[{"id":"01KRK8RHBHKAQYEZN8VYDMB73M","slug":"table-sugar","name":"Table sugar (sucrose)","carb_total_pct":"100.00","glucose_pct":"50.00","fructose_pct":"50.00","other_carb_pct":"0.00","sweetness_factor":"1.00","osmolarity_per_g":"2.92","source_citations":[{"url":"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/food-search?query=sugars+granulated","label":"Composition: USDA FoodData Central \u2014 Sugars, granulated"},{"url":null,"label":"Osmolarity: calculated from molecular weight 342.30 g\/mol (sucrose, C12H22O11)"},{"url":null,"label":"Sweetness: reference standard (sucrose = 1.00 by definition)"}],"display_order":0,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"exact","accuracy_variance_pct":null,"summary":"Table sugar is the cheapest and most accessible DIY fueling ingredient \u2014 pure sucrose, a disaccharide that the gut splits into a 50\/50 glucose\u2013fructose mix on the way in.","usage_notes":"Table sugar is the workhorse of homemade endurance fueling. Chemically it is sucrose: one glucose unit and one fructose unit bonded together. The small intestine cleaves the bond rapidly and absorbs the two simple sugars separately, so for the bloodstream a gram of sucrose looks identical to half a gram of glucose plus half a gram of fructose.\n\nThat 50\/50 split is close to the 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio Hearris et al. recommend at intake rates above 90 g\/h, which is why table sugar can carry a high-rate fueling plan almost on its own. At 60\u201390 g\/h you'll want to nudge the ratio back toward 2:1 by adding maltodextrin or dextrose alongside.\n\nCost is the headline feature: roughly \u20ac1\u20132\/kg in German supermarkets, the price floor against which every commercial gel is measured. Practical caveats: sweetness rises sharply above ~10% w\/v and many athletes report flavour fatigue past 14% w\/v \u2014 pair with low-sweetness maltodextrin if you need a strong concentrate. Osmolarity is moderate (~2.92 mOsm\/g of carb); stay below 14% w\/v in main sip bottles for isotonic comfort. Dissolves easily in warm water; clumps in cold, so add to half a bottle of warm water first, then top up cold.\n"},{"id":"01KRK8RHBMF04R1D8VJ0T1X5BX","slug":"maltodextrin","name":"Maltodextrin (DE 10-15)","carb_total_pct":"100.00","glucose_pct":"100.00","fructose_pct":"0.00","other_carb_pct":"0.00","sweetness_factor":"0.05","osmolarity_per_g":"0.50","source_citations":[{"url":null,"label":"Composition: manufacturer specifications (Cargill, Glico Nutrition) for DE 10-15 grade"},{"url":"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/20574242\/","label":"Use in sports drinks: Jeukendrup 2010 \u2014 Multiple transportable carbohydrates"},{"url":"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/20840562\/","label":"Osmotic load: low-DE maltodextrin keeps drink concentration high without GI distress (Maughan & Shirreffs 2010, Scand J Med Sci Sports)"}],"display_order":1,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"typical","accuracy_variance_pct":5,"summary":"Maltodextrin is a partly broken-down starch \u2014 a glucose polymer that adds carbs to a bottle without proportionally raising its osmolarity, which is why almost every commercial sports drink uses it.","usage_notes":"Maltodextrin is not a single molecule but a family of glucose chains, typically 3\u201320 units long, produced by enzymatic breakdown of corn or rice starch. The body cuts the chains back into free glucose in the gut and absorbs it through the SGLT1 transporter just like any other glucose source.\n\nThe reason it dominates sports nutrition is osmotic load. A gram of sucrose contributes around 2.92 mOsm to a litre of water; a gram of low-DE maltodextrin contributes about 0.5 mOsm because each molecule carries many glucose units. That means you can pack 15\u201318% w\/v carbs into a bottle and stay close to isotonic \u2014 a glucose-only drink at the same strength would be uncomfortably hypertonic.\n\nIn a DIY mix, pair maltodextrin with fructose (or sucrose) to recruit both SGLT1 and GLUT5 transporters and unlock the >60 g\/h ceiling that glucose alone hits. A typical pairing is 1:0.8 maltodextrin:fructose at high carb-rate efforts (>90 g\/h). DE 10\u201315 grade is the standard for endurance use; higher DE tastes a bit sweeter and has higher osmolarity. German bulk price is \u20ac3\u20135\/kg from sports-nutrition suppliers (Decathlon, fitstore, Amazon DE). Stores well; absorbs moisture, so keep the bag sealed.