Cream of rice, Karbolyn and clean carb powders for training fuel and easy calories. Shop online or grab a tub at any of our nine stores. We only carry the absolute best carb powders, every product hand-selected for its exact ingredients, potency and quality standards.
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A carb powder is fast, easy-to-digest carbohydrate you mix into a shaker. People use it before training for fuel, during long or hard sessions to keep energy up, and after training to refill the glycogen their muscles used. Cream of rice does the same job as a quick hot cereal you eat with a spoon.
Most people can get their carbs from food. A carb powder earns its spot when you train long, train twice a day, are trying to gain weight, or find it hard to eat before a workout. This guide explains the main types, how much carbohydrate the research suggests, and the carb products we carry.
We only carry the absolute best carb powders. Every product in this section was hand-selected by our team for its exact ingredients, potency and overall quality standards.
| Type | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclic dextrin (HBCD, Cluster Dextrin) | A large, highly branched carbohydrate made from starch that mixes easily in water | Sipping during training and fuel before a workout |
| Karbolyn | EFX's fast-acting carbohydrate made from potato, rice and corn, sold sugar-free | Pre, intra and post-workout carbs in a flavored drink |
| Dextrose | Plain glucose, the simplest and cheapest fast carb | Refilling after training and adding carbs to a mass-gain shake |
| Intra-workout blends | Carbs plus electrolytes, and sometimes amino acids, in one drink | Long sessions where you want carbs, sodium and aminos together |
| Cream of rice | Ground white rice cooked as a hot cereal in a minute, often flavored | A light meal before training or a carb base after it |
The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) position stand on nutrient timing gives clear targets for people who train hard.
| Situation | What the ISSN suggests |
|---|---|
| Hard training that runs past about 70 minutes | About 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate an hour, sipped every 10 to 15 minutes as a 6 to 8% carb drink |
| Refilling fast, with less than 4 hours until the next session | About 1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per hour, favoring fast carbs, or 0.8 g/kg/h of carbs plus 0.2 to 0.4 g/kg/h of protein |
| Keeping glycogen full on high-volume training | A high-carbohydrate diet of 8 to 12 g per kg of body weight a day |
A 6 to 8% drink is 6 to 8 g of carbohydrate per 100 mL. One 25 g scoop in about 16 oz (473 mL) of water lands near 5%, so sip it through the session. If you have a full day before you train again, normal meals refill your glycogen and a carb powder is optional.
During training, pick something that mixes easily and sits light: cyclic dextrin like Transparent Labs Carb Powder and NutraBio Super Carb, or EFX Karbolyn Fuel. After training or in a gainer shake, plain dextrose is the lowest cost per gram. Before an early session, a bowl of cream of rice is a fast meal.
Scoops range from 20 to about 53 g, and not all of it is carbohydrate. Nutricost Dextrose gives 18 g of carbs in a 20 g scoop. Transparent Labs Carb Powder and Super Carb give 25 g of Cluster Dextrin a scoop. One scoop of Karbolyn Fuel is 50 g of carbs, a full hour of training fuel by the ISSN numbers above.
Dextrose counts as sugar on the label. Cyclic dextrin, Karbolyn and rice cereal are starch-based, so most of their carbohydrate is not listed as sugar. Neither is better for training; it just matters if you track sugar.
Transparent Labs Carb Powder carries the Informed Choice mark and Karbolyn Fuel carries Informed Sport, which means the brands have them tested for banned substances.
Drink mixes first, then plain dextrose and cream of rice. Carbs are per serving from each label. Every product shown is in stock.
Transparent Labs' Cluster Dextrin for steady fuel before or during training, Informed Choice tested.
NutraBio's Cluster Dextrin drink with added electrolytes and zero sugar.
EFX's sugar-free carb from potato, rice and corn, Informed Sport tested.
The same Karbolyn Fuel in the bigger tub for the lowest cost per serving.
NutraBio's stim-free intra-workout with carbs, EAAs and electrolytes for long sessions.
Plain dextrose with nothing added, the cheapest fast carb per gram.
Pride Foods' organic hot rice cereal, a bigger bowl per scoop.
Amounts are per serving from the brand's label at the time we wrote this guide; formulas change, so check the label on your bottle or tub. Prices and stock update live.
If you train under an hour and eat normal meals, food covers your carbs. A carb powder helps when you train long or twice a day, need carbs you can drink during a session, are trying to gain weight, or cannot eat before an early workout.
Before training for fuel, during sessions longer than about an hour, or right after training when you need to refill quickly for another session. The ISSN suggests about 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate an hour during long, hard training.
They do different jobs. Cyclic dextrin is a large, branched carbohydrate that mixes thin and many people find easy on the stomach during training. Dextrose is plain glucose, sweet and the cheapest per gram, and it works well after training or in a gainer shake.
Yes. A scoop of carbs with whey after training is a simple recovery shake, and the ISSN notes that carbs plus protein can help refill glycogen when carbs alone are on the low side. Unflavored carb powders also mix into an unflavored or lightly flavored pre-workout.
It is mostly carbohydrate with little fat or fiber, so it is easy to eat before training. Stir in a scoop of protein powder for a quick meal, and leave enough time before training to feel comfortable.
Not sure which one fits? Stop by any of our nine stores in Kentucky and Southern Indiana and ask the team, or order online with free shipping over $100.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
