If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best intra workout carb for bodybuilders, then we recommend Performance Lab® SPORT Carb as the best one.
When you’re trying to get into shape, one of the first things said all too often is to eliminate carbs.
However, we do need some carbohydrates as our muscles use them as energy. So, adding in the best intra workout carb is great for bodybuilding exercises.
Check out our buyer’s guide and our top five picks to find the right product to add to your workout routine.
Here are the top intra workout carb supplements we’ll be reviewing:
- Granite® Intra-CARB Advanced Carb Supplement
- Genius Carbohydrate Powder
- Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder
- Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb
- Performance Lab® SPORT Carb
Intra Workout Carb – What you Should Know
Since you’re here, you may have heard about intra workout carbs before, but we’ll take a deeper look at the supplement and how it can impact your fitness routine as a bodybuilder.
Benefits of Using a Carb Supplement
Many people are probably consuming too many carbs in their daily diets, but a supplement can help your body consume the right carbs at the right moment so that they benefit you rather than cause any harm.
When you take a carb supplement, you are encouraging your muscles to use them instead of storing them elsewhere, and that’s when carbs become a problem.
There are a few specific benefits this has toward your routine: higher performance and better recovery.
Higher Performance
Let’s focus first on performance improvement.
Carbohydrates act as a readily available source of fuel, so your energy levels should remain relatively high between all of your reps rather than just in the beginning.
This means you can work longer and on the same level for a good deal of time before feeling fatigued.
For bodybuilding purposes, this is especially helpful since a consistent performance can ensure you will see the muscle and strength gains you’re pushing for.
You may also get a boost in your performance concerning how an intra workout carb supplement can contribute to your mental focus.
We mentioned before that carbs are essentially fuel. This goes to your brain as much as it does your muscles.
Giving you an energy boost doesn’t just help your body handle the stress of exercise, but it also allows your mind to remain focused on the task at hand.
Better Recovery
Now that we understand a bit how intra workout carbs benefit you while you exercise, let’s see how they help afterward.
Bodybuilding can take a lot out of you, especially if you’re just starting.
A good way to move on following all that time in the gym is having a good recovery process. Thankfully, quality carb supplements can aid in this.
These can limit the catabolic processes your muscles go through during exercise, processes that can cause damage to the muscles.
By limiting this, you may see improvement in your overall recovery so that you’re more prepared to take on the training again for the next session.
Best Time to Take the Supplement
As the name implies, intra workout carbs are intended for you to consume during the actual training.
Some of these are taken steadily rather than all at once.
For instance, you may start drinking your supplement at the beginning of your workout, but not finish it until the middle or near the end of your training.
Because of this, it is a good idea to seek an intra workout carb supplement that doesn’t just work instantly as you’ll need the performance benefits to last throughout your entire fitness routine.
What to Look for in Intra Workout Carbs
Although we’re providing you with our favorite picks in the next section, it’s still important to be aware of some key features to look for when choosing the best intra workout carb for your fitness situation.
Types of Carbs
When we talk about carb types, we’re thinking of simple carbs and complex carbs.
Simple carbs are fast-acting, while complex carbs offer sustained energy. However, they both have downsides as simple carbs have a rapid drop in energy, which can lead to crashes.
Meanwhile, complex carbs can take a while to kick in, and the longer it sits, the higher the chance it may cause side effects in your body.
So, how do we come to terms with these two?
You find a well-made intra workout carb supplement that balances them out.
You want something with simple carbs that will kick in fast in time for your workout, but you also want that energy to last.
This is where complex carbs come in to ensure that energy remains to reduce the chances of experiencing crashes.
Quality Ingredients
Like with any supplement, you want to be sure that the ingredients used are actually of high quality and safe to consume.
Try to seek out products that have natural or well-tested ingredients. This reduces the chance of you experiencing any stomach discomfort or other side effects while using the supplement.
The carbohydrates used should be clean as this further limits the risk of negative effects, and instead, allowing you to gain all the benefits carbs have to offer.
Ease of Use
If you struggle to consume something, you may be put off taking it. So, your intra workout carb of choice should be easy to use.
Meaning, it should mix well so you’re not spending most of your time shaking or stirring it up rather than actually drinking it.
Some of these supplements are flavored while others aren’t, allowing you to add it to flavored drinks instead.
What’s best here is based on personal preference, but regardless, it helps if it doesn’t taste bad as a good-tasting supplement can be easier to consume too.
Best Intra Workout Carb – Top 5 Reviewed
Granite® Intra-CARB Advanced Carb Supplement
The Granite® Intra-CARB Advanced Carb Supplement is a versatile supplement that contains three sources of carbohydrates.