\n"},{"id":"01KRK8RHBN8DTYXFGZWEKFQSSK","slug":"dextrose","name":"Dextrose (glucose monohydrate)","carb_total_pct":"100.00","glucose_pct":"100.00","fructose_pct":"0.00","other_carb_pct":"0.00","sweetness_factor":"0.74","osmolarity_per_g":"5.55","source_citations":[{"url":"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/food-search?query=glucose+dextrose","label":"Composition: USDA FoodData Central \u2014 Glucose (dextrose)"},{"url":null,"label":"Osmolarity: calculated from molecular weight 180.16 g\/mol (anhydrous reference)"},{"url":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/book\/10.1007\/978-3-540-69934-7","label":"Sweetness: Belitz, Grosch & Schieberle, Food Chemistry 4e (Springer 2009), Ch. 19 carbohydrates"}],"display_order":2,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"exact","accuracy_variance_pct":null,"summary":"Dextrose is pure glucose in powder form \u2014 the fastest-absorbed carbohydrate available, useful as a small accelerator but a poor base for a full bottle because it loads the drink with osmolarity.","usage_notes":"Dextrose is anhydrous or monohydrate glucose, the same molecule the body uses for cellular fuel. Absorption is essentially limited only by gastric emptying \u2014 there is no breakdown step at all in the gut.\n\nFor DIY fueling, dextrose is best thought of as a small accelerator rather than a bulk base. Two reasons. First, osmolarity is high: 5.55 mOsm per gram of carb. A 10% w\/v dextrose solution is already noticeably hypertonic, which can slow gastric emptying and cause GI distress on the bike. Second, the gut's main glucose transporter SGLT1 saturates around 60 g\/h; above that, you need fructose alongside, and dextrose alone can't get you to 90+ g\/h.\n\nPractical places to use it: as the glucose half of a glucose:fructose mix where you want a pure, sweetness-controlled blend (dextrose is ~74% as sweet as sucrose); in a small concentrate flask paired with a moderate amount of fructose; or as a quick pre-session top-up (50\u201380 g in water 30 min before the start).\n\nAvoid using dextrose as the only carb in a long sip bottle \u2014 replace bulk volume with maltodextrin instead. German bulk price: \u20ac3\u20134\/kg from sports-nutrition suppliers.\n"},{"id":"01KRK8RHBPQP3KZTC2V6K9RS7P","slug":"fructose","name":"Pure fructose powder","carb_total_pct":"100.00","glucose_pct":"0.00","fructose_pct":"100.00","other_carb_pct":"0.00","sweetness_factor":"1.73","osmolarity_per_g":"5.55","source_citations":[{"url":"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/food-search?query=fructose","label":"Composition: USDA FoodData Central \u2014 Fructose, crystalline"},{"url":null,"label":"Osmolarity: calculated from molecular weight 180.16 g\/mol"},{"url":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/book\/10.1007\/978-3-540-69934-7","label":"Sweetness: Belitz, Grosch & Schieberle, Food Chemistry 4e \u2014 typical cited as 1.73, temperature-dependent"},{"url":"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/35900898\/","label":"Co-ingestion with glucose at 1:0.8 ratio above ~90 g\/h: Hearris et al. 2022 (J Appl Physiol)"}],"display_order":3,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"exact","accuracy_variance_pct":null,"summary":"Pure fructose is the secret weapon for high carb-rate endurance fueling \u2014 its separate GLUT5 transporter lets you stack another 30\u201350 g\/h on top of glucose's ~60 g\/h ceiling.","usage_notes":"Fructose is the simple sugar found in fruit. In DIY endurance fueling it is the dose-extender: glucose alone saturates at roughly 60 g\/h because the SGLT1 transporter caps absorption there, but fructose uses a completely separate transporter (GLUT5) and adds another 30\u201350 g\/h of usable carbohydrate per hour.\n\nThree rules of thumb. Below 60 g\/h, you can ignore fructose entirely. Between 60 and 90 g\/h, aim for a glucose:fructose ratio around 2:1. Above 90 g\/h, move toward 1:0.8 (Hearris et al., 2022).\n\nSweetness is high (\u22481.7\u00d7 sucrose), so pure fructose mixes taste noticeably sweet. Most athletes prefer to source the fructose via sucrose (table sugar) or honey if they don't already have a low-sweetness base like maltodextrin. Osmolarity matches glucose at 5.55 mOsm\/g, so don't try to deliver all your fructose through a single fructose-only bottle \u2014 it will be too dense.