HBCD or maltodextrin: is the difference worth the price?

Maltodextrin has been the base carbohydrate in most sports drinks for decades. Highly branched cyclic dextrin, or HBCD, is newer and significantly more expensive. Is the difference justified, or is it just marketing? Here is a nuanced answer.

Two carbohydrates from the same family

Both are made from starch and provide glucose. The difference lies in their structure.

• Maltodextrin is made of fairly short glucose chains. It is not very sweet, dissolves well, and is inexpensive.
• HBCD is made of much larger molecules, organized into a branched and cyclic structure. For the same amount of carbohydrates, there are therefore far fewer particles dissolved in your bottle.

Why the number of particles matters

The number of dissolved particles determines the osmolality of a drink. The higher it is, the more the drink tends to stay in the stomach for a long time and draw water into it, which can cause bloating and nausea.

At an equal concentration, an HBCD-based drink has a lower osmolality than a maltodextrin-based drink, and much lower than a drink based on simple sugars. This is its main benefit: being able to concentrate more carbohydrates in the same volume of water.

What research shows, and what it does not

• Gastric emptying: studies report faster gastric emptying with HBCD than with standard carbohydrates.
• Digestive comfort: trials in endurance athletes report fewer digestive complaints and a lower perceived exertion at equal intensity.
• Performance: evidence of a direct performance gain remains limited. The studies are few and conducted on small groups.

In other words: HBCD is not a magic ingredient that makes you run faster. Its advantage is indirect. If it allows you to consume more carbohydrates without digestive issues, it is this additional intake that improves your run.

The price difference

HBCD costs the manufacturer significantly more than maltodextrin. This explains why most powders containing it are sold at a higher price.

When HBCD is worth the cost

• You are aiming for 60 g of carbohydrates per hour or more.
• Your efforts last more than 2.5 hours.
• You have a sensitive stomach or have already experienced digestive issues while racing.
• You run in hot weather, when digestion is already more difficult.

When maltodextrin is enough

• Your sessions last less than 2 hours.
• You consume 30 to 45 g per hour and tolerate them well.
• Your budget is the top priority.

Don't forget fructose

HBCD and maltodextrin both provide glucose, which uses the same transporter in the intestine. To exceed about 60 g per hour, you must add fructose, which uses a different pathway. This is the principle of the 2:1 ratio, explained in our article on the glucose:fructose ratio.

Our choice

The ELIXYR Endurance Fuel combines HBCD and fructose in a 2:1 ratio, with 340 mg of sodium per serving. Our bet: offer this formula at 5.3¢ per gram of carbohydrates, so that digestive comfort is not reserved for those with large budgets. The numbers are in our price per gram comparison.