;
• ED>20: corresponds to glucose syrup (the name found in the ingredient lists of products from the agri-food industry).

Between a DE of 0 and 20 (for maltodextrins), there is therefore a multitude of maltodextrin combinations. The lower the DE, the lower the glycemic index (GI), and vice versa! That is why we speak of multiple maltodextrins rather than a single form.

Is maltodextrin absorbed slowly or quickly?

First of all, the terms “slow or fast sugars” are no longer up to date, although athletes often use them for simplicity.

In fact, let us take white bread as an example: it has a high glycemic index (GI) but is considered a slowly absorbed sugar (and there are many examples).

It is now necessary to use the concept of the glycemic index (GI), which represents the impact of foods on blood glucose (blood sugar level).

• A low-GI carbohydrate (as in the case of fructose) causes a low glycemic response (a low rise in blood glucose).
• A high-GI carbohydrate causes a significant blood-glucose response (as in the case of glucose or sucrose, table sugar, for example).

In the case of maltodextrin, due to its more or less complete characteristics as a “starchy hydrolysate”, there are as many glycemic indexes as there are different maltodextrins!

They are called “liquid pastes” in sports contexts and have a low, high, or intermediate glycemic index.

In general, its GI tends to be higher rather than lower with a DE between 15 and 20. Thus, more specifically and in summary, a diet drink containing exclusively maltodextrins with low DE has a low GI (without glucose or dextrose, for example, but with fructose optionally included in its composition), which is advantageous during the waiting periods and glycogen-storage phase carried out a few days before a competition, in line with the principle of supercompensation, especially in endurance sports.

On the contrary, a diet drink containing maltodextrins with a high DE (above 15), with glucose and dextrose but no fructose in its composition, has a high GI, with the known effects on blood glucose during exertion, and may be suitable after a hard weight-training session.

Maltodextrin: does it help with weight loss?

High-glycemic-index carbohydrates should be avoided in a weight-loss routine.

Maltodextrin is a source of carbohydrate from oligosaccharides derived from corn. Oligosaccharides contain between three and 20 linked sugars, but qualify as complex carbohydrates.

Although carbohydrates are also easily stored as body fat as they are used as an energy source for training, this fast-digesting supplement increases the hormone insulin, which triggers more sugars to be stored as body fat.

At first glance, it may seem to have no place in a weight-loss diet or nutrition program. However, its effects on insulin levels can be advantageous if used at the right times.

A beneficial time to deliberately trigger high insulin secretion is immediately after a workout, when the body needs to quickly replenish carbohydrate stores in the form of muscle glycogen.

For example, many post-workout products and sports drinks contain this carbohydrate for muscle recovery.

Insulin drives glucose, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins into muscle cells to begin the repair process, a process 180° different from fat storage.

Maltodextrin, why take it during the bulking phase?

You may not know that Maltodextrin is the main ingredient in almost all weight-gainer products. It has a considerable effect on enzymatic activity, allowing you to work harder during training and substantially increase muscle mass.

But let's get to the point and look at how it affects insulin, the anabolic activator as a hard bulking workout comes to an end.

As mentioned earlier, it causes a rapid increase in the body's insulin levels. In fact, it is the best and most effective supplement on the market for increasing insulin levels.

• Insulin is the hormone that enables increased amino acid transport to skeletal muscle.
• This is a great catalyst for protein synthesis because glucose binds to the muscle cell and triggers a flood of reactions that support muscle growth.
• It also counteracts cortisol, and this mechanism prevents muscle mass loss, since cortisol is catabolic and breaks down muscle proteins.

Therefore, when insulin levels rise, cortisol levels decrease, preventing the breakdown of muscle proteins for fuel.

After training, your body is in a catabolic state until it becomes highly receptive to protein and carbohydrate intake.

This is the optimal time to consume Maltodextrin because it has very high glycemic properties and acts on the body as follows:

• Increase protein synthesis by acting on the muscles during this time.
• Replenish the energy reserves you have used.
• Shorten recovery times through insulin, which carries glucose, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins to muscle cells.
• Prepare your body properly for your next training session.

How to take Maltodextrin?

To make the most of its effects, it is best to take it immediately after training.

Therefore, as soon as you put down the weights, you should take some fast-acting carbohydrates (such as maltodextrin powder) and easy-to-digest (fast-acting) protein and mix them with 300-400 ml of water.

This liquid, easy-to-digest post-workout snack is the first step toward rapid recovery after intense training sessions.

Additionally, it is great in combination with creatine if you want an explosive burst of energy that will make your training results outstanding.

How much maltodextrin should you take?

Your body weight, training intensity, and goal are the three basic factors that play an important role in this case.

The recommended dose is 0.5 to 1 gram per kilogram of body weight for most athletes.

• You could try 0.31/5 g of maltodextrin per kilogram of body weight if your goal is to lose weight.
• For building muscle mass, this ratio is 0.6/7 g per kilogram of body weight.

In general, the optimal amount is a 2:1 ratio of maltodextrin to protein during muscle development and a 1:1 ratio during a cutting phase.

This means that if you weigh 70 kg and want to gain weight, you should consume 44 g of maltodextrin and approximately 22 grams of protein. Conversely, to lose weight, you will need 22 grams of maltodextrin mixed with 22 grams of protein.

Conclusions

Maltodextrin is a fast-digesting sugar. It provides 4 calories per gram, and because it is absorbed so easily by the body, it provides a rapid energy boost, which is particularly beneficial for bodybuilders and athletes in general.

In practice, bodybuilders and athletes use it as a source of carbohydrates, taking it as a drink and mixing it with the appropriate amount of whey protein.

This is because the supplement’s properties promote an extraordinarily rapid increase in the glycemic index and involve a particularly concentrated release of the carbohydrates contained herein.

• On the one hand, it improves recovery speed.
• It is the easiest way to replenish energy stores.

It is especially recommended for those who are struggling to gain muscle mass or as part of a mass gainer during a bulking phase.

Maltodextrin can also be used to improve endurance, allowing you to continue during cardiovascular training, a longer endurance event, or a HIIT session.

Why is the post-workout meal important?… The following video explains how to take advantage of the window of opportunity…