I use Maltodextrin as well. Bought a 50 pound bag. I like to keep it as pure as possible. Mix it with some apple or grape juice for taste. Surprisingly it tastes very good withouth adding anything, especially after using it all day in an IM. I also like the stuff because it is totally pure, no additives whatsoever. After leaving hammergel and my own mix out of the fridge for 2 weeks my own mix had gone bad.

I just mix the stuff with water - cold, it dilutes very fast. I can get 1000cal in a small water bottle and with some patients 500cal into a small flask

Axel

For a gel, I do this:

4 parts maltodextrin
1 part water (it doesn't seem like enough, but trust me)
1/2 scoop powdered gatorade (good flavor and some electrolytes)

Mix it in a saucepan and stir it over low heat until just before it starts to boil (I usually get impatient and call it good when it's all mixed thoroughly). It's messy, and you might want to experiment with the consistency (I like mine a little runny, so I add just a tiny bit more than 1 part water).

Throw it in some flasks and wash the pan IMMEDIATELY.

Where do you buy the maltodextrin ? It sounds like buying a bag of flour.

I buy it at a local home beer brewing shop. It's super cheap - like $1.50/pound.

http://arniebakercycling.com/...0Nutrition%20ABC.pdf

---

---

"your horse is too high" - tigerchik

Is that Maltodextrin or is it corn syrup (dextrose)? Any idea the dextrose equivalent?

---

~ A penny saved is a government oversight.

It's maltodextrin. I guess it's commonly used in beer brewing. I don't know the dextrose equivalent.

Did you get that directly from Arnie Bakers website? I was trying to find that the other day on his website but couldn't. So I emailed him asking him if he still uses the stuff and what recipes he uses. He emailed me back with a link to his site with a form to fill out for a $75 fee for training advice. I thought what a pompous ass!

---

~ A penny saved is a government oversight.

I found it by doing a search on Google for "Maltodextrin recipes."

---

---

"your horse is too high" - tigerchik

The Maltodextrin saved me in IMFL last year. I mixed two versions for variety. 1 cup mixed with 16 ounces of water for a lighter 400 calorie drink and 1 cup mixed mixed with 16 ounces of 50% strength gatorade plus 2 E-Caps. This gave me the needed electrolytes a little sugar rush and about 500 total calories.

My buddies and I tried everything out there, but finally ended up with the Maltodextrin. I don't think I would have finished the race without it. There was no way I was going to get the needed calorie intake without it.

---

The Cuban Comet
(Comets are unbelievably slow over Cuba)

I mix it with Gatorade for taste, tried it with juice, kool aid, eload amongs others but settled on Gatorade. I get between 500-1000 cals a 16 oz bottle, on race day its 750 cals per bottle. I normally use powdered gatorade but for race day I mix it with bottled gatorade, mixes easier less lumps etc.

There is a long discussion on this board about Maltodextrin use a while back, check the db. Works for me and as you pointed out its a lot cheaper than other drinks.

---

__________________________________________________
Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

whoa 750cals/bottle?!!! do you drink that pure or do you take a gulp then wash down with water? if you drank it pure i would think that would cause serious gastric emptying problems...unless the maltodextrin lets you pack in the cals without increasing osmolarity????

Kim

I chase it with water, one gulp of mix every 15mins chased by two gulps of water, more depending on conditions. I try to make the special needs in 3 hrs or less, that means two bottles of mixture on the bike, plus one water. In training with no special needs option I will carry up to 1000cals per bottle. At that rate its a bit tricker to mix the malto to avoid lumps but not impossible.

Now having said all that I have yet to complete a bike leg of an IM consuming all 3000 cals, usually get to 2500 cals. I find later in the ride I simply have had enough fuel, maybe 500 an hr is a bit much. Currently reading a section in Tim Noakes book about absorption of fuel and the research that has been done on the subject, makes for very interesting reading. In fact the whole book makes for very interesting reading.

---

__________________________________________________
Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??

http://bulknutrition.com/

Lots of good stuff there too besides maltodextrin.

---

----
Aerosexual.

SimpleS, what is the title of Tim Noakes's book. I am a fan of this doc. He seems to know what he is talking about...

As for Maltodextrin, do you guys also take a whole whack of salt supplements on the bike to compensate for the lack of sodium from this product.

Wow, 500 cals per hour in liquid format sounds totally awesome. Sure beats drinking a bottle of Gatorade (80 cals), a powerbar 220 cals and three gels per hour. This rate would be totally impossible without major stomach bloating in an Ironman. On that note, I read somewhere that Mark Allen had this drink that was pretty high in FAT that he would consume on the bike and take in close to 600 cals per hour. Wicked. I can't seem to get much past 300 cals an hour without stomach bloating at race pace.

The Lore of Running - and I would rate it as the most comprehensive book ever written on Endurance Running - many of the principles apply to triathlons. An essential part of your library.

---

http://www.endurancesports.ca
Coaching and Training Camps

As already mentioned its the Lore of Running a very informative book for anyone interested in long distance endurance events. He has a section on Mark Allen and a sample of his training schedule included, infact Noakes makes many referances to Ironman and Mark Allen. Well worth the money, I bought it as part of my wife's x'mas gifts, but she has yet to get her hands on it!

Re: 500 cals, its not too hard to consume and the body is very trainable (sic), but still I cant figure out how anyone can eat 500 cals per hr in solids! I dont get any bloating unless I exceed 500 per hr, beyond 500 I get kind of pukey after a couple of hrs, especially in the heat. The heat greatly affect the amount of cals I can put down and keep down! I take salt tablets but not many, again depends on heat.

---

__________________________________________________
Simple Simon
Where's the Fried Chicken??