Amylopectin sports nutrition how to use. Carbohydrates. what to choose during the load. Of all the available carbohydrates,
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%.
Surely most athletes know that carbohydrates are of great value, especially energy. Unfortunately, their excessive intake can cause a decent increase in the percentage of subcutaneous fat, since all carbohydrates not converted to glycogen are immediately sent to the "warehouse" on the stomach, thighs, etc. But what can be done? After all, an athlete must replenish energy expenditures. As you know, poor energy exchange will prevent your muscles from recovering and, as a result, growing.
There is one little trick. The fact is that after intense physical activity, our body is thirsty for carbohydrates, it requires to restore all energy losses. This process is called the carbohydrate window. It is during this period that all incoming macro and micronutrients will be absorbed by almost 100%. In other words, the carbohydrates taken immediately after training are completely converted into muscle glycogen, so you can not worry about an excessive percentage of fat. However, do not forget about the duration of the opening of such a "window" - 50-75 minutes, no more.
Unfortunately, at the moment there are cases when the gym is quite far from home, and the way from point "A" to point "B" takes at least half an hour, but upon arrival home you still need to change clothes, put things out, etc. NS. As a result, we miss the carbohydrate window and simply start to get fat. It is for these situations that there are various carbohydrate drinks that can be drunk immediately after training. It is worth noting that their composition is quite banal: it is a mixture of several carbohydrates (simple and complex), and sometimes only the first.
Of all the available carbohydrates, the following can be distinguished:
Sucrose;
- fructose;
- dextrose;
- maltodextrin;
- amylopectin.
At first glance, it seems that their choice is not fundamental, because in fact, the result of their stay in the body will be glucose. But you probably guessed that it is not so simple. Each type of carbohydrate has unique properties that affect the rate at which our energy levels recover in different ways. Let's consider them in more detail.
Fructose
This is a simple monosaccharide, also known as the glucose isomer. Few people know that the structural features of fructose do not allow it to be a universal source of energy, like the same glucose. The fact is that fructose is not absorbed at all by tissues, whose main transporter is insulin. Of course, muscles are at the head of such tissues, and as a result, fructose does not help our muscles. To be honest, only sperm cells can use fructose as an energy drink.
However, do not rush to throw it into the background. Although it cannot be converted to muscle glycogen, our bodies easily convert it to liver glycogen, which is used by the brain and other organs. As you remember, in the absence of sugar in the blood, the body begins the processes of glycogenolysis, breaking down glycogen in the liver to glucose in order to provide itself with them. Unfortunately, post-workout time is not considered an emergency, and all liver glycogen will be directed to the vital functions of organs, which in turn is also important, because wasting muscle glycogen for such purposes is a waste.
Of the advantages of fructose, it is worth highlighting its availability and low cost. You can buy it in any hyper or supermarket.
Sucrose (sugar)
Disaccharide, represented by two monosaccharides: glucose and fructose. It is worth noting that sucrose, when it enters the body, is quickly broken down into the corresponding components. The only drawback of this mixture is the presence of fructose, although it is not uncommon for people to have a poor tolerance for simple sugar, of course, we are talking about post-workout time.
It would seem that he is the best option for carbohydrates, because we have before us the presence of both glucose and fructose, which is necessary for the organs. But, unfortunately, this is by no means the best choice. You will find out the reasons by reading this series of articles. Of the advantages of the mixture, one can single out cheapness and availability in any store.
Dextrose
Few people know that dextrose is a dry form of glucose. Basically, this type of carbohydrate is great both during and after exercise. Unfortunately, it is not as readily available as sucrose or fructose. No, of course, in the pharmacy you can buy ascorbic acid tablets, which go along with dextrose, but its amount there is so low that you will need to use more than 10 tablets at a time, which is very inconvenient. In addition, a decent amount of dextrose combined with water quite often causes heaviness in the stomach.
Maltodextrin
It is worth knowing that maltodextrin is a huge split of dextrin - starch. With the complete breakdown of this substance, we get the desired glucose. One of the biggest advantages is the relatively high rate of absorption, and this process occurs gradually, which in turn provides us with a constant, even flow of glycogen.
