FAQ

Vitargo is a unique carbohydrate because it is specially processed to yield a high molecular weight profile that is massively different from the carbohydrates that make up sugars (e.g. glucose, fructose, sucrose) and maltodextrin found in ordinary sport, energy, and recovery drinks. Most importantly, Vitargo is proven to work in athletes—in peer-reviewed published university studies. Part of the secret of Vitargo’s technology is the molecular size of Vitargo. Scientists use molecular weight (how heavy the molecule is) to determine the size of molecules. As shown in the table, Vitargo is hundreds and thousands of times larger than maltodextrin and sucrose (dextrose).

CARBOHYDRATE MOLECULAR WEIGHT

High Molecular Weight Vitargo.     500,000 to 700,000
Maltodextrin.                                1,000 to 10,000
Starch syrup.                                     250 to 1,000
Sucrose (Dextrose).                               180

But molecular size alone does not make Vitargo unique. Vitargo is made through a special fractionation process that makes it rapidly digestible and therefore capable of delivering glucose to the blood, liver, and muscle at least twice as fast as other ordinary carbohydrates. Other so-called “high molecular weight” carbohydrates are “weightless” when it comes to proof—they have zero university studies showing superior fuel delivery or performance in humans.

Vitargo is a complex high molecular weight starch molecule that dwarfs sugars (e.g glucose, fructose, and sucrose) as well as maltodextrin, the carbs found in ordinary energy and recovery drinks.

Vitargo’s larger size minimizes its osmolality, which refers to how much water it attracts around itself, or pulls into your intestines. Less water means less sense of bloating. Vitargo®’s low osmolality allows it to move through the stomach 2.3 times faster than other carbohydrates, which tend to act more like a sponge in the stomach. This helps you feel emptier compared to any other carbohydrate drink. Spending less time in the stomach allows Vitargo to be delivered faster to the intestinal tract where it is rapidly digested and absorbed. This provides a near immediate energy boost to blood and muscle, superior to other ordinary carbohydrates.

After training or competition, Vitargo recovers glycogen stores 77% faster, allowing for an increase in performance up to 23% greater after just two hours when compared to carbohydrates found in ordinary sport and recovery drinks.

No. Vitargo is currently made from waxy maize starch. What makes it unique isn't the source — it's the patented processing that creates its molecular structure, proven in university studies to outperform ordinary carbohydrates in speed, endurance, and resistance training.

A generic "high molecular weight" starch on a label doesn't carry that same research behind it. (Vitargo's starch source has varied over the years — the first studies used potato starch — but waxy maize is what it's made from today.)

No. Vitargo's extremely high molecular weight gives it very low osmolality — meaning it draws far less water into your stomach and intestines than standard sports drinks. Combined with gastric emptying that's roughly 2.3 times faster, that's why athletes describe feeling fully fueled without the heavy, "sloshing" stomach feeling common with maltodextrin-based drinks.

You can — but timing matters. Regular carbohydrates need several hours to digest and reach your bloodstream, liver, and muscles. Eat them right before training and you'll likely feel too full to perform well; eat them early enough and they will refuel glycogen, just more slowly and without the research behind Vitargo's speed of absorption.

If you're training or competing more than once in a day — or need to be ready again the next morning — the carbohydrate source matters. Vitargo is the one with research showing it refuels and recovers glycogen fastest, without the bloating.

Every Vitargo product page lists its full ingredient panel and allergen information under the product description. Because exact formulas can vary slightly by flavor and pack size, we keep that detail on each product page rather than here — so you're always looking at the information for the specific product you're buying.

Carbohydrate improves creatine absorption by causing an increase in insulin secretion which improves the storage of creatine. Creatine storage can be improved by taking Vitargo together with creatine. Ingesting Vitargo raises blood sugar levels and therefore the secretion of insulin, an endogenous hormone.  The improved uptake of creatine into the muscles is attributed to stimulation of creatine transporters mediated by insulin.

No exact GI value has been established for Vitargo, but insulin and blood glucose measurements point to a GI higher than maltodextrin's (~137) — exactly what you want from a sports carbohydrate, since a higher GI means faster, more accessible energy to the bloodstream.