Simple Carbohydrates: What is VitarGo and what are its biggest benefits?

Simple Carbohydrates: What is VitarGo and what are its biggest benefits?

Are you looking for a drink that will provide you with a truly fast supply of energy, but at the same time will not burden the digestive tract, so that you can serve top sports performance, whether in nature or in a gym? In this article, we will talk about VitarGo®, a unique source of simple carbohydrates, a kind of higher level of commonly available energy drinks, which are not the best choice in terms of nutrition. 


Training time is unquestionably one of the key periods for every individual who wants to build their figure and at the same time enhance their athletic performance. The nutrients that we then absorb into our body have a substantial impact on the achievement of our set goals. After all, it is not for nothing that it is said that the physique is formed from the overwhelming part in the kitchen. Many of you have certainly heard of the so-called anabolic window, golden 60 minutes, when the quality of nutrients should affect the post-workout stimulation of muscle growth, nutrient metabolism, and regeneration. Therefore, many companies and nutritional supplement stores emphasize this issue in marketing and use it as an argument to sell their products, especially simple carbohydrates or gainers, which are inexpensive to prepare and, together with the trader's margin, bring the famous "little money for a lot of music". We at NaMaximum definitely do not accept this approach. On the one hand, because we know that the anabolic window does not last 60 minutes, but practically the whole 24 hours [1], and on the other hand, because it is our absolute priority to bring customers only the highest quality products, which definitely includes VitarGo®. 

In the sixties of the last century, scientific teams from two Swedish universities began working on research dealing with the issue of carbohydrate metabolism or their storage form - glycogen [2 - 5]. Previously, they had work on their account in which they analysed the properties of creatine, now an integral part of the nutrition of every good athlete. Their research later led to the development of a patented product, a unique sports drink that would differ in its properties from commonly available energy drinks, which lead to a sharp rise in blood glucose levels and subsequent energy influx, but their effect is short-term and therefore inappropriate for athletes engaged in long-term training with higher intensity. Moreover, they are difficult to digest, cause stomach upsets or bloating, and their rehydration capacity is insufficient. It was therefore a logical outcome to come to market with something that would have exactly the opposite properties, and so VitarGo® was created. 

VitarGo® is a patented carbohydrate mixture produced by extraction most often from corn or barley starch. In general, as far as the carbohydrate extraction itself is concerned, it does not matter what the origin of the starch is. Whether we are talking about potato, wheat, rice or the mentioned corn or barley starch, we get a carbohydrate from it anyway. What makes the resulting carbohydrate a product capable of replacing the consumed glycogen after exercise is the extraction method itself, which in the case of VitarGo® is also patented, realized by the technique of so-called "Handprint". As a result, VitarGo® has low osmolality (simply put, does not draw excess water into its structure and thus has a low final volume, allowing rapid passage through the digestive tract) and a highly branched molecular structure [6]. Thanks to these properties, it does not represent a burden on the digestive tract and is processed quickly in the stomach - its absorption into the blood takes place at twice the speed compared to other commercial products. The faster it gets into the blood, the faster it will allow glycogen to be replenished in the muscles and liver, which is key to recovery. Not to mention that the unpleasant abdominal pain, bloating and flatulence are a pure utopia with VitarGo® [7, 8]. 

Rapid gastric emptying and digestion result in a swift increase in blood glucose (blood glucose) levels. At this point, the effect of the main anti-catabolic hormone insulin is exerted, which through specific signalling pathways allows muscle cells to take in glucose, amino acids and other important substances on the one hand, and on the other hand prevents protein degradation that occurs after intense training. The faster these processes take place, the quicker the resulting recovery. From this point of view, VitarGo® has a hard time finding equal competition. VitarGo® has been shown to be best suited for enhancing performance during workouts with a short break. In one of the published studies, three groups of men underwent three different workouts designed to completely deplete muscle glycogen. The first group was then given 100 grams of VitarGo® supplement, the second the same amount of maltodextrin polysaccharide, and the third group drank water sweetened with artificial sweetener. All three groups tested their performance on a bicycle ergometer in 15-minute cycles with a two-hour rest period. The group taking VitarGo® performed better after the second training cycle than the other two groups, and the increase in insulin levels was approximately 1.8 times higher and faster than the maltodextrin.[9]. 

The recommended single dose of VitarGo® is 30 grams. Mix the recommended dose in about 400 millilitres of cold water or your favourite drink. It is recommended to use it either 30 minutes before training, during longer workouts as a supplement during exercise, or within 10 minutes after the end of training. VitarGo® can be used in the diet in a variety of ways. It is popular as a part of pancakes, cereals, oatmeal or cakes, but it is also a great addition to sports drinks and gels. If you are taking creatine, we recommend that you take it at the same time as the increase in insulin secretion already stated, which improves its incorporation into the muscles by stimulating the relevant cell transporters. The same applies if you are taking, for example, BCAAs, essential amino acids (EAAs), caffeine, L-glutamine, electrolytes or carnitine. 

 

SOURCES

  1. Kopunec, S. Anabolic window after training - an unnecessary scarecrow or a magical time for muscle gains? Retrieved from: https://fitclan.sk/food / anabolic-window-after-treningu-worthless-scarecrow-or-carovny-time-to-muscle-increment /

  2. Bergstrom, J., Hermansen, L., Hultman, E., & Saltin, B. (1967). Diet, muscle glycogen and physical performance. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 71, 140 – 150.

  3. Bergstrom, J., & Hultman, E. (1966). Muscle glycogen synthesis after exercise: An enhancing factor localized to the muscle cells in man. Nature, 210, 309 – 310.

  4. Bergstrom, J., & Hultman, E. (1967a). A study of the glycogen metabolism during exercise in man. Scandinavian Journal of Clinical and Laboratory Investigation, 19, 218 – 228.

  5. Bergstrom, J., & Hultman, E. (1967b). Synthesis of muscle glycogen in man after glucose and fructose infusion. Acta Medica Scandinavica, 182, 93 – 107.

  6. Oliver, J. M., Almada, A. L., Eck, L. E. V., et al. (2016). Ingestion of High Molecular Weight Carbohydrate Enhances Subsequent Repeated Maximal Power: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Plos One, 11(9).

  7. J. B. Leiper, K. Piehl Aulin, K. Sö. (2000). Improved Gastric Emptying Rate in Humans of a Unique Glucose Polymer with Gel-forming Properties. Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 35(11), 1143–1149. 

  8. Aulin, K. P., Söderlund, K., & Hultman, E. (2000). Muscle glycogen resynthesis rate in humans after supplementation of drinks containing carbohydrates with low and high molecular masses. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 81(4), 346–351. 

  9. Stephens, F. B., Roig, M., Armstrong, G., & Greenhaff, P. L. (2008). Post-exercise ingestion of a unique, high molecular weight glucose polymer solution improves performance during a subsequent bout of cycling exercise. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26(2), 149–154