Carbohydrate Powder

What is carbohydrate powder?

Carbohydrate powder, often just called "carbs" or a carb drink, is sports nutrition that you mix into a drink. It is almost pure carbohydrate – usually 85 to 95 g per 100 g – with no protein or fat. Athletes mainly use it during long training sessions, in endurance sports and around competitions. Unlike a mass gainer, it contains no protein.

The main carbohydrate sources

• Maltodextrin: made from starch, barely sweet, the base of most carb drinks.
• Dextrose (glucose): a simple sugar with a sweeter taste.
• Waxy maize starch: a highly branched starch from maize.
• Palatinose (isomaltulose): a disaccharide made from beet sugar.
• Vitargo: a patented carbohydrate from barley starch with a high molecular weight, sugar-free according to the label.

Many products combine several sources. The label shows how much of it is sugar.

Our range

• Maltodextrin and dextrose: Allnutrition Carbo Multi Max (46 g carbohydrates per 50 g), Trec Nutrition Endurance Carbo Sport with electrolytes, vitamins and taurine.
• With Palatinose: Nutrend Carbodrinx with five carbohydrate sources, vitamins and chromium, and Olimp Nutrition Carbonox with vitamins, minerals and L-arginine.
• With electrolytes: OstroVit Carbo with potassium, sodium, magnesium and vitamin C.
• Vitargo: Trec Nutrition Vitargo Electro-Energy with electrolytes.

What to compare

• Carbohydrates per serving: depending on the product, a serving provides about 43 to 83 g. Work it out for the amount you drink.
• Sugar content: from 0 g in Vitargo up to about 40 % in blends with dextrose.
• Electrolytes: some powders contain sodium, potassium and magnesium, others only carbohydrates.
• Flavour: unflavoured if you want to mix it with protein or creatine, otherwise flavoured.
• Preparation: follow the label for serving size and the amount of water.

Frequently asked questions

How is it different from a mass gainer?

A gainer combines carbohydrates with protein and often fat. Carbohydrate powder provides carbohydrates only.

Maltodextrin or dextrose?

Maltodextrin is barely sweet, so larger amounts are easy to drink. Dextrose tastes sweeter. Many blends contain both.

Can I mix carbohydrate powder with protein?

Yes. Choose flavours that go together and check the serving sizes of both products.