And now the most interesting thing: maltodextrin is well absorbed and does not cause various gastrointestinal complications, even in large doses. In addition, it does not have a distinct taste, which makes it a popular ingredient in almost all carbohydrate drinks that the sports nutrition industry has to offer.
The only drawback is its purchase. The fact is that only a wholesale purchase is available to a common man in the street, namely, bags weighing 25 kg or more. These bags are intended for the food industry. In everyday life, maltodextrin is not in great demand, and as a result, it is not sold in small quantities. However, it is full in special drinks, for example, Universal Nutrition can offer us a gainer based only on this substance.
Amylopectin
Perhaps the most interesting post-workout carbohydrate. This is a polysaccharide with characteristic branched chains. The main material for its creation are glucose residues. It should be noted that amylopectin is a part of starch, and in a fairly large amount (up to 85%). By the way, the starch of corn, rice and barley consists entirely of this substance. Its most popular form is sold as a sports nutrition called Vitargo. This supplement can be found on the shelves of the respective stores.
It owes its creation to Stockholm scientists, who, in the course of several studies, discovered the greatest potential in it. The fact is that amylopectin is absorbed faster than all of its counterparts, and as a result, it replenishes lost muscle glycogen faster than anyone else. In addition, its use did not reveal any negative consequences.
To understand how good this type of carbohydrate is, it is enough to draw a simple analogy with protein. Everyone knows that the most valuable protein is whey isolate, the same picture is observed with amylopectin.
One of its main advantages is a short digestion time, which in turn allows you to take this type of carbohydrates during your workout. If the intake of dextrose and sucrose significantly reduces your physical activity due to the release of insulin and other factors, then amylopectin, on the contrary, only accelerates. The fact is that its molecules absorb water from the body's reserves; this is a kind of pump that increases the flow of water into the blood and blood vessels. That is why "vitargo" and other sources of this substance are popular not only in bodybuilding, but also in other sports where endurance plays a key role, namely, a stable level of glycogen in muscles. These include biathlon, cycling, American football, etc.
Currently, amylopectin can be found in various sports nutrition products. Various manufacturers use it for very unusual purposes. But still the most popular brand is "Vitargo", but this does not mean at all that similar products are worse.
Output
From all of the above, one simple conclusion can be drawn: the selection of post-workout carbohydrates should take into account the structure and capabilities of the selected source of future glycogen. Different substances have different effects on human energy metabolism, as well as digestion reacts differently to certain types of carbohydrates.
Finally, I would like to acquaint you with one interesting fact. It is believed that sucrose, fructose or dextrose should not exceed the 5% mark in any beverage. As for maltodextrin and amylopectin, the limiting percentage of the former is 8%, and the latter is 15%.
Amylopectin - used in bodybuilding to optimize the amount of glycogen in the muscles. Amylopectin is a complex, long-chain, high molecular weight carbohydrate. Simply put, this starch-like substrate provides energy for growth and development. From the point of view of a chemist, it is a polysaccharide formed by several glucose molecules. Found in waxy maize, potato and maize starch, and some rice and wheat. Considered as valuable to the athlete as whey isolate, for example.Action of amylopectin
Freeze-dried amylopectin is used in bodybuilding to make carbohydrate drinks that are consumed to increase energy levels. He helps:
increase the duration of work under load, provide long training;
accelerate muscle recovery, have a positive effect on protein synthesis;
provide nutrition to the athlete during training.
Amylopectin is more tolerated than traditional drinks with sugar or maltodextrin. It spends very little time in the stomach, is absorbed almost instantly, and therefore does not cause discomfort.
How to take amylopectin
The way to take amylopectin for bodybuilding depends on the goal. Gaining mass "close" the carbohydrate window with a drink with amylopectin, diluting such an amount of powder, which will give about 30 g of carbohydrates or more.
Drying athletes sometimes use small dosages to enable them to complete their workouts. In this case, the dose is selected experimentally, usually 10-20 g of "pure" carbohydrates per training session. In addition, the carbohydrate diet is corrected so that the fat burning processes do not stop.
You can buy Amylopectin 1kg in Tula without flavors from Geneticlab in the IRONTULA sports nutrition store. The availability and current price of amylopectin from Geneticlab is always on the site.