It has Cyclic Dextrin (10g) that helps to minimize potential gastrointestinal discomfort.
There’s also Isomaltulose (5g) for decreasing insulin response and increasing the use of fat as fuel.
This works as a complex carb for sustained energy.
Lastly, it features Dextrose (5g) to encourage insulin release to balance out the skeletal muscle protein synthesis for faster-acting energy.
As this is available in two flavors, strawberry lemonade and fruit punch, there are natural flavors in its ingredients as well as citric acid.
The recommended consumption of this supplement is to blend one scoop into 12-16oz. of water. You can drink it before, during, or after a workout.
Pros
- Able to feel the fast-acting carbs soon after consuming
- Available in two different flavors
- Works easy on the stomach for better digestion
Cons
- May clump up in the water and take some time to break down
Genius Carbohydrate Powder
The Genius Carbohydrate Powder is focused on providing you with a healthier option to get in your carbs for the workout at hand.
They do this by offering only an 82% lower insulin response and also providing a 27% lower blood-sugar response.
Known as Carb10™, this carb blend even has a low osmolality of 30 mOsm.
This can make this particular intra workout carb supplement a cleaner option for those of you looking to gain mass for bodybuilding to help turn that into lean, strong muscles.
For greater digestion, this unflavored supplement has a fast gastric-emptying formula that can help cut down on any bloating.
It can also act as a pre-biotic, and it’s good for those with lifestyle diets since it’s gluten-free and non-allergenic. All you need is a single scoop mixed in your drink to reap the benefits.
Pros
- Provides steady, long-lasting clean energy
- Features a neutral taste so it can blend with other drinks
- Great way to comfortably gain mass
Cons
- Might not stay dissolved so you may have to mix it up frequently
Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder
Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder is available in seven different flavors and also sells in several different sizes so you can find the one that best suits your fitness needs.
Even with those flavor options, this remains a sugar-free, gluten-free clean supplement. It’s vegan as well so it won’t disrupt those of you who follow the diet.
This has a 35g Total Carbohydrate rating that digests fast without all the bloating. The complex carb also lasts long to keep up with long training sessions.
It may even help replenish your muscles afterward, serving as a quality recovery option too.
As a stimulant-free energy workout product, the company behind it encourages you to consume it for intra workout purposes before your “tank” run too low.
If you’re working out 60-90 minutes, then it’s recommended you re-fuel with this every 45-60 minutes to stay ahead of yourself.
Pros
- Numerous size and flavor options to choose from
- Good recovery aid
- Quick-release, steady energy without the crash
Cons
- Might be a touch too sweet for some people
Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb
The Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb features Total Carbohydrates (30g) that provides your body with ideal levels of insulin to better help maximize the growth of muscle cells.
It heavily features dextrose for faster absorption of energy so you can feel the boost soon after consuming it, improving your performance.
This intra workout carb supplement is available in six different flavor options. It does contain a mixture of both natural and artificial flavoring to create these options, however.
When you’re taking it during a workout, it is recommended that you mix one scoop in about 24oz of water and consume as it keeps you fueled up as well as keeping you hydrated.
Pros
- May do well at speeding up the recovery process
- Keeps your sugar at safe levels during intense training
- Simple to take thanks to the good flavors and ease of mixing
Cons
- Recommended serving may be too much for some people
Performance Lab® SPORT Carb
Our number one pick for the best intra workout carb is the Performance Lab® SPORT Carb. It’s well-known to balance fast-acting and long-acting well.
It utilizes KarboLyn® technology to give the powder that fast absorption for immediate fuel release.
This supplement also adds organic coconut sugar and pink Himalayan salt to the mix as these can help drive the carbs into the muscles better to improve the overall effects.
It’s all clean as well as it features natural ingredients and flavoring. This being stim-free helps reduce the chance of you crashing afterward.
It’s recommended that you mix two scoops with 12oz of water.
Pros
- Consistent source of energy without crashes
- Great blend of clean ingredients
- Versatile in its use for intra workouts and recovery
Cons
- Can be rather expensive for casual use
Final Thoughts
We recommend any of the supplements in our list to add to your bodybuilding routine, but out of the five choices, the Performance Lab® SPORT Carb may be the best intra workout carb available.
It offers a clean release of stimulant-free energy so you can experience the rush without the crash later on.
The energy is well-sustained too, and it gets to your muscles fast so you may remain at the top of your performance all training long.
If you want to learn more, check out the supplement and the others to see which is best for you.
