Carbohydrates. What to choose during exercise

Carbohydrate drinks, intended for consumption during and immediately after training, are included in the diet of athletes in various sports, both speed-strength and those requiring general endurance, which is not surprising, since carbohydrates are energy, and energy is a necessary condition for any movement. Such products are offered to us by many manufacturers of sports nutrition, and their composition is by no means complicated - a mixture of different types of carbohydrates, or even just one of them. What exactly can we find on the etiquette with the composition: sucrose, fructose, dextrose, maltodextrin and amylopectin ("Vitargo"). It would seem that it is not so important what kind of carbohydrates we consume during exercise, because all of them will eventually turn into glucose, but not everything is so simple. Features of the metabolism of various carbohydrates and their structure can significantly affect the rate of recovery of the body's energy potential. Let's take a look at each of the above types of carbohydrates.

Sucrose (just sugar in everyday life) is a disaccharide consisting of two monosaccharides: α-glucose and β-fructose. Sucrose entering the intestines is quickly broken down into glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, in its action sucrose is equivalent to a mixture of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. The presence of fructose in sugar is its main disadvantage - for the reasons that will be indicated below. Other disadvantages include the poor tolerance of the gastrointestinal tract during exercise, the plus is the ultra-low cost and availability - sugar can be bought at any store.

Fructose is a monosaccharide (glucose isomer). The metabolism of fructose in the body is different from that of glucose. Unlike glucose, which serves as a universal source of energy, fructose is not absorbed by insulin-dependent tissues (including muscle), no other cells of the human body, except sperm, can use it directly. Fructose is able to be converted to liver glycogen, but not able to be converted to muscle glycogen. In connection with the above, during intense physical activity, its benefit in providing energy to muscle activity is small. Fructose is relatively inexpensive and readily available, usually sold in the health food section of grocery supermarkets.

Dextrose is nothing more than dry glucose. An excellent source of energy during exercise, but much less readily available than sucrose or fructose. The pharmaceutical form in the form of tablets is very inconvenient, since these tablets must be used at a time a lot. It should also be borne in mind that at a high concentration in the composition of an aqueous solution (more than 5%), dextrose can cause heaviness in the stomach and belching.

Maltodextrin is a starch that is enzymatically broken down into large parts (dextrins), but when maltodextrin is completely broken down, glucose is formed. The advantage is its relatively low rate of breakdown in the digestive system, thereby ensuring a long and uniform flow of glucose into the body. Maltodextrin is cheap to manufacture, easily digestible and does not cause gastric complications, has practically no taste, which makes it convenient for preparing workout drinks, because it is so common in various sports nutrition products, especially weight gainers. You can buy it in its pure form only in bags weighing 25 kg or more, intended for the needs of the food industry, or in sports nutrition stores in the form of the so-called. carbohydrate complexes, for example CARBO PLUS from UNIVERSAL NUTRITION, which contains only maltodextrin in its composition.

Amylopectin is a branched polysaccharide formed by glucose residues. It is part of starch (usually 70–90%), and in the so-called waxy varieties of corn, barley, rice, starch consists only of amylopectin. It is widely known in the world of sports nutrition under the patented name Vitargo®. Since the moment when sports scientists from Stockholm found that "Vitargo" significantly faster than any other types of carbohydrates restores glycogen levels after exercise and passes through the stomach faster, it immediately entered the diet of professional athletes from a variety of sports. As whey isolate is considered the most valuable among proteins, so "Vitargo" is considered the most valuable among carbohydrates. It has a number of advantages, which led to its frenzied popularity: it is in the stomach only for a short period of time, it is absorbed very quickly and easily, therefore it does not cause discomfort during physical exertion (which is characteristic of sugar and dextrose), it can be used in concentration above 5–8%, that is, more than twice the recommended value for carbohydrate drinks based on sucrose or maltodextrin, does not absorb water from the body's reserves, but on the contrary, increases the flow of water into the blood, acting as a kind of pump during the athlete's physical activity. Interestingly, initially, Vitargo gained particular popularity among representatives of sports requiring general and strength endurance, such as cross-country skiing, biathlon, cycling, American football, marathon, and only later it was "tasted" by security officials: bodybuilders and powerlifters. It is known that the Russian pro-bodybuilder Leonid Istomin used "Vitargo" during the carbohydrate load before the competition, noting that this type of carbohydrates does not experience problems with absorption and fluid retention in the intestines, which is very important during loading. And one of the most titled powerlifters in Russia - eleven-time world champion and seventeen-time European champion Konstantin Pavlov used Vitargo throughout the preparation for the European Bench Press Championships in Terni, Italy, where, in fact, he became the winner again. Vladimir Kravtsov - "Uncle Vova", "Vitargo" is one of the most favorite types of carbohydrates, which he uses all the time.
Amylopectin can now be found in a variety of sports nutrition products from a wide variety of manufacturers. The complex manufacturing technology also determines the high cost of the product, perhaps this is its only drawback.

Thus, based on the choice of carbohydrate product that you are going to use during or after your workouts, it is necessary to take into account that different types of carbohydrates will support the energy of muscle activity in different ways, and your digestive system, which during exercise works "at low revs. ”Will also react to them differently. It is believed that when using sugar, fructose or dextrose in the composition of the drink, their concentration should not exceed 5%, maltodextrin - 8%, "Vitargo" - 15%.