Dextrose / Maltodextrin

thegodplato

Can anyone please tell me what the difference is between these two - in plain English!!
Should I be mixing it with Whey for protein. Don't want huge muscles, just want to increase my energy to cycle longer and a good recovery drink when finished. Note I am not a road racer, just trying to get fit to do Sportives, etc.

amaferanga

Dextrose is (I think) usually sweet, where as maltodextrin is normally flavourless. So maltodextrin is better for adding to fruit juice as it doesn't make it sickly sweet.

Whey protein is best reserved for post-ride drinks. For long rides a bit of maltodextrin and electrolyte powder in your drinks can be beneficial in combination with regular food like Soreen malt loaf, muesli bars, etc., but is not essential and won't magically make you faster (despite the marketing claims).

jibberjim

Dextrose is 100% glucose in its simple state.
Maltodextrin are a complex sugar where the glucose molecules are chained together into long chains.

The mouth tastes the sweetness of dextrose much more (because they're individual rather than a long chain)
The body metabolises them slightly differently, and they leave the gut slightly differently, glucose being faster.

The malto is likely better when riding, the glucose more post exercise. Although neither are particularly necessary unless you are performing a near maximal effort.

t.m.h.n.e.t

Dextrose is 100% glucose - absorbs in the gut very fast - is high on the glycemic index and when mixed in large quantity is very sickly sweet (Mixing 50g scoops isn't actualy needed or ideal)

Maltodextrin is derived from corn starch - absorbs in the gut fast - lower glycemic index than dextrose but isn't as sweet. Again 50g per bottle is probably overkill.

Whey Protein: Recovery only, No reason at all to mix it with ride drinks.

I could add in another option but I fear you don't really understand what your needs are to begin with link

Before you pick one (I use both tbh) you need to consider if you actually need these products and what the actual benefit of them is.

cyco2

jibberjim wrote:

Dextrose is 100% glucose in its simple state.
Maltodextrin are a complex sugar where the glucose molecules are chained together into long chains.

The mouth tastes the sweetness of dextrose much more (because they're individual rather than a long chain)
The body metabolises them slightly differently, and they leave the gut slightly differently, glucose being faster.

The malto is likely better when riding, the glucose more post exercise. Although neither are particularly necessary unless you are performing a near maximal effort. :? .com

I must admit I am confused. A regular shot of glucose on a ride means you will not be using up your own energy resources. If you get it right there is then no need for a recovery drink other than for fluid replacement and protein etc.. such as milk. Maximal effort which could only be for a short periods of time uses other energy resources as well. But it has to get fed from something, i.e. glucose etc..

jibberjim

cyco2 wrote:

Maximal effort which could only be for a short periods of time uses other energy resources as well. But it has to get fed from something, i.e. glucose etc..

When I'm talking about a maximal effort, I'm talking about a maximal effort over many hours, not a sprint. So at your maximum intensity for 4 hours, you would benefit from consuming the largest amount of calories, which will come from ingesting maltodextrin or a mixture of it with fructose almost certainly.

Consuming glucose during the ride does not prevent you using other stores and negate the post ride deficit, you will still consume glycogen, you cannot ingest glucose at anything like the rates you can use it. Unless you're going so really easy, when any sort of supplemental calories is irrelevant.

cyco2

jibberjim wrote:

When I'm talking about a maximal effort, I'm talking about a maximal effort over many hours, not a sprint. So at your maximum intensity for 4 hours, you would benefit from consuming the largest amount of calories, which will come from ingesting maltodextrin or a mixture of it with fructose almost certainly.

Cyco2....That clears that up then.

Consuming glucose during the ride does not prevent you using other stores and negate the post ride deficit, you will still consume glycogen, you cannot ingest glucose at anything like the rates you can use it. Unless you're going so really easy, when any sort of supplemental calories is irrelevant.

Read this because it does explain it better than I can. It also explains the bigger picture using TDF riders requirements which if they they didn't replenish correctly they wouldn't last long.

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... onk-17082/

My energy supplements and amounts I have learn from experience and I can say that it was worth the effort because what I thought was over training was just an energy replenishment problem.

doyler78

cyco2 wrote:

jibberjim wrote:

When I'm talking about a maximal effort, I'm talking about a maximal effort over many hours, not a sprint. So at your maximum intensity for 4 hours, you would benefit from consuming the largest amount of calories, which will come from ingesting maltodextrin or a mixture of it with fructose almost certainly.

Cyco2....That clears that up then.

Consuming glucose during the ride does not prevent you using other stores and negate the post ride deficit, you will still consume glycogen, you cannot ingest glucose at anything like the rates you can use it. Unless you're going so really easy, when any sort of supplemental calories is irrelevant.

Read this because it does explain it better than I can. It also explains the bigger picture using TDF riders requirements which if they they didn't replenish correctly they wouldn't last long.

http://www.bikeradar.com/fitness/articl ... onk-17082/

My energy supplements and amounts I have learn from experience and I can say that it was worth the effort because what I thought was over training was just an energy replenishment problem.

Interesting article however I didn't see any direct information that a TdF rider replaces all their glycogen stores on the bike. The maths is simple if I remember it right. 1gm carb = 4 kcals. If we take the recommended carb intake in that article of 30-60gm per hour then we will at most replace between 120 and 240 kcals and even we take a 2:1 ratio of multiple transportable carbs which allows up to 90gm per hour then that still leaves an upper ceiling of 360 kcals. Are you really saying that you can't expend that much energy per hour on a bike. That's pretty easy to do during any ride.

Do TdF riders not lose weight during major stage races? My understanding is that they do and if they do then there can only be one explanation!