\n\nGI tolerance to fructose is highly individual and trainable. Athletes new to high-fructose fueling should start at 2:1 (glucose-heavy) and shift over weeks. Sudden 1:0.8 jumps cause notable GI distress in roughly a third of untrained guts. German bulk price: \u20ac6\u20138\/kg from sports-nutrition retailers.\n"},{"id":"01KRK8RHBQ4NY32CCBV7W86T9W","slug":"honey","name":"Honey","carb_total_pct":"82.00","glucose_pct":"38.00","fructose_pct":"46.00","other_carb_pct":"16.00","sweetness_factor":"1.10","osmolarity_per_g":"5.10","source_citations":[{"url":"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/food-search?query=honey","label":"Composition: USDA FoodData Central \u2014 Honey (raw)"},{"url":null,"label":"Note: composition varies by \u00b115% with floral source and processing"},{"url":"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/14753997\/","label":"Use as endurance fuel: Earnest et al. 2004 (J Strength Cond Res)"}],"display_order":4,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"typical","accuracy_variance_pct":15,"summary":"Honey is nature's pre-mixed glucose\u2013fructose sports drink concentrate \u2014 fructose-heavy, high in osmolarity, and biologically more variable than refined sugars but a credible DIY base.","usage_notes":"Honey is roughly 38% glucose, 46% fructose, and 16% other carbohydrates (sucrose, maltose, oligosaccharides), with about 17% water by mass. The fructose-heavy profile makes it interesting for high carb-rate fueling \u2014 it sits closer to the 1:0.8 glucose:fructose ratio that research recommends at >90 g\/h than table sugar does.\n\nIn practice, honey dissolves slowly in cold water \u2014 pre-mix in warm water and then chill. Composition varies by \u00b115% depending on floral source and processing: clover honey behaves a little more like table sugar; wildflower or buckwheat honey is more fructose-shifted. Osmolarity is slightly lower than pure sugar (5.10 mOsm\/g of carb) because of the small oligosaccharide fraction, but high enough that you should stay below 12% w\/v in a sip bottle.\n\nEarnest et al. (2004) found honey produces similar performance outcomes to commercial gels at matched carb intake. Cost: \u20ac6\u201312\/kg in Germany for ordinary supermarket honey; specialty raw honey can be 3\u20134\u00d7 that. As an endurance fuel, honey is significantly more expensive per gram of carb than table sugar or maltodextrin, so it is best used as flavouring or one component of a multi-ingredient mix rather than the bulk base.\n"},{"id":"01KRK8RHBR13MAQPZE8KFYH83F","slug":"agave-syrup","name":"Agave syrup","carb_total_pct":"76.00","glucose_pct":"10.00","fructose_pct":"85.00","other_carb_pct":"5.00","sweetness_factor":"1.40","osmolarity_per_g":"5.20","source_citations":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0308814614010103","label":"Composition: Mellado-Mojica & L\u00f3pez 2015, Food Chemistry \u2014 Identification, classification, and discrimination of agave syrups"},{"url":"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/26376619\/","label":"Fructose-dominant profile and metabolic implications: Stanhope 2016 (Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci)"}],"display_order":5,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"typical","accuracy_variance_pct":10,"summary":"Agave syrup is a fructose-dominant liquid sweetener \u2014 useful as a small fructose contribution to a multi-ingredient mix, but too fructose-heavy to use as the bulk base of a fueling plan.","usage_notes":"Agave syrup is made by hydrolysing fructans (long fructose polymers) extracted from the agave plant. The hydrolysis releases free fructose, and the resulting syrup is roughly 85% fructose, 10% glucose, and 5% residual fructooligosaccharides by carb mass.\n\nFor DIY endurance fueling that profile is unusual. Most athletes need a glucose-dominant or balanced mix; agave is the opposite. Use cases that actually make sense are: as the fructose contribution in a mix with maltodextrin (glucose-only) when you want a liquid sweetener for taste plus the fructose chemistry; for athletes whose gut handles fructose very well and who are targeting 1:0.8 ratios \u2014 agave can simplify the mix by carrying both fructose and a little glucose in one component; or for taste variety in a long-session plan where multiple bottles need different flavours.\n\nAvoid using agave as the only carb source \u2014 the fructose-heavy load saturates GLUT5 absorption around 30\u201350 g\/h and the rest sits in the gut. Cost: \u20ac6\u20138\/kg from German health-food stores or Amazon DE, about 5\u00d7 the cost-per-gram-of-carb of table sugar.