In serious weightlifting circles, conversations often center around topics such as grams of protein consumed and optimal ways of replenishing glycogen stores post-workout. With such an abundance of carbohydrate choices available to bodybuilders today, making an informed decision often proves challenging. In this article, we clarify the virtues and downfalls of the more commonly used carbohydrate sources, focusing mainly on the attributes of waxy maize.
Post-Workout and Recovery
Following a challenging hour-long weightlifting session, athletes recognize the need to refuel their bodies. Aside from keeping themselves well- hydrated, they must consume an adequate amount of clean protein, typically in combination with some form of simple carbohydrates.
Working with bodybuilders, I have heard a multitude of preferences for carbohydrates immediately following a workout. Some prefer a handful of gummy bears; others reach for low-fat chocolate milk. Still others choose to spread organic local honey on rice cakes to jump-start their glycogen replenishment.
Whichever they choose, simple carbohydrates will always break down upon entering the body into simple glucose-type molecules. Below we list the most common forms of what the world refers to inclusively as “sugars”:
- Monosaccharides: These consist of a single molecule of sugar; examples include glucose, d-glucose, dextrose and fructose. Nearly every sugar eventually breaks down to glucose, which the body will either use immediately or store as glycogen. Fructose, derived from fresh fruit, prefers to move directly to the liver and not skeletal muscle, but does cause a greater uptake of glucose, as it acts as a signaling molecule.
- Disaccharides: Simply put, two sugar molecules combined, including sucrose (glucose and fructose bound together, naturally occurring in plants) or lactose (the sugar found in milk, comprised of one molecule of galactose and one molecule of glucose).
- Polysaccharides: Defined as several monosaccharides chained together, these too will eventually break down into glucose like the molecules discussed above. However, an important difference lies in the fact that polysaccharides take longer to fully break down. Examples include maltodextrin, a shorter -chain polysaccharide, or waxy maize starch, a longer -chain polysaccharide composed almost entirely of amylopectin. We will delve deeper into amylopectin later in the article.
The amount of sugar a bodybuilder should consume post-workout will vary depending on the training session, the athlete’s age, body fat percentage, lean body mass, and gym goals. The question always comes down to deciding on the right choice for each individual scenario.
The Waxy Maize Molecule
A type of starch extracted from waxy corn, waxy maize provides a post-workout carbohydrate choice with a high molecular weight and rapid absorption rate. Unlike many other simple carbohydrates, it provides a sustained release of energy, eliminating the energy peaks and valleys typically associated with other forms of sugar. Additionally, again due to its high molecular weight, it passes through the stomach faster than other carbohydrates without causing bloating, stomach “heaviness” or muscle fatigue. These characteristics render maize particularly suitable for an athlete’s bulking phase, as it helps transport nutrients to the muscles without unnecessarily increasing fat storage.
Waxy maize serves as an ideal option for athletes and bodybuilders engaging in intensive or long-term training. Whether one strives to improve performance during exercise, accelerate post-workout recovery, or support a mass -gaining program, this starch offers a superior nutritional solution.
The Sweet Combinations
In attempting to clarify the bigger picture beyond simply replenishing glycogen, we must recognize that maltodextrin and other simple sugars can often cause digestive issues in sensitive individuals. Waxy maize, in contrast, offers a gentler alternative, minimizing the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort.
Still, many serious athletes (with stronger digestive constitutions) opt to combine simple carbohydrates post-workout in order to maximize the potential of both sources. A commonly used blend pairs dextrose with maltodextrin. This offers a fast uptake and, due to the increased molecular size of the pairing, tends to cause less bloating and stomach discomfort.
The debate regarding high fructose corn syrup wages on, yet some athletes choose to pair it with glucose. Some scientists feel that high-fructose corn syrup has properties identical to those of naturally occurring sucrose. However, others claim that it causes the formation of damaging reactive carbonyls during the breakdown process, specifically when the bond between glucose and fructose breaks apart.
Transporting Nutrients
In addition to its ability to both replenish muscle glycogen stores and aid recovery, waxy maize also serves as an uptake agent for other key nutrients such as creatine. Due to its rapid absorption, waxy maize can also help transport other nutrients to the muscle tissues. Some athletes feel this offers a huge advantage. Many scientists believe that when creatine is consumed in the absence of an uptake agent, its delivery to the muscles suffers somewhat, which in turn affects ATP stores.
The Attribute of Amylopectin
Waxy maize, a source of carbohydrates derived primarily from corn, rice, and barley, boasts a very high content of a substance called amylopectin.
As a highly branched glucose polymer, we can think of amylopectin as essentially the “plant version” of glycogen. As mentioned previously, its high amylopectin content makes waxy maize an extremely fast-acting carbohydrate, frequently sold by supplement companies in powdered form. Some companies will claim that waxy maize has an absorption rate 70-80% faster than other popular post-workout sugar powders such as dextrose or maltodextrin. The combination of powdered protein and powdered waxy maize has long served as a staple in post-workout shakes.
