I’ve tried a lot of different carbohydrate powders over the years, and one thing I’ve become particularly interested in is how comfortably they sit in the stomach during training.

Personally, I’ve always found highly branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD), also known as Cluster Dextrin, to be the easiest on my digestive system.

Compared with maltodextrin, Vitargo and some of the other carbohydrate powders I’ve used, HBCD just seems to sit better with me.

And that’s important.

When you’re halfway through a demanding workout, the last thing you want is a stomach full of liquid leaving you feeling bloated or uncomfortable.

That’s one of the reasons I really like the formulation of CarbMAX.

Strom have combined two very different carbohydrate sources, with 12g of Cluster Dextrin and 12g of Palatinose in every serving.

Cluster Dextrin is particularly interesting because of its gastric-emptying characteristics, while Palatinose is digested more gradually, producing a slower release of carbohydrate into the bloodstream.

I think it’s a clever combination, particularly for people undertaking longer or more demanding training sessions.

Strom have also added citrulline malate, glycerol and electrolytes, which gives the product a little more depth than a standard carbohydrate powder.

The electrolytes are a useful addition, particularly when you’re sweating heavily, although your overall sodium and fluid requirements will depend on the duration of exercise and your individual sweat losses.

One thing I would stress is that you don’t necessarily need an intra-workout carbohydrate drink every time you train.

If you’re doing a relatively short weights session and you’ve eaten adequately beforehand, it’s unlikely to make a significant difference.

But when sessions become longer, training volume increases or you’re undertaking endurance work, getting additional carbohydrates into your system can become increasingly valuable.

I’d also encourage people to experiment with how much they use and how much water they mix it with.

Even the best carbohydrate powders can cause digestive discomfort if you’re consuming too much, mixing them too strongly or trying something unfamiliar during a particularly intense session.

Ultimately, the best carbohydrate powder is one that meets your fuelling requirements, agrees with your digestive system and allows you to get on with training without giving it another thought.

For me, the combination of Cluster Dextrin and Palatinose makes CarbMAX a particularly interesting option.

The Science:

Substrate utilisation and cycling performance following palatinose™ ingestion: A randomised, double-blind, controlled trial

Study: This randomised, double-blind study compared 75g of Palatinose (isomaltulose) with 75g of maltodextrin in 20 male athletes.

Participants consumed the carbohydrate 45 minutes before completing 90 minutes of cycling, followed by a performance time trial.

Nutrients, 2016

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27347996/

Palatinose produced a more stable blood glucose response during exercise, increased fat oxidation and reduced carbohydrate oxidation compared with maltodextrin.

Time-trial performance was approximately 2.7% faster following Palatinose ingestion, although the difference did not reach conventional statistical significance.

The findings suggest that Palatinose may offer useful metabolic characteristics during prolonged exercise, potentially helping athletes manage carbohydrate availability.

This is directly relevant to CarbMAX because each serving contains 12g of Palatinose. However, the study used 75g before exercise, so the results cannot be assumed to apply directly to a single serving of CarbMAX.

Effects of ingesting highly branched cyclic dextrin during endurance exercise on rating of perceived exertion and blood components associated with energy metabolism

Study: This double-blind crossover study compared 15g of highly branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD) with maltodextrin during endurance exercise.

Researchers investigated participants’ ratings of perceived exertion and blood markers associated with energy metabolism.

Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 2014

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25080121/

Participants consuming HBCD reported significantly lower perceived exertion at 30 and 60 minutes after ingestion compared with maltodextrin.

This suggests that HBCD may help reduce the perception of effort during endurance exercise, although the study did not establish a corresponding improvement in objective exercise performance.

This research is particularly relevant to CarbMAX because each serving contains 12g of Cluster Dextrin, close to the 15g dose investigated in the study.

NB: Although the findings are encouraging, they relate to HBCD consumed in isolation rather than the combined Palatinose and Cluster Dextrin formula found in CarbMAX.