Absolute: Supplement Recommendation: HBCD
Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin
We have recommended books, podcasts, and other resources in the realm of education for the training to attain Point B. We are going to pivot and recommend you look into a phenomenal supplement for you and your athletes that we at Absolute have utilized for years with the athletes we train and manage, which is: highly branched cyclic dextrin (i.e., HBCD).
What is HBCD?
Simply, highly branched cyclic dextrin is a sports nutritional supplement that is a “new” carbohydrate. At this point, the belief is due to its high molecular weight and low osmolality, HBCD provides an ergogenic advantage over other carbohydrates via faster gastric emptying and faster absorption.
Based on the results of the available studies, HBCD may provide increased performance or endurance compared to other carbohydrate sources, such as maltodextrin and glucose, especially in conditions of low carbohydrate feeding 25, 26, 29. (1)
Personal Practice
We can tell you from personal practice and the feedback over the years from elite-level absolute strength athletes that everyone agrees this stuff works.
What does work mean? It has been well-established that the training to acquire absolute strength is limited by the availability of muscle and liver glycogen stores - as glycogen is the primary energy source the muscle utilizes during high-intensity training. Due to the faster gastric emptying and faster absorption of HBCD, the athlete will be able to replenish or accumulate muscle and liver glycogen faster than any other carbohydrate sources - including maltodextrin and glucose (1).
So work means: HBCD is the fastest and most efficnet way to replensish and accumulate muscle and liver glycogen that exisits today.
HBCD Protocol - NFL Lineman Example
When to consume and how much to consume is all pending the physical state of the athlete and the intent of the training they are performing. To provide an example we will utilize a demographic that we extensivily work with - NFL lineman. For an NFL lineman - a true absolute strength athltete, a optimal HBCD protocol that will support training performance the linemans ability to recover and absorb the training effects would look like this:
1 serving of HBCD during the 10 minute zone 2 cardiovascular training prior to resistance training
1 serving of HBCD during the max effort or dynamic effort training
1 serving during the accessory training work
2 servings post training with fast acting protein, creatine, etc.
We get it, these seem like a lot of carbohydrates for a normal athlete, but for the lineman this would be a normal and basic off-season protocol - 125 grams of the fastest carbohydate all consumed in and around training. This protocol also takes tremendous stress off the lineman - as there is 125 grams of carbohydrates that he can drink when he is thisty instead of having to physically eat them.
More Research
Research has left little doubt about pre-, peri-, and post-exercise carbohydrate supplementation and its impacts on fatigue attenuation, improved performance, muscle glycogen sparing and restoration, as well as supporting blood glucose maintenance in both males and females. Furthermore, accompanying elevated insulin levels have also been shown to increase protein synthesis, decrease recovery time, reduce force sensation, enhance motor skills, and improve mood, along with peripheral and central nervous system function 13–15. The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends an intake of ~50 g of carbohydrate 30 to 60 min prior to exercise, 0.7 g of carbohydrate/kg/hr during prolonged exercise training, and 1 g/kg carbohydrate within 30 min after exercise 16. (1)
Where to Buy
Here are the 2 supplement companies we recommend for HBCD:
True Nutrition - this is only if you want HBCD
Raw - this is a true intra-workout supplement that has 1 serving of HBCD in it
works cited
Wilburn, Dylan; Machek, Steven; Ismaeel, Ahmed 2021, “Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin and its Ergogenic Effects in Athletes: A Brief Review”, Journal of Exercise and Nutrition, vol 4 no. 3