Maltodextrin is one of the most widely used ingredients in sports nutrition, yet many athletes are unaware of what it is, how it behaves, and why it is better than other carbohydrate sources.
This article unpacks everything you need to know about maltodextrin and its critical role in fueling athletic performance.
What is Maltodextrin?
Maltodextrin is a white, flavorless powder made up of glucose molecules linked together in a chain.
It’s derived from starches like corn, wheat, or potatoes, and then undergoes a processing phase that breaks them down further.
Properties of Maltodextrin:
- Consists of a chain of glucose molecules.
- Molecular structure is longer than simple sugars, but shorter than starches.
- Length is short enough so the body can rapidly break it down into glucose during digestion.
- Is not sweet.
These properties have made maltodextrin a cornerstone of sports nutrition products, meeting the demands of athletes seeking quick and reliable energy sources.
Is Maltodextrin a Sugar?
“If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”
Sounds reasonable, right? Well, not if you’re maltodextrin.
Maltodextrin is made up of glucose (which is considered a sugar), and causes the same spike in blood glucose levels as with table sugar. However, it technically isn’t classified as a sugar. In fact, products containing maltodextrin must even be labeled as “sugar-free” under regulatory definitions.
Want to learn more about sugar? Read our Carbohydrates Guide.
Pro Level Knowledge: Some manufacturers use maltodextrin as a marketing gimmick. They advertise the product as sugar-free, but then add artificial sweeteners to compensate for the fact that maltodextrin isn’t sweet on its own. The result is a product that’s high in calories but also contains sweeteners that could negatively affect health--which ultimately makes them worse than consuming a product with sugar.
Why is Maltodextrin Used in Sports Fuels?
Take a look at any proper energy gel or drink, and you’ll find maltodextrin on the ingredient list. There’s a good reason for this.
1. No Taste
One major difference between maltodextrin and sugar is the taste: Maltodextrin is not sweet.
Why is this important? For endurance athletes, the optimal fuel is glucose and fructose in a 1:0.8 ratio. Fructose is very sweet. So, if you were to combine it with a sweet sugar, you’d get a fuel that was sickly sweet and disgusting to consume. But, because maltodextrin doesn’t have much taste, it can be combined with fructose to create a tasty, high-carbohydrate fuel.
Read more about the optimal carbohydrate ratio in our fueling guide.
2. High Glycemic Index
Maltodextrin has a very high glycemic index, meaning it’s quickly broken down into glucose molecules. This allows it to empty quickly from the stomach into the small intestine where it is absorbed into the blood.
This helps you in two ways. First, you’ll get the energy needed in a matter of minutes after the consumption, and second, the ingredients will not stay in the stomach, which usually leads to digestive problems, which unfortunately still affects some athletes who consume products that follow marketing gimmicks instead of science.
3. More Molecules of Glucose
Compared to other carbohydrates, maltodextrin contains more glucose per molecule. This allows more carbohydrates to be compressed into a smaller number of particle. In a solution this translates to a lower osmolarity or osmolality. This way, the water absorption in the small intestine is quicker as compared to other carbohydrates.
Is Maltodextrin Healthy?
One of the main concerns people have with maltodextrin is that it’s supposedly “unhealthy.” Yes, it is true that consuming excess sugars can raise your blood sugar and lead to harm, or lead to weight gain.
However, these guidelines are written for sedentary people. They do not apply to endurance athletes.
Endurance athletes typically struggle with energy deficit rather than energy surplus. They have huge energy demands, and it would be impossible to meet these demands with “healthy” foods like vegetables and whole-grains alone.
Anything that gives you energy when you need it, is good for you.
So, maltodextrin during a workout does not present any risk to your health. Likewise, maltodextrin (especially with fructose in the ideal ratio) is also great during the exercise recovery period as it replenishes glycogen stores.
However, you wouldn’t necessarily want to consuming maltodextrin while lying on the couch watching television.
Potential for Overconsumption
One potential problem with maltodextrin is that it’s easy to drink too much of it due to its lack of taste. They want to get the taste they are familiar with from sugary drinks, so they drink two or three times more than what's recommended. That also means they intake twice as many calories, which can be harmful in the long run.
Conclusion
Maltodextrin is a powerhouse ingredient in sports nutrition, delivering rapid energy, easy digestibility, and versatility.
When used appropriately—within the context of exercise—maltodextrin can enhance performance and recovery without adverse health effects. The key takeaway is that maltodextrin, like any tool, must be used wisely to unlock its full potential.