PlainPill

Maltodextrin

The short answer. There isn't much data on Maltodextrin yet — 11 mentions, 3 with a clear outcome — so treat these numbers as anecdotal. It is well studied — 20 meta-analyses on PubMed.

What users report
0%helped3 reports · few reports
0 helped2 mixed1 didn't help

From 11 mentions in total — the rest didn't say how it went and aren't counted.

Clinical research
AStrong research base
20
meta-analyses
801
RCTs
4,151
papers

What Maltodextrin does, according to users

Of the people who reported each effect, the share who said it got better.

2 more with fewer than 3 reports
betterno changeworse

What the research says

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, with their published conclusions.

AStrong research base

3+ meta-analyses or systematic reviews and 10+ randomized controlled trials in humans. The grade measures how much human research exists — read the conclusions below for what it found.

Food Res Int · 2020 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Nano/microencapsulation of anthocyanins; a systematic review and meta-analysis

Conclusion: Based on the results from the meta-analysis, the studied technique for encapsulation of anthocyanins can be ordered as: spray-drying (33.33%), freeze-drying (27.08%), gelation (20.83%), lipid-based particles (14.58%) and electrohydrodynamic processes (4.17%). In addition, carbohydrates such as maltodextrin (19.56%) and gums (15.22%) have been the most frequently used biopolymers for encapsulation of anthocyanins in the selected studies.

PubMed 32331692 ↗
Sports Med · 2022 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Maltodextrin-Based Carbohydrate Oral Rinsing and Exercise Performance: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that a maltodextrin-based carbohydrate oral rinse can improve exercise performance. When comparing the two meta-analytic approaches, although non-significant, the more robust, adjusted, random effects meta-regression model demonstrated some evidence of a maltodextrin-based carbohydrate oral rinse improving exercise performance overall.

PubMed 35239154 ↗
Food Res Int · 2024 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Microencapsulation of vitamins: A review and meta-analysis of coating materials, release and food fortification

Conclusion: It has been evidenced that gums are the most frequently employed coatings in the protection of vitamins (14.04%), followed by alginate (10.53%), modified chitosan (9.65%), whey protein (8.77%), lipid bases (8.77%), chitosan (7.89%), modified starch (7.89%), starch (7.02%), gelatin (6.14%), maltodextrin (5.26%), zein (3.51%), pectin (2.63%) and other materials (7.89%). The factors influencing the release of vitamins include pH, modification of the coating material and crosslinking agents; additionally, it was determined that the most fitting mathematical model for release values is Weibull, fol

PubMed 38763670 ↗
Nutrients · 2019 · Meta-analysis / systematic review
Impact of Food Additives on Gut Homeostasis

Conclusion: Similarly, the polysaccharide maltodextrin induces endoplasmic reticulum stress in intestinal goblet cells, thereby impairing mucus release and increasing host susceptibility to colitis. In this review, we report and discuss the current knowledge about the impact of food additives on gut homeostasis and their potential contribution to the development of inflammatory disorders.

PubMed 31581570 ↗

Dosage people report

As stated by users — not a recommendation. Follow the label or your doctor.

15-30 gbefore deep work sessions
5-8 mgas reported
100gdaily
50gpost-workout
30 gpre-workout

Reported side effects

How often each side effect came up across all reports.

crohns flare ×1stomach issues ×1

What users say

First-hand experiences, quoted verbatim. We show one positive and one negative where both exist.

“Maltodextrin heavily triggers my crohns disease and I find it to be a nasty additive.”
MixedRead the discussion ↗
“while most of the information people are posting is great.. the biggest thing you should do in my opinion is cut out the maltodextrin.”
MixedRead the discussion ↗
“i have that until im able to get a whole food meal into me”
Read the discussion ↗
Top discussions (5)

Other options for energy

User data from public discussions; research from PubMed. Information only, not medical advice — talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. Data updated October 3, 2026. How we rate