Beat me to it, modified cornstarch = maltodextrin. Bunch of marketing nonsense about extended energy etc
I'd hate to slam something I've never used. Maybe you didn't understand my post above? It is a unique alternative. If you don't need it, don't use it, lol. UCAN is useful for racing or for events where it is hard to stop and eat. It is not something "you have to use," simply an example of an alternative answer of the type the OP was looking for.
Either way, modified cornstarch is at the bottom of my nutritional choices. For a century ride where I'm not in a hurry, I'm going to eat something natural with a good mix of complex carbs and protein. My goal is not to spike my blood sugar.
if it is a shorter endurance thing where blood sugar isn't such an issue, there are things I would rather eat than maltodextrin. My favorite is simple honey:
4. Honey
You can switch out your intake of maltodextrin (processed carbohydrates) to boost energy and replenish glycogen stores with pure, raw honey instead. Raw honey is unfiltered and unpasteurized, so it holds incredible nutritional value and health powers. It contains 80 percent natural sugars, so it’s not surprising that it has been called “the perfect running fuel.” Honey provides an easily absorbed supply of energy in the form of liver glycogen, making it ideal as a pre- and post-exercise energy source. Plus, there are many other
health benefits of raw honey.
Unlike processed simple carbohydrates, honey raises levels of health-promoting antioxidants in the body, thereby boosting the immune system and acting as a preventative against many debilitating diseases. Honey also benefits the gastrointestinal tract and improves glycemic control. In fact, research shows that honey has antidiabetic effects. (
14)
I can understand if honey is too expensive for ya though...