Dextrose
Dextrose is glucose in its pure powdered form, the most simple and fastest-absorbing carbohydrate available. It is widely used in intra-workout formulas, mass gainers, and post-training shakes for athletes chasing rapid glycogen refill.
Why It Matters
Dextrose hits your bloodstream within minutes, spiking insulin and shuttling amino acids and glucose into muscle tissue. For someone doing long, glycogen-depleting work like a two-hour cycling session or back-to-back training sessions on the same day, dextrose can speed recovery between bouts.
For typical hypertrophy lifters who train 45 to 75 minutes per session and eat regular meals, dextrose is unnecessary and adds significant sugar grams without much practical benefit.
How to Spot It on a Label
Dextrose appears in the ingredient deck of gainers, intra-workout blends, and some recovery powders. It will show up in the Sugars line on the Nutrition Facts panel because it is technically a sugar, unlike maltodextrin which is classed as starch.
Examples from real products
Related Terms
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