\n"},{"id":"01KRK8RHBS36JAR3JNPR9M8T7N","slug":"maple-syrup","name":"Maple syrup (Grade A)","carb_total_pct":"67.00","glucose_pct":"6.00","fructose_pct":"6.00","other_carb_pct":"88.00","sweetness_factor":"1.00","osmolarity_per_g":"3.40","source_citations":[{"url":"https:\/\/fdc.nal.usda.gov\/food-search?query=maple+syrup","label":"Composition: USDA FoodData Central \u2014 Syrup, maple"},{"url":"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/ed084p1647","label":"Sugar profile: Ball 2007, J Chem Educ \u2014 Chemistry of maple syrup"}],"display_order":6,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"typical","accuracy_variance_pct":10,"summary":"Maple syrup is mostly sucrose in liquid form \u2014 a flavour-rich and traceable DIY fueling option whose carb chemistry is close to table sugar's, at significantly higher cost.","usage_notes":"Pure maple syrup is concentrated sap from the sugar maple, boiled down to roughly 67% carbohydrate by mass. The carbs are about 88% sucrose, with small amounts of free glucose, free fructose, and trace oligosaccharides \u2014 so its in-gut behaviour is essentially identical to a slightly diluted table-sugar solution.\n\nWhy use it: flavour. Maple gives a more interesting taste than refined sugar in long sessions when sweetness fatigue is a real issue. Traceability: single-source pure maple is appealing to athletes who prefer minimally-processed ingredients. Liquid form: easier to mix into bottles than dry crystals if you are prepping at the trailhead.\n\nWhat it doesn't do: shift the ratio. Maple's glucose:fructose ratio mirrors sucrose at ~1:1, so it isn't a tool for high carb-rate (>90 g\/h) tuning. And it doesn't lower osmolarity \u2014 the sucrose load gives it a moderate ~3.4 mOsm\/g of carb; stay below 14% w\/v in a sip bottle.\n\nCost: \u20ac18\u201328\/kg for Grade A pure maple in Germany. Roughly 15\u201320\u00d7 the per-gram-of-carb cost of table sugar. Best treated as a flavour ingredient in part of the plan, not the bulk base.\n"},{"id":"01KRK8RHBTCXKRMSA3V1C5ANEJ","slug":"rice-syrup","name":"Brown rice syrup","carb_total_pct":"75.00","glucose_pct":"3.00","fructose_pct":"0.00","other_carb_pct":"97.00","sweetness_factor":"0.50","osmolarity_per_g":"1.80","source_citations":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.lundberg.com\/products\/organic-sweet-dreams-brown-rice-syrup","label":"Product reference: Lundberg Family Farms \u2014 Organic Sweet Dreams Brown Rice Syrup"},{"url":"https:\/\/bakerpedia.com\/ingredients\/brown-rice-syrup\/","label":"Composition (typical 45% maltose, 52% maltotriose+oligos, 3% glucose): BAKERpedia \u2014 Brown Rice Syrup"},{"url":null,"label":"Note: low osmolarity is the key feature \u2014 lets you mix high-concentration carrier flasks without GI distress"}],"display_order":7,"created_at":"2026-05-14 12:53:07.519144+00","updated_at":"2026-05-16 09:11:33.318059+00","accuracy":"typical","accuracy_variance_pct":10,"summary":"Brown rice syrup is the secret of high-strength carrier flasks \u2014 mostly maltose and maltotriose, almost no fructose, with the lowest osmolarity of any common DIY ingredient.","usage_notes":"Brown rice syrup is produced by treating cooked rice with malting enzymes that cleave the starch into shorter chains. The result is a thick syrup of roughly 45% maltose (two glucose units), 30% maltotriose (three glucose units), 20% higher-DP oligosaccharides, and 3\u20135% free glucose. There is essentially no fructose.\n\nTwo properties make rice syrup interesting. First, very low osmolarity per gram of carb (~1.8 mOsm\/g) because most of the mass is bound in disaccharides and trisaccharides \u2014 lower than maltodextrin, and dramatically lower than pure sugar. You can mix 18\u201322% w\/v rice syrup solutions without crossing into the hypertonic territory that triggers GI distress. Second, mild sweetness (~50% of sucrose) means high concentrations are still drinkable.\n\nBest place to use rice syrup in a DIY plan: the concentrate soft flask. A 150 ml flask at 22% w\/v carries ~33 g of carbohydrate, sipped over the back half of a long session. Pair it with a separate fructose source (table sugar, honey, or pure fructose) in your main sip bottle so the overall ratio still falls into the 2:1 or 1:0.8 range.\n\nCost: \u20ac5\u20138\/kg from German health-food stores and Amazon DE.\n"}]