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$47.99- Our Price:
- $43.20
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- UPC: 733739020239
- # N2023
NOW Sports Carbo Gain: Pure Complex Carbohydrate Fuel for Peak Athletic Performance
When you push your body through grueling weight training, high-intensity intervals, or long-distance endurance sessions, your muscles burn through their primary fuel reserve: skeletal muscle glycogen. NOW Sports Carbo Gain delivers 100% pure maltodextrin—an easily digestible complex carbohydrate derived exclusively from non-GMO corn—engineered to restock depleted energy reserves fast without upsetting your digestive system.
Unlike everyday table sugar or cheap workout drinks packed with high-fructose corn syrup, Carbo Gain consists of medium-length "glucose polymers." These chains of energy molecules dissolve cleanly, leave your stomach rapidly, and travel directly to working muscle tissue where they are needed most. Whether your goal is sustaining energy at mile 20 of a marathon or speeding up lean muscle repair after heavy lifting, this pure carbohydrate powder delivers clean, unflavored nutritional power.
Key Performance Advantages:
- ✓ 100% Pure Maltodextrin: Zero artificial sweeteners, zero synthetic additives, and zero added sucrose or fructose.
- ✓ 60 Grams of Clean Carbs Per Serving: Delivers 240 calories of fast-assimilating fuel per level half-cup.
- ✓ Easy on the Stomach: Formulated with low osmolality to prevent the nausea, cramps, and bloating triggered by ordinary simple sugars.
- ✓ Informed-Sport Certified: Every production batch is screened for banned athletic substances and steroids for complete competitive peace of mind.
- ✓ Completely Unflavored & Versatile: Mixes effortlessly into pure water, electrolyte beverages, fruit juices, or post-workout protein shakes without altering their flavor profile.
Mechanism of Action: The Science of Osmolality, Gastric Emptying & Glycogen Recovery
To understand why elite athletes rely on pure maltodextrin instead of ordinary table sugar, it helps to look at how liquids pass through the human digestive tract. When you consume carbohydrates during or immediately following intense exertion, two physiological hurdles dictate your success: gastric emptying speed (how fast fluids leave the stomach) and intestinal glucose absorption rates.
1. The Osmolality Advantage (Why It Eliminates Stomach Distress)
Osmolality describes the concentration of dissolved particles in a liquid. The human stomach detects high particle concentrations: if you drink a beverage packed with monomeric sugars (like simple glucose or fructose), the high osmolality forces water from your bloodstream into the stomach and intestines. This delay leads directly to gastrointestinal distress, sloshing, bloating, and diarrhea during training.
Maltodextrin solves this biological bottleneck. Because it consists of medium-length chains (glucose polymers) linked by alpha-(1,4) glycosidic bonds, hundreds of individual glucose molecules are bonded together into larger structures. This means an equivalent calorie load has far fewer individual particles in solution, yielding a significantly lower osmolality. As clinical trials have confirmed, lower-osmolality carbohydrate solutions pass through the stomach substantially faster than hypertonic simple sugar mixes, clearing the stomach quickly without pulling unnecessary water into the digestive tract (Leiper, Piehl Aulin, & Söderlund, 2000).
2. Rapid Intestinal Breakdown & Systemic Delivery
Once the glucose polymers enter the small intestine, pancreatic alpha-amylase and brush-border enzymes cleave those alpha-bonds into free glucose molecules. These free molecules enter the bloodstream rapidly via sodium-dependent glucose transporters (SGLT1). Research shows that maltodextrin oxidizes at the theoretical ceiling for single-source carbohydrates—up to 60 grams per hour—supplying working muscles with direct ATP fuel while sparing existing liver and muscle glycogen reserves (Jeukendrup, 2014).
3. Accelerating the Post-Workout "Anabolic Recovery Window"
Immediately after intense resistance training, muscle cells exhibit increased insulin sensitivity and heightened membrane levels of GLUT4 glucose transporter proteins. Taking a fast-digesting carbohydrate like Carbo Gain stimulates a healthy, transient insulin response. Insulin acts like a key, unlocking muscle cell membranes to rapidly transport circulating blood glucose and amino acids into intracellular tissue, driving glycogen synthase enzymes to rebuild depleted energy stores up to twice as fast during the first two hours post-exercise (Ivy, 1998; Kerksick et al., 2017).
