Training early and not ready for breakfast? Or heading into a long session and thinking about fuel?
Carbs give your muscles energy to work. Getting them in a drink can be handy when a meal feels heavy or you want something to sip while you train.
Our Hydroboost Carb+ puts carbs, amino acids and electrolytes in one mix. One of those carbs has a long name: highly branched cyclic dextrin. We call it HBCD.
Here's what it does, how it differs from sugar and where it fits in your day.
What is HBCD?
HBCD is a carb made from starch. It's built from lots of glucose units joined together. Glucose is a type of sugar your body can use for fuel.
Think of those units as beads. HBCD joins them into a large shape with lots of branches and a ring at its core. That's where the words "highly branched" and "cyclic" come from.
That shape changes how the carb behaves when you mix it with water.
Why its shape matters in your bottle
A drink contains tiny bits called particles. At the same weight of carbs, HBCD puts fewer separate particles into water than a simple sugar such as glucose does. Lots of its glucose units are still joined together.
Scientists measure this with a word called osmolality. It means how many dissolved particles there are for a given amount of water.
This matters because a drink's mix can affect how fast it leaves your stomach. In a small human study, a carefully mixed HBCD sports drink left the stomach faster than some other carb drinks tested.
The amount of water and the other ingredients matter too. That's why the mixing guide on your tub is useful.
From your bottle to your muscles
Your stomach passes the drink into your small intestine. This step is called gastric emptying.
As digestion takes place, enzymes break HBCD down into glucose. Enzymes are tiny helpers that break food into parts your body can use.
The glucose can then pass through the wall of your intestine into your blood. This step is called absorption. Your blood carries it to places such as your muscles, where it can be used for energy.
A drink moving quickly out of your stomach is one part of that journey. The whole process also includes breaking down the carbs and taking them into your blood.
How is HBCD different from sugar?
The sugar in your kitchen is called sucrose. Each sucrose molecule has two parts: one glucose and one fructose. Both are types of sugar.
HBCD has many glucose units linked into much larger molecules. It also has very little sweetness of its own. That means it can add carbs to a drink without adding much sweet taste.
Both sugar and HBCD provide energy. HBCD gives you about four calories per gram. Your body breaks it down into glucose, so it still counts towards your carb intake and can raise blood glucose.
For a training drink, HBCD's large structure and low sweetness are useful features. The full recipe and how you mix it still matter.
What's in Hydroboost Carb+?
We use HBCD alongside maltodextrin in Hydroboost Carb+. Maltodextrin is another carb made from starch that your body breaks down into glucose.
One 29g scoop has 21g of total carbs. That includes 15g of HBCD and 5g of maltodextrin. The mix also has amino acids and electrolytes.
Curious about the amino acids? Our guide to BCAAs and EAAs explains what they are and how your body uses them.
Fuel before breakfast, or while you train
If you're up early and food doesn't appeal yet, Hydroboost Carb+ gives you a way to have some carbs before you start. Mix it in your bottle, sip before your session and enjoy breakfast after training.
For longer sessions, a carb drink can also help you get fuel while you move. How much you need depends on how long and hard you train, and what you've already eaten.
Try it in a normal training session first. You'll learn how the mix sits with you and how it fits your routine.
Mix, shake and go
Mix one level scoop, 29g, in 300 to 500mL of cold water. Shake well. Have it just before exercise or sip during your session, following the directions on your tub.
Explore Hydroboost Carb+ and find a flavour for your next training bottle.
