Cluster Dextrin® · 1000g

What is Cluster Dextrin and why is it clearly superior to other carbohydrate supplements?

ClusterDextrin is becoming increasingly popular among athletes as a source of carbohydrates. It is produced enzymatically from starch and has interesting advantages in terms of its structure that classic carbohydrate supplements cannot offer. Highly branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD), as cluster dextrin is scientifically called, is an example of a carbohydrate with a high molecular weight and low osmolarity. Compared to dextrose, maltodextrin and the like, these properties of cluster dextrin ensure that it can pass through the stomach much faster than other carbohydrate supplements and reaches the small intestine significantly faster, where it is absorbed and released into the bloodstream (3). This in turn means that Cluster Dextrin provides energy faster than almost any other carbohydrate source and at the same time places much less strain on the digestive tract. These properties are incredibly important, especially during a training session.

However,fast energy is only one side of the coin. Although most fast-absorbing carbohydrates such as dextrose can also provide energy relatively quickly, they have a decisive disadvantage: they enter the bloodstream completely very quickly, which leads to spikes in blood sugar levels and a resulting strong insulin reaction. The insulin lowers the blood sugar again just as quickly as it has risen. As a result, a short performance peak is followed by a rapid drop in performance (4). Leaving aside the fact that such an inconstant performance curve is anything but beneficial for athletes, studies have shown that such blood sugar fluctuations can be anything but healthy in the long term (5). Here too, cluster dextrin has a significantly different effect than other common carbohydrate sources. In addition to the fact that it provides energy faster than most other carbohydrate supplements, it raises blood glucose levels much less strongly, but is very stable over a longer period of time. This means nothing other than long-lasting energy without a subsequent drop in performance. Quickly available and long-lasting energy is exactly what the body needs to be able to perform optimally over a longer period of time during intensive training sessions. As everyone knows, this conduction also leads to an increased growth stimulus due to the higher training volume and the greater load moved (6). This in turn resulted in significantly higher gains in strength and muscle mass in the subjects of numerous studies than a lower growth stimulus due to significantly less intensive training. However, the benefits of cluster dextrin do not end with weight training. For endurance athletes, it also means longer maximum performance, which, when you think about it, can make the difference between winning and losing, especially in endurance sports. In addition, scientific studies have also shown that cluster dextrin significantly reduced levels of stress hormones and markers of inflammation in triathletes compared to dextrose (7). Lower levels in these areas led to significantly faster regeneration after training in test subjects in one study (8). This all sounds almost too good to be true in theory, but what does it all look like in practice? Numerous studies provide a clear answer. These studies show, for example, that cluster dextrin increases performance during training more than maltodextrin, which is so popular with athletes (9). Other studies have shown that cluster dextrin can extend the time to exhaustion during exercise by up to 70 % compared to dextrose (10, 11).

It is therefore not without reason that clusterdextrin is enjoying steadily growing popularity and is considered the "gold standard" of intra-workout carbohydrates. Fast yet long-lasting energy that does not lead to a drop in performance is something that every athlete can benefit from. As usual, GN supplies Cluster Dextrin, a product that meets the highest quality standards to ensure an optimal effect and to support you in achieving your goals as well as possible. Cluster Dextrin from GN Laboratories - because in the end only results count.