If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best clean pre workout for running is, then we recommend Performance Lab® SPORT Carb as the best one.
People spend millions of dollars each year on workout supplements. They mainly focus on pre and post supplements.
However, intra workout carb supplements can be very beneficial too, especially if you find yourself running out of steam halfway through your workout.
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about these supplements, plus a breakdown of the five best intra workout carb supplement brands on the market.
Here are the top intra workout carb supplements we’ll be reviewing:
- NOW Sports Carbo Gain Powder
- Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb
- Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder
- Genius Carbohydrate Powder
- Performance Lab® SPORT Carb
Information About Intra Workout Carb Supplements
Intra workout carb supplements can come in powder, liquid, or capsule form. The most popular form is powder so you can mix your own drink supplement to your liking.
Some powders are flavored while others are unflavored so you can flavor it (or not flavor it) how you like.
What’s in an Intra Workout Carb Supplement?
The main ingredient (and often the only ingredient) in an intra workout carb supplement is – you’ve probably guessed it – carbohydrates.
Manufacturers specially formulate their powders to be absorbed quickly so the carbs go straight to your muscles for fuel.
Not all supplements are alike when it comes to carbs. The carbs can come from many different sources.
Unfortunately, some of them get a lot of carbs from sugar. However, the best intra workout carb will derive it’s carbs from a healthy, plant-based source.
A few good sources you may come across are:
- Maltodextrin – a powdery white powder that is cost-efficient for manufacturers to use. It’s also rapidly absorbed by the body, provides an ample burst of energy, and has no nutritional value. It’s calorie-free, sugar-free, and fat-free.
- Pea Starch – this is a good one to use because it has a lot of amylose. Amylose is indigestible and helps to improve the health of your gut biome.
- Homopolysaccharride – if you see this term, it’s essentially a blanket term for carbohydrates. Starch, glycogen, and cellulose are all homopolysaccharrides.
Types of Intra Workout Carb Supplements
Many supplements only have carbs as an ingredient. However, some of them may have other added nutrients to enhance what they can do for you.
One example is a BCAA-enhanced supplement. As the term suggests, this supplement has branched-chain amino acids.
While you don’t necessarily need BCAAs in your intra workout carb supplement, it won’t hurt to have them.
However, if you’ve had a pre workout supplement with BCAAs, you may want to skip them in your intra workout supplement.
Another example is caffeinated supplements. Obviously these contain caffeine.
There is nothing wrong with this, but you’ll want to make sure that’s not the only way it’s providing you with a boost.
Otherwise, you could just drink a cup of coffee and be done with it.
Won’t Extra Carbs Defeat the Purpose of Exercising?
For some people, eating extra carbs would be bad. However, those people probably aren’t doing hardcore workouts in the gym.
Carbohydrates are only bad when they’re abused. This means that a person eats too many of them leading to weight gain or an undermining of their exercise routine.
Too much of anything can be bad.
However, carbs are really little bits of energy. They get you through the day. That’s why carbs are an excellent choice when you need a burst of energy midway through your workout.
Eating just any carbs won’t work – you can’t eat cookies or bread for an intra workout supplement because your body takes too long to digest these types of carbs.
Intra workout carb supplements are specially formulated to provide you with a fast burst of energy.
The next time you need a pick me up in the middle of your workout, put down the sugary drink and reach for one of the supplements below.
Top Five Best Intra Workout Carb Supplement Brands
NOW Sports Carbo Gain Powder Review
NOW Sports Carbo Gain Powder is one of the most potent that you’ll find on the market at a great price. It’s pure maltodextrin with no other ingredients.
That means you will absorb it quickly so you’ll get the boost you need when you need it. It doesn’t have any calories, fat, sugar, or anything else.
It does have a miniscule amount of calcium and sodium that occur naturally, but it’s such a small amount it’s almost negligible.
Another big positive with this supplement is that there are such a high amount of servings per bottle for the price.
It has almost twice the amount of servings as comparable supplements. It comes in a two-pound, eight-pound, or twelve-pound size. It’s a really great value.
While this company is an American company and the supplement is packaged in the United States, the one hiccup that I noticed was that the powder itself isn’t necessarily from the United States.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s still a great, high-quality supplement. It’s just that this is a distinction that you need to know if you prefer American-made products.
Other than this, NOW Sports Carbo Gain Powder is a great choice.
Pros:
- Pure maltodextrin.
- NPA A-rated GMP-certified facility.
- Easy for your body to absorb quickly.
Cons:
- Clumps if you hand shake it.
- Not suitable for diabetics with hyper glycemia.
Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb Review
Post JYM Fast-Digesting Carb is slightly different from the others on the list.
It’s technically labelled as a post workout supplement, but it’s essentially an intra workout carb supplement.
In fact, it’s pure carbohydrates with a miniscule amount of naturally occurring calcium.
