Originally Posted by
scottfsmith
"Its not a bug, its a feature" - you want to slow down the absorption rate or you will bonk on the downside. Also it requires less % water to digest and has less digestion problems compared to fructose. There is a scientific reason why commercial energy gels include maltodextrin. See
the science if you want to know more.
I prefer to get my "science" from dot edu websites.
Maltodextrin is inexpensive. That's why it is used. The reasons it is inexpensive would take us well into P&R but the long & short of it is we have an abundance of corn, corn fields, corn lobbiest, hungry farmers, a lot of government subsidies, & a market where the end user price is artificially held low to get calories to the starving masses as a matter of national food policy. It's one of former President Nixon's lasting achievements. The situation is so pervasive, that as a matter of law, we even put corn derived calories (energy) in our automobiles. E10, E15, all the way up to E85.
I further don't think you understand the term: "Bonk."
Again, I have no bias
against maltodextrin. I only dispute the claim it is "better" for this application. It is not.
I'd rather take my 90 grams of carbs (360 calories) per hour & sweat out the water & electrolytes, than a maximum absorption rate 240 calories per hour, but you do you. Running out of calories 30% sooner ain't what I'm into.