Glucose, or dextrose, is also colloquially known as "grape sugar" and is found in many plant sources. It is a monosaccharide, so it cannot be further broken down into simpler carbohydrates and so simply passes through the intestinal wall immediately into the blood. This is used as a benefit of glucose, where blood sugar levels rise dramatically very quickly after drinking a glucose drink. This makes us feel instantly energized. Find out more
In this category you will find glucose as a carbohydrate dietary supplement. The product is suitable for immediate energy replenishment after exercise, but it is also used before planned physical activity, especially when you feel fatigue, tiredness and exhaustion after a hard day. It is sold in powder form, which you simply dissolve in water or other beverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Glucose (often referred to as dextrose) is a simple sugar and the fastest possible source of energy. The body does not need to digest it complexly, so it is instantly absorbed into the blood and replenishes depleted glycogen stores at lightning speed after an intense sports performance.
The only and absolutely best time is immediately after a hard workout. Glucose triggers a massive insulin release in the body, which acts as a transport hormone and delivers all nutrients (such as proteins from your shake) directly into the damaged muscles at lightning speed.
Creatine needs exactly this insulin response to be transported into muscle cells. If you take creatine monohydrate with glucose water, you radically increase its absorption and utilization in the body compared to mixing it in plain water.
We definitely do not recommend this. If the body has not just gone through strenuous physical activity, fast sugar will only cause a sharp spike in energy followed by a deep crash (fatigue). Unused energy from glucose will then very easily and quickly be stored in fat reserves.
Both carbohydrates are very fast. However, glucose is a simple sugar that is very sweet and in larger doses can cause a heavy stomach for some people. Maltodextrin is not as sweet and is slightly gentler on the digestive system. Therefore, many athletes smartly combine both substances after a workout (e.g., in a 1:1 ratio).