Authoritative Peer-Reviewed References:
- Ivy, J. L. (1998). Glycogen resynthesis after exercise. Sports Medicine, 26(4), 211–227. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199826040-00001
- Jeukendrup, A. E. (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine, 44(Suppl 1), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0148-z
- Kerksick, C. M., et al. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0189-4
- Leiper, J. B., Piehl Aulin, K., & Söderlund, K. (2000). Improved gastric emptying rate in humans of a unique glucose polymer with gel-forming properties. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 35(11), 1143–1149. https://doi.org/10.1080/003655200750056637
Supplement Facts & Complete Ingredient Profile
NOW Sports Carbo Gain contains a single, pure ingredient without chemical bulking agents, anti-caking additives, or synthetic flavorings. Below is the full nutritional profile verified against current manufacturer laboratory specifications:
| Nutritional Metric | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1/2 Level Cup (approx. 63 grams) | |
| Calories | 240 | — |
| Total Fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Saturated Fat | 0 g | 0% |
| Trans Fat | 0 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 45 mg | 2% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 60 g | 22% |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g | 0% |
| Total Sugars | 2 g | — |
| Includes Added Sugars | 0 g | 0% |
| Protein | 0 g | 0% |
| Calcium | 16 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0 mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 0 mg | 0% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Ingredients: Pure Maltodextrin (from Non-GMO Corn).
Allergen Declaration: Not manufactured with yeast, wheat, gluten, soy, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nut, or sesame ingredients. Produced in a certified Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) compliant facility that processes other ingredients containing these allergens.
Dietary & Purity Classifications: Non-GMO Project Verified, Vegan, Vegetarian, Kosher Certified (Triangle K), Halal Certified, and Steroid-Free.
World-Class Lab Purity: NOW Foods Rigorous Testing & Contaminant Controls
In an unregulated marketplace where mass-market carbohydrate powders are frequently sourced from low-grade, untested agricultural derivatives, purity is paramount. NOW Foods maintains one of the most advanced private analytical laboratory facilities in the nutritional science industry, performing more than 31,000 comprehensive analytical tests every single month across raw materials and finished goods.
ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accredited Laboratories
NOW’s analytical and microbiological testing facilities are externally audited and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This accreditation verifies that the analytical methods used to test Carbo Gain are calibrated to the exact same technical precision used by government and academic forensic laboratories.
Stringent Multi-Tier Contaminant Screening
Every lot of Carbo Gain maltodextrin undergoes strict screening using state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation:
- ICP-MS Heavy Metal Detection: Utilizing Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), NOW chemists detect trace elemental contaminants down to parts-per-billion (ppb) sensitivity. Every batch is verified far below safety thresholds for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
- Pesticide & Solvent Screening (GC-MS/MS & LC-MS/MS): Advanced triple-quadrupole gas and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometers screen raw materials for over 400 agricultural pesticides, herbicides, and residual processing solvents.
- Microbiological Purity & Pathogen Screening: Utilizing rapid genetic fingerprinting (RiboPrinter® system) and automated microbial detection, every batch is verified free of harmful pathogens, including Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, yeasts, and molds.
- Informed-Sport Banned Substance Verification: Screened against the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list, certifying zero contamination from anabolic steroids, SARMs, stimulants, or illegal athletic enhancement compounds.
Suggested Use, Performance Protocols & Important Safety Precautions
Because NOW Sports Carbo Gain is completely unflavored and highly soluble, you can customize your carbohydrate intake precisely to your training demands:
1. Intra-Workout Endurance Fueling (Running, Cycling, Triathlons)
Mix 1/2 level cup (63 g) into 16 to 24 ounces of cold water or your favorite electrolyte beverage. Sip continuously during workouts lasting longer than 60 minutes to maintain blood glucose, preserve liver glycogen, and delay fatigue. If training continuously for over two hours in high-heat environments, double the fluid ratio to keep the drink hypotonic and easily absorbable.
2. Immediate Post-Workout Glycogen Replenishment (Strength & Hypertrophy)
Within 30 to 45 minutes after completing heavy resistance training, combine 1/2 cup (63 g) of Carbo Gain with 25 to 40 grams of fast-acting whey protein isolate in 16 ounces of cold water. The rapid delivery of maltodextrin drives an insulin response that pushes amino acids directly into muscle cells while speeding up glycogen recovery.
3. Custom High-Calorie Mass Gainer Shake
Skip commercial mass gainers laden with cheap table sugars and hydrogenated oils. Blend 1/2 cup Carbo Gain, 1 scoop of pure whey protein, 1 tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter, and 12 ounces of milk or plant milk for an easy, clean 600-calorie shake packed with high-quality complex carbs and protein.
Important Health Precautions & Storage Guidelines:
- Blood Sugar Notice: Maltodextrin has a high glycemic index (GI ~85–105) and is designed specifically to raise blood glucose rapidly for athletic demands. Individuals with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, or reactive hypoglycemia should consult their healthcare provider before use.
- Dental Hygiene: Fast-absorbing carbohydrate beverages can cling to enamel. Rinse your mouth with plain water after consuming sports carbohydrate drinks during long training runs.
- Storage: This product is sold by weight, not volume. Store in a cool, dry, dark place tightly sealed after opening to prevent moisture from causing powder clumping.