For any athlete seeking to optimize performance, hydration and energy intake during exercise are key factors. Commercial energy drinks can meet these needs, but it is also possible and advantageous to prepare your own homemade recipes. This allows you to precisely control the composition of your drink, tailor its intake to your specific needs and type of activity, and save money at the same time.
Among the basic ingredients of a homemade energy drink, maltodextrin occupies pride of place. Combined with other essential nutrients such as fast sugars, electrolytes and antioxidants, it helps to create a drink tailored to the needs of each athlete.
This article offers a complete overview of recipes for homemade maltodextrin energy drinks, from understanding the physiological mechanisms involved to the actual preparation of your drinks.
What is maltodextrin and why use it in energy drinks?
Maltodextrin is a carbohydrate derived mainly from corn starch, but can also be obtained from other sources such as wheat, potato or manioc. It is a white, relatively neutral-tasting powder, easily soluble in water. It is produced by the partial hydrolysis of starch, resulting in a mixture of digestible sugars of different sizes: glucose, maltose and oligosaccharides.
Maltodextrin's properties make it an ideal ingredient for sports drinks:
- Its low osmolarity facilitates intestinal absorption and reduces the risk of digestive discomfort; it can "load" a drink with carbohydrates without being hypertonic.
- Its neutral taste means it can be combined with other ingredients to flavor the drink (fruit juice, honey, natural flavors) and, once again, provide plenty of carbohydrates without saturating the drink with sweetness.
When it comes to recipes based on raw maltodextrin in a sports context, we're mainly talking about energy drinks, rather than cakes or other preparations as might be the case with whey. In fact, maltodextrin is known for its solubility and ease of assimilation, making it the ingredient of choice for drinks designed to be consumed during exercise.
A well-crafted maltodextrin-based drink, to be consumed in regular sips, will provide progressive energy to sustain a long-duration effort such as a trail, marathon or bike ride. When properly formulated, it will also help maintain a good level of hydration and compensate for mineral losses through perspiration.
Maltodextrin is also widely used by athletes during periods of muscle mass gain. Added to a protein drink or post-workout shake, it helps replenish glycogen stores and stimulates muscle protein synthesis alongside protein. In fact, recent studies show that the co-ingestion of protein and carbohydrates after training promotes muscle growth(1).
With its smooth glycemic index, cassava maltodextrin achieves this anabolic effect without causing excessive insulin spikes.
Whether used to prepare an isotonic drink before exercise, an energy drink during exercise or a recovery drink after exercise, maltodextrin is an invaluable ally in optimizing performance and preserving the health of athletes.
Our team offers you two homemade (DIY) maltodextrin recipes.
Maltodextrin-based exercise drink recipe
To obtain 500 ml of drink, start by choosing a basic liquid that will provide taste and interesting nutrients. You can opt for lemon juice, which is rich in vitamin C and has antioxidant properties, or a natural fruit juice such as grape juice, which contains beneficial polyphenols. Pour a small amount into your shaker, and you've got a tasty drink.
Then add the key ingredients of your energy drink: 40 g of maltodextrin, plusa large pinch of salt(around 500 mg NaCl). Choose unrefined, additive-free salt, such as fleur de sel, to benefit from its mineral salts. Sodium is an essential electrolyte that is lost in large quantities through perspiration during a long effort in hot weather.
Depending on your needs and digestive tolerance, you can also add a source of sugars with a higher glycemic index, such as a mixture of glucose and fructose, which can be found in honey or maple syrup.
The combination of these two sugars is particularly interesting for long-duration efforts, as they use different intestinal transporters, maximizing their absorption and delivering more energy to the body. You can also use unrefined cane sugar to obtain this blend naturally, as is typically the case in Protéalpes' endurance drink.
Be careful, however, not to exceed 15/20 g of sugar per 500 ml, as this will upset the osmotic balance of your drink and make it taste too intensely sweet.
Mix all the ingredients in a small food processor or shaker, topping up with mineral or tap water until you have 500 ml of liquid.
Your homemade energy drink is ready! Consume it regularly in small sips during your effort, aiming for 500 ml to 750 ml per hour, depending on your weight and the outside temperature. This recipe will provide you with energy, optimal hydration and a good dose of essential micronutrients, all without additives.
Finally, remember to test your homemade energy drink in training before using it in competition, to check that it is well tolerated and effective. If in doubt, always seek the advice of a professional specialized in sports nutrition.
Recipe for pre-exercise carbohydrate load drink
Pre-exercise carbohydrate loading is a nutritional strategy designed to maximize muscle and liver glycogen reserves prior to intense and/or prolonged exercise. It involves consuming a large quantity of carbohydrates in the hours preceding exercise, to provide the body with the fuel it needs to sustain performance.
Current recommendations call for an intake of 6 to 8 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight in the 24 to 36 hours preceding a short, high-intensity effort, such as a team sports match. For long-duration endurance efforts, such as a marathon or ultra trail, requirements can rise to 8 to 12 g/kg.
While the bulk of these carbohydrates must come from a balanced and varied diet, they can be supplemented with a drink based on cassava maltodextrin. This source of carbohydrates with a smooth glycemic index enables a gradual release of energy, without causing a glycemic peak.
To prepare this energy-boosting drink, simply dilute 50 to 100 g of maltodextrin in 500 ml to 1 liter of water, depending on individual energy requirements and preferences. You can also add a base of natural fruit juice or syrup to add flavor and interesting micronutrients, such as vitamins and antioxidants.
However, care must be taken to limit the amount of added sugars so as not to upset the glycemic balance. The majority of carbohydrates in the glycemic load will come from the diet, and should be low or moderate GI at most.
This loading drink can be consumed in one or more doses in the hours preceding exercise, depending on digestive tolerance and individual habits. It is advisable to test different protocols during training to determine the most effective and best-tolerated strategy.
As a complement to this drink, it can be interesting to consume solid foods rich in carbohydrates, such as homemade energy bars made from oat flakes, dried fruit and oleaginous puree. These snacks diversify carbohydrate sources and provide other essential nutrients, such as fiber, vegetable protein and unsaturated fatty acids.
Now you know everything you need to know about making your own energy drinks for your sporting events. Here's a table to remind you of the important points in this article:
| 🌟 Key points | Description |
|---|---|
| 💧 Hydration | The importance of hydration for performance |
| 🧪 Maltodextrin | Maltodextrin as a key, basic ingredient |
| 📉 Glycemic index | Smoothed glycemic index for progressive energy (cassava malto) |
| 🧂 Salt | Addition of salt for electrolytes via unrefined sea salt (be careful with dosage) |
| 🍯 Glucose-fructose | Glucose-fructose combination for better absorption |
| 🏃 Consumption | Drink in small sips during and/or before exercise |