The Cost Factor Plays a Role
As with any athletic supplement, one must weigh the cost of the product against its performance. This may prove difficult until one actually tries out a few sources, which most athletes will do in their search process. For 90% of regular fitness center attendees, maltodextrin serves as an appropriate choice.
Maltodextrin will elicit the strongest insulin response to help build muscle, and typically sells at a fraction of the price of waxy maize. Unless one truly suffers from specific digestive problems, the minimal performance differences between the two do not justify the extra money.
For elite athletes, however, waxy maize serves as the best choice. Endurance athletes, too, tend to opt for waxy maize. Many distance runners and triathletes sip a carbohydrate-rich shake halfway through a race; using waxy maize eliminates any concern about stomach upset while performing.
Molecular Weight, Osmotic Pressure and Insulin Spikes
To further illustrate the differences between waxy maize and a carbohydrate such as maltodextrin, we have to take a more microscopic view.
As a “heavy” molecule, waxy maize has what scientists call low osmotic pressure. Osmotic pressure refers to the measure of a solution’s “pulling force” on water as it attempts to move across a semi-permeable membrane.
- Higher Osmotic Pressure: Has more solutes; it pulls water toward it.
- Lower Osmotic Pressure: Has fewer solutes; water moves away from it toward higher-pressure areas.
A solution of low osmotic pressure has fewer dissolved solutes. In this state, water will naturally flow out of this solution and into areas with higher solute concentrations and higher osmotic pressures. In the case of our waxy maize supplement, it can pass through the stomach and into the small intestine at a very fast speed, because the body does not need to suck water into the stomach first to “process” it. In this manner, glycogen gets instantly refueled without leaving anything in the stomach.
Maltodextrin, on the other hand, can trigger insulin secretion. Given its lower molecular weight, maltodextrin has a very high glycemic index. Upon entering the small intestine, it quickly breaks down into glucose, eliciting a sharp spike in insulin. This insulin spike serves as a very powerful transport system, bringing amino acids, glucose, and creatine directly into the muscle cells. This, in turn, kicks up the anabolic process. For this reason, many bodybuilders looking to build as much mass as possible will gravitate towards anything that favors the anabolic process.
Some scientists still hold onto the fact that waxy maize supplementation can, in fact, foster muscle synthesis. Due to rapid absorption, an athlete or bodybuilder will see maximum benefits during the body’s anabolic state. As you can see, science often remains at odds with itself. Athletes may simply need to go through the try-it-and-see process to make their most informed decision.
All Carbohydrate, No Fat or Flavor
While a carbohydrate-rich post-workout shake definitely helps boost energy and lean muscle mass, some bodybuilders express concerns about the extra calories the shake may contain.
The addition of powdered waxy maize to a protein shake will not add sugar or fat calories to the diet. Since amylopectin is the purest form of starch, athletes can feel free to add fat calories elsewhere in their meal plans without fear of overindulging in the post-workout shake and its contents.
Unlike many powdered supplemental carbohydrate products on the market today, waxy maize does not have a flavor. Therefore, it can easily mix into protein shakes of any flavor, without athletes having to deal with a chalky or bitter aftertaste.
Applications for Individuals with Diabetes
The question and conundrum surrounding carbohydrate consumption in one’s diet do not stop with bodybuilders. Individuals who classify as insulin-sensitive or diabetic must also keep a careful count of their daily carbohydrates.
One study examined the effects of waxy maize on postprandial (after a meal) metabolic activity and appetite. The volunteers, 6 men and 6 women, ranged in age from 22 to 24 years old. All subjects consumed, on separate days, 50 grams of one of the following carbohydrate sources ~
- Waxy maize
- A maltodextrin-sucrose mix
- White bread (control group)
The scientists examined the subjects’ after-meal glucose levels, insulin levels, energy expenditure and appetites over the course of 4 hours. Compared to the control, the 4-hour glucose response did not differ between waxy maize and the combination solution. The 4-hour insulin response, however, appeared much higher with the mixed solution than for the control group. Compared with the maltodextrin-sucrose mix, waxy maize led to lower 4-hour glucose and insulin responses, which the scientists attributed to blunted glucose and insulin responses during the first hour. Postprandial energy expenditure and appetite did not differ across variables.
These results seemed to support the hypothesis that waxy maize can indeed provide sustained glucose availability in insulin-sensitive young adults.
If personal trainers find that their dedicated clients seem to struggle to achieve their fitness goals, they may wish to suggest changing the carbohydrate source in the client’s post-workout protein shake. Many athletes may not have heard of or even considered waxy maize as an option. Easy on the stomach and fast-acting, clients may find that this simple change enables them to work out faster, smarter, and for extended periods of time.
While physicians consider waxy maize generally safe to consume, it works best when gradually incorporated into a meal plan to see how the body reacts. As with any dietary supplement, experts recommend consulting a healthcare professional or nutritionist before use, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
References
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