Hi, I was just curious if anybody had any information on vitargo. I can only find that it is a Swedish carbohydrate and might be absorbed even faster than dextrose and maltodextrin. If this is true, wouldn’t this carb be better post workout than our current “dext/malto = best” philosophy? Thanks for any info.
Vitargo from what I understand (could be off) is made from potatos and then refined.
Basically it’s what maltodextrin promised. A startch (non-sugar) with a high glycemic index rating (how fast it absorbs by the larger insulin spike).
You want a big insulin spike pre and post-workout. Any other time is NOT a good thing.
Vitargo better than sucrose (table sugar)? Yep. Better than maltodextrin? Yep. Better than glucose-fructose (ingredient in Gatorade and the like which this product is constantly compared against)? Yep. Better than dextrose? Arguable.
Reason why…bigger, fast insulin spike which drives sugar into the body (glucose in form of blood glucose or used to replenish glycogen - muscle sugar).
But most of the research on sugars (energy replenishment) is not based around vitargo. Look at the Surge product. Or AST’s product DGC. They both use D-Glucose (otherwise called dextroratatory glucose crystals). This is a form of sugar that requires ZERO digestion to be absorbed into the body as it is the same sugar that’s in our bodies already. It also causes a bigger insulin spike and faster absorbtion than all the other forms of sugar listed above as well.
Vitargo must still be digested and then turned into this form of sugar.
So…let’s really compare:
-Vitargo - $40-65 for a 4-5lb. Ouch.
-AST’s DGC (product I personally use and swear by. Also found in their Creatine HSC product if you’re comparing sugar/creatine blends) - $10 for a 2lb (1000g) of DGC. 1/2 the price of Vitargo.
www.bodybuilding.com/store/ast/dgc.html
- Biotest’s Surge PWO - $30 for 730 of this excellent sugar. Keep in mind this is a fantastic, complete PWO drink, not just sugar. Just add regular creatine and you’re done.
Biotest’s Surge and AST’s DGC (or Creatine HSC) products are at least on par with Vitargo’s claims of glycogen and blood glucose replenishment (arguably better). But cost wise Vitargo is just not worth it.
Go with:
Biotest: Surge + Creatine Monohydrate
or
AST: VP2 + Creatine HSC
They’re essentially the same ingredients (hydrolzed whey isolate, D-Glucose and CM) and work in the same manor and effectiveness. Cost is similar too.