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Rob
Rob Regish is author of "The Blueprint," an integrated training, diet, and supplementation book. Rob has searched and researched weight training theory, bodybuilding supplements and training table protocols since 1985 in pursuit of maximum muscle, strength and winning sports performance, logging hundreds of hours of gym and lab trials.
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A Short History of Carbohydrates in Bodybuilding

by: Rob Regish

If you've been in the iron game for any length of time, you've no doubt read conficting viewpoints on carbohydrates. On one hand, there are those that feel they're required for optimal performance, muscle cell volume and physique enhancement. On the other, there are those that feel carbohydrates shut down fat burning, growth hormone and if not minimized in one's diet - should be removed altogether. Let's take a look then, at the history of carb supplementation and why today, the ideal carbohydrate for building muscle AND burning fat, is now at your fingertips...

GENESIS: MALTODEXTRIN

Up until just recently, carbohydrate powders have imparted modest improvements over whole foods. Such was the case with maltodextrin, usually derived from corn. You're no doubt familiar with it due to its inclusion in various "weight gainers," "MRP's," etc..

After being isolated, its cut into a length somewhere between a simple sugar and a full starch. The shorter versions lend themselves better to drink mixes, as they're more soluble and sweeter.

INTRODUCTION TO BODYBUILDING

Prior to the early 1980's, maltodextrin really wasn't prevalent in our little world. The primary exposure you had to them was on the back of a postage stamp. They were used mostly as binders, fillers, and glues. It was Mike Zumpano, working first with the Weider group and later Unipro, who came across a most interesting discovery: certain maltodextrins were a hybrid of both a starch and a sugar that lent themselves to the best qualities of both. This was a significant finding!

When Unipro rolled out its Carboplex product it didn't just gain instant popularity in bodybuilding, but mainstream food preparations as well. At your local supermarket today you'll find it in all kinds of sports drinks, cocoa, baked goods and even baby food/infant formula (maltodextrins of various sorts).

EARLY PROBLEMS

The chief problem with these products is twofold. First, you never know quite what length the starch has been cut to. It can be as short as 3 glucose molecules or as long as cornstarch. In fact, much of the waxy maize being sold is just that - pure cornstarch.

Second (and related) these anomalies can result in anything from a very quick rise in blood sugar, to a very prolonged curve seen when testing one's blood sugar. You'll see a pretty strong drop-off in blood sugar after consuming most maltodextrins in the amount of 50g at the 2 hour mark. This isn't ideal for our purposes as the window of opportunity we seek to exploit is far shorter.

BREAKTHROUGH

The real solution was the creation of 2 novel, powerful carbohydrate species; highly branched cyclic dextrins (HBCD's) and Hydroxypropyl Distarch Phosphate (HDP), both of which are found in VPX's Carbonx. This results in an almost drug-like dextrose equivalent (DE) of just "3", along with an incredibly high (and desireable) molecular weight.

What does this mean?

It means Carbonx absorbs much faster than sugars, yet won't bloat you. In fact, gastric ultrasonic imaging has demonstrated lightning fast transition (and exit) from the stomach. More importantly, its negligible dextrose equivalent keeps insulin LOW - which is the "magic" insofar as how low carb diets work for fat loss. PRESTO! You get all the benefits of carbs insofar as muscle fullness, faster glycolysis and energy production with NONE of the fat storage risk downside. In effect, Carbonx works almost like an IV drip, supplying energy to the body while keeping insulin low, simultaneously burning fat.

SCIENCE FICTION IS NOW SCIENCE FACT: CARBONX IS HERE

Dan Duchaine himself was onto this as long ago as the 1990's,  stating in BodyOpus: "The ideal is a high molecular weight waxy maize starch preparation, not yet commercially available...".

Well, Dan may be gone but he's likely looking down (or is it up?) smiling - knowing that Carbonx is now here...





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