Oligosaccharides of glucose linked with alpha 1,4 and alpha 1,6 glycosidic links.
Glucose polymers (or maltodextrins) are relatively short chains of glucose units linked by glycosidic bonds. Glucose polymers are produced by partial hydrolysis of starch molecules, which contain many more glucose units linked together. Although current evidence suggests that glucose polymers offer no advantage compared to other carbohydrates for exercise performance, they can theoretically be considered a preferred fuel for endurance athletes, since as larger particles they could provide more energy within fewer total molecules, which may provide an osmotic advantage over simpler carbohdyrates. Total molecules within a solution is the key for determining the osmotic load of a solution; thus, with fewer particles needed to produce a solution containing an equal or greater amount of energy, it is expected that more energy could be fed with less risk of interfering with fluid balance and production of gastrointestinal distress. Furthermore, this could allow for more rapid absorption of water; thus a solution containing glucose polymers may have a hydrating advantage over other beverages. Many sports foods containing glucose polymers will list those substances as maltodextrins on the food label.
A glucose saccharide mixture of 3% glucose, 7% maltose, 5% maltotriose, and 85% polysaccharides of 4 to 15 glucose units, used in oral glucose tolerance tests.