This brand uses dextrose as the carbohydrate. This simple sugar is made from corn as is identical to glucose.
Therefore, ingesting it means you’re getting a direct shot of glucose to your system so your body can use it for energy as quickly as possible.
Keep in mind that this supplement is not meant for people who aren’t going hard in the gym.
It’s a budget-priced supplement, mainly because dextrose is one of the cheapest carb boosts that manufacturers can use.
However, you get 30 servings per jar and it works well so that’s what matters.
Pros:
- Pure glucose for fast energy.
- Very affordable.
- Comes in six great-tasting flavors.
- Mixes well.
Cons:
- Not suitable for diabetics with hyperglycemia.
- Dextrose is a common ingredient in sugary sports drinks – you can get the same boost from a Gatorade.
Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder Review
If you’re into clean supplements, Vitargo Carbohydrate Powder is one of the cleanest intra workout carb supplements on the market.
Other than some flavor and sweetener, it’s made with one ingredient – fractionated barley amylopectin.
Amylopectin is the main component out of the two components of starch. It’s made up of around 1,000 units of glucose, so it can give you a highly concentrated burst of carbs for energy.
This supplement has exactly what you want and doesn’t have anything you don’t want. It’s gluten-free, allergen-free, sugar-free, non-GMO, kosher, and vegan.
Plus it’s manufactured and packaged in the United States.
The best thing about Vitargo is the speed at which it works. It’s a true intra workout carb supplement.
It will have you back to working out before you know it. The supplement comes in seven flavors and seven sizes.
The manufacturers went all out to make sure that you can find a version and size that’s right for you.
The one hiccup about this supplement is that it’s pricey. Not only is one jar more than most supplements on the market but it has less servings per jar than those of comparable sizes.
However, it makes sense that a higher quality supplement would cost more.
Pros:
- Clean formula with no banned substances.
- Made in the U.S.A.
- Plenty of flavors to choose from.
- Fast acting.
Cons:
- It’s really sweet (except the unflavored version).
- It clumps a lot in a shaker bottle.
Genius Carbohydrate Powder Review
If you’re diabetic, Genius Carbohydrate Powder may be the best intra workout carb supplement for you. It’s made from pea starch which has a low glycemic index.
That means it won’t spike your blood sugar quickly which is dangerous for diabetics.
The supplement only has 10 grams of pea starch. That means it doesn’t pack as many carbs as other supplements and it may not give you as much energy.
However, it’s on the top five list because not everyone needs a huge boost of energy. For some, a moderate amount will do.
In addition, it’s a very targeted formula. Pea starch is the only ingredient and the body absorbs it easily.
It gives you a good boost of energy without going overboard and, since it naturally has prebiotics, it helps to keep your digestive system regulated.
Pros:
- Has a low-glycemic index.
- Low calories per serving.
- Very affordable.
- Mixes well.
Cons:
- No flavors to choose from.
- Only comes in one size.
Performance Lab® SPORT Carb Review
Performance Lab® is a company that does extensive research on all of it’s products before releasing them to the public.
It’s more than a manufacturing company. You could call them a scientific development company also.
Performance Lab® SPORT Carb is a very clean product that is excellent at giving you a quick boost of energy. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, allergen-free, dairy-free, and more.
It’s safe to say it’s suitable for any diet or lifestyle. It has more ingredients than the primary carb, but they’re all natural and all serve a purpose.
The main carbs are KarboLyn® homopolysaccharride and organic ceylon cinnamon powder. There is more cinnamon, but the homopolysaccharride is the main active ingredient.
This branded carbohydrate acts like a complex carb but passes through your body like a simple carb.
It’s formulated to make it through your body 18.21% faster than dextrose or sugar. Once your body processes it, it’s a champ at sustaining energy.
The cinnamon does more than give the supplement a good flavor and aroma. It’s good for regulating blood sugar levels.
This means that diabetics can use it safely. Plus, cinnamon is an antioxidant so it will provide a boost to your immune system.
Pros:
- Highly researched product.
- Uses branded ingredients.
- Blends easily.
Cons:
- It’s expensive.
- It can only be purchased in one place.
Related: Click here to read our full review of Performance Lab® SPORT Carb.
Final Thoughts the Best Intra Workout Carb Supplement
When you’re pushing through a tough workout or you’re just short on energy for an intense workout, the best intra workout carb supplement can save you.
It will give you a much needed boost to get your through to the end. Of course, if you don’t get a good one, you may as well not use one at all.
The five on this list are great choices for almost anyone. While some of them may not be a good choice for diabetics, a few of them are.
In fact, the best one on the list, Performance Lab® SPORT Carb, is suitable for diabetics and everyone else.
It’s the most researched one and has the most benefits (other than an energy boost).
If you want to add Performance Lab® SPORT Carb to your supplements line up, click here.
However, any of them would be an excellent choice.
