Sinob Maltodextrin - Fast-acting Carbohydrates for Mass Gain

What is Sinob Maltodextrin?

Sinob Maltodextrin is a neutral carbohydrate powder, with no flavouring or sweetener, made of 100% maltodextrin obtained from hydrolysed maize starch. It supplies 96 g of carbohydrate per 100 g of powder, of which less than 1 g is sugars.

Maltodextrin is produced by cutting starch into shorter chains. How far that cutting has gone is measured by an index, the dextrose equivalent, and here it is DE19. It is a technical figure that few brands publish, yet it is the decisive one: the higher the DE, the shorter the chains and the faster the absorption, but the sweeter and more osmotic the drink becomes. A DE19 sits in the middle zone, the one that stays fast without weighing on the stomach. The rest of the German range is listed in our Sinob aisle.

The net weight of the pack is not published by the manufacturer in the information available to us; the packaging you receive carries it.

What does a 30 g serving contain?

The manufacturer states a glycaemic index of around 95 and an absorption time of 15 to 30 minutes. Those values are consistent with a DE19: this is a fast carbohydrate, designed to arrive quickly, not to last.

96 g of carbohydrate for less than 1 g of sugars is the point that confuses people most. How can a powder be almost entirely carbohydrate without containing sugars? Because maltodextrin is a polymer: its chains are too long to fall within the regulatory definition of sugars, which counts only mono- and disaccharides. In glycaemic terms, on the other hand, it behaves like glucose, with an index higher than that of table sugar. That is worth knowing before presenting it as a “sugar free” product: nutritionally, it has all the metabolic effects of sugar.

The second point that counts is the complete neutrality. No flavouring, no sweetener, no additive, no preservative. That means two things in practice. First, it does not disturb the taste of any preparation, which lets you add it to a whey, a porridge or a training drink without changing anything. Second, it is very faintly sweet on the palate but stays bland on its own: drinking it in water with nothing else is a fairly thankless experience.

No health claim exists for maltodextrin, and there is nothing to expect from it beyond what it is: a supply of fast carbohydrate, clean, with no fat and no protein. It is an ingredient, not a product with an effect.

Ingredients list

Maltodextrin 100% (hydrolysed maize starch), dextrose equivalent DE19. No additive, no preservative. Plant origin. Suitable for halal, vegan, lactose free and gluten free diets. No allergen in the composition. Possible traces of GLUTEN, MILK, SOYA and EGGS from the production environment — a nuance to be aware of if you are coeliac, the formula itself being gluten free.

How do you use Maltodextrin?

Serving: 30 g per intake, 30 to 60 g a day when bulking, split into two or three intakes. Liquid: 300 to 500 ml of water. Timing: during training, straight after, or between two meals. Frequency: according to your calorie needs. Duration: no notion of a course, this is a food.

Dilute generously. That is the most important rule with a maltodextrin: too concentrated a solution is hyperosmotic, it draws water into the gut and causes cramps and diarrhoea during exercise. A concentration of 6% to 8%, that is 30 g in 400 to 500 ml, is the comfortable zone. It is precisely the mistake made by those who tip three scoops into a 500 ml shaker and are then surprised by the result.

During a long session, sip rather than swallow it in one go: the aim is to supply a steady flow of carbohydrate, not a spike. After training, on the other hand, taking it quickly does make sense and combines very well with a protein in the same shaker.

When bulking, the most effective use is not the shaker but the discreet addition: 30 g in a porridge, in a rice cream, in a fruit purée. That adds 115 kcal without adding volume or satiety, which is exactly the problem to solve when you can no longer manage to eat.

Who is Maltodextrin for, and who is it not for?

It suits someone bulking who cannot reach their calorie quota, an endurance athlete who needs carbohydrate during exercise, and anyone who wants to build their own training drink rather than buy a ready-made formula.

It also suits those who avoid additives: a single ingredient, nothing else, about as short as a label can be.

It does not suit you if you are in a calorie deficit or cutting: 115 kcal of fast carbohydrate per serving is exactly what you are trying to reduce. Nor does it suit you if you have blood sugar to keep an eye on — with a glycaemic index close to 95 it produces a rapid rise, and that question is one for your doctor before you buy.

A clarification on gluten: the maltodextrin here comes from maize, so it is naturally gluten free, and the manufacturer says so. It does, however, flag possible traces from the production environment. For coeliac disease, that nuance counts.

What you should not expect from it: it is not a performance product in itself. It improves nothing in someone whose glycogen stores are full, and it does not replace a meal — no protein, no fat, no micronutrients. It is pure fuel, useful when fuel is short, pointless when there is enough.

Maltodextrin, cyclodextrin or waxy maize?

The three families share the same aisle and differ in how fast they leave the stomach.

Maltodextrin is the simplest and the cheapest per gram. With a DE19 it leaves the stomach quickly and suits the great majority of uses: bulking, a moderate training drink, refuelling after exercise. Its weakness is its osmolarity: badly diluted, it weighs on the gut.

Cyclodextrin has a much higher molecular weight and a lower osmolarity, which lets it leave the stomach faster still without drawing in water. It is the better choice for long, intense sessions, for endurance sports, and for anyone with a delicate stomach during exercise. It costs considerably more.

Waxy maize sits between the two: unhydrolysed waxy maize starch, slightly more gradual to digest, often chosen for snacks around training rather than during it.

If your aim is purely a calorie one and not tied to the session, a rice flour or a complete gainer gives you more than a maltodextrin on its own, because they add protein and micronutrients that it does not have.

Frequently asked questions

What does DE19 mean?

DE stands for dextrose equivalent: it measures how far the starch has been hydrolysed. The higher the index, the shorter the chains, the faster the absorption and the more osmotic the solution becomes. DE19 corresponds to an intermediate maltodextrin, fast without being harsh on the stomach. Few brands publish this figure.

Why 96 g of carbohydrate but less than 1 g of sugars?

Because the regulations count only mono- and disaccharides as sugars. Maltodextrin is made of longer chains, which do not fall within that definition. In metabolic terms, on the other hand, it behaves like a fast carbohydrate, with a glycaemic index higher than that of table sugar.

How much should you dilute it?

30 g in 400 to 500 ml of water, that is a concentration of 6% to 8%. Beyond that, the solution becomes hyperosmotic and causes digestive trouble during exercise. It is by far the most frequent cause of bad experiences with this kind of product.

Does it contain gluten?

No, the maltodextrin here comes from maize starch, naturally gluten free, and the manufacturer says so. It does, however, flag possible traces of gluten from the production environment. For coeliac disease, that nuance is worth checking on the packaging you receive.

Can you mix it with a whey?

Yes, and that is the most common use after training. The mix alters neither the taste nor the texture of the protein, maltodextrin being neutral. Allow 30 g of maltodextrin for 30 g of protein if your aim is to rebuild your stores after an intense session.

Is it suitable while cutting?

Rarely. It is 115 kcal of fast carbohydrate per serving, with no satiety and no micronutrients, that is to say exactly what a calorie deficit is trying to reduce. The one exception is very long sessions, where an intake during exercise remains justified despite the deficit.

Does it have a taste?

Very little. The powder is faintly sweet on the palate but stays broadly neutral, with no added flavouring or sweetener. That is what makes it a good ingredient to mix in, and a fairly bland product to drink on its own in water.

Where can you buy Sinob Maltodextrin?

It can be ordered from this page, and we ship throughout France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, it is the simplest product in the aisle and yet the one we give the most advice on: almost every problem people run into with a maltodextrin comes from too concentrated a shaker, never from the powder. The rest of the carbohydrate aisle can be browsed in our sports nutrition section.