Carb Powders for Muscle Gain and Endurance

Carb powders are an easy way to get more carbohydrate when food alone is not enough, whether you are bulking or fuelling long endurance sessions. Cream of rice works like a quick meal, highly branched cyclic dextrin (HBCD) and maltodextrin are fast drinkable carbs for training, and the right pick depends on when you use it. Here is how they compare, how much carbohydrate you actually need, and what each one costs per 30 g of carbs in Australia.

Cream of rice vs cyclic dextrin vs maltodextrin

Cost per 30 g of carbs is worked out from the carbs per serve and serves per pack on each label, so use it as a guide.

How much carbohydrate do you need?

Australian Institute of Sport researchers set out carbohydrate targets in a widely used review on carbohydrates for training. They scale with how much you train:

• Light training (low intensity or skill work): about 3 to 5 g per kg of body weight a day.
• Moderate training (about an hour a day): about 5 to 7 g per kg a day.
• Endurance training (1 to 3 hours a day of moderate to hard work): about 6 to 10 g per kg a day.
• Very high loads (4 to 5 hours or more a day): about 8 to 12 g per kg a day.

For a 75 kg cyclist training two hours a day, that can mean 450 to 750 g of carbohydrate a day. That is a lot of rice, bread and pasta, which is where carb powders help.

Carb powders for endurance training

During exercise, the same review suggests small amounts of carbohydrate, even a mouth rinse, for hard sessions of about an hour. For longer sessions it suggests 30 to 60 g an hour, and up to 90 g an hour for events longer than 2.5 hours. At those high rates, blends of different carbohydrate types may help your gut absorb more.

Drinkable carbs are the easiest way to hit these numbers. One scoop of Cluster Bomb gives 25 g of carbohydrate, and its directions allow up to two scoops (50 g) for long sessions. Cyborg HBCD gives 14.1 g per scoop and mixes clear with almost no taste, so you can add it to water or an electrolyte drink.

HBCD is often sold as gentler on the stomach. One small gastric emptying study found that drinks with a lower osmotic pressure, including an HBCD sports drink, left the stomach faster than a drink made with ordinary dextrin. It involved only 10 people and came from the company that makes HBCD, so the evidence is promising but limited. Practise any carb drink in training before you rely on it in a race.

For recovery between two hard sessions on the same day, the review suggests about 1.0 to 1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg per hour for the first four hours.

Carb powders for muscle gain

Protein builds muscle, but carbohydrate fuels the training that drives it and makes an energy surplus easier to reach. A review of off-season bodybuilding nutrition suggests at least 3 to 5 g of carbohydrate per kg a day to support resistance training, alongside a small surplus of about 10 to 20%.

Cream of rice is a popular bulking staple because it is quick, filling and easy to digest before a session. A 40 g serve of Rapid Pure Cream of Rice gives 30.1 g of carbohydrate and 620 kJ, and you can raise the energy by cooking it in milk or stirring in a scoop of whey. If you want carbs and protein in one shake, a mass gainer may suit you better.

Which carb powder should you choose?

• Cream of rice if you want a fast, easy meal before training or more carbs while bulking. Rapid Pure Cream of Rice is $39.95 for 30 serves at the time of writing, and it is one of the better-value ways to add carbs on our list.
• HBCD if you train for long periods and want a clear, almost tasteless carb drink. Cyborg Glycoject HBCD is $69.95 for 60 scoops, and Cyborg says it is made in an NSF certified facility.
• A flavoured intra-workout carb like Cluster Bomb ($79.95 for 30 serves) if you want a ready-flavoured drink to sip during long sessions.

Food still comes first. Rice, oats, bread, fruit and milk can cover most of your carbohydrate needs, and powders simply fill the gap when appetite, time or digestion get in the way. Compare carb and calorie-dense options in our best mass gainer guide, read why carbs are making a comeback, or browse all carbohydrate powders.

How our price compares

Here is what the same products cost at other Australian supplement stores, so you can check the difference yourself.

Supps247 prices come from our website. Other prices were checked on the websites of Nutrition Warehouse, Australian Sports Nutrition (ASN), Elite Supps and Supplement Mart on 29 October 2026 (same product and size, price for one unit) and can change at any time. Out of stock means it was listed but not available that day. Not listed means we could not find that exact product on their site. Supps247 members can use our Price Match Guarantee against Nutrition Warehouse, ASN, Elite Supps and Supplement Mart: we beat their full price by 5% or match their sale price (conditions apply).

Shop the products in this guide

Rapid Pure Cream of Rice$39.95Cyborg Glycoject HBCD 900 g$69.95Redcon1 Cluster Bomb$79.95

Browse all carbohydrate powders and weight gainers.

FAQs

Are carb powders worth it?

They are worth it if you struggle to eat enough carbohydrate from food, train for long periods, or want something easy to digest before or during a session. If you already eat plenty of rice, oats, bread and fruit and your training feels well fuelled, you probably do not need one. Carb powders add convenience, not anything food cannot provide.

Is cyclic dextrin better than maltodextrin?

Possibly for some people, but the evidence is limited. HBCD has a lower osmotic pressure, and one small study linked lower osmotic pressure drinks, including an HBCD drink, to faster stomach emptying than ordinary dextrin. That study had 10 people and came from the company that makes HBCD. Maltodextrin is a proven, fast carbohydrate. Try both in training and see which sits better.

How many grams of carbs should I have during a workout?

For hard sessions of about an hour, small amounts or even a carb mouth rinse may help. For longer sessions, AIS researchers suggest 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate an hour, and up to 90 g an hour for events lasting more than 2.5 hours, ideally from a blend of carbohydrate types. Gym sessions under an hour usually do not need intra-workout carbs.

Is cream of rice good for bulking?

Yes, it is a handy bulking food. It cooks in a minute or two, is easy to digest before training, and you can raise the energy by making it with milk and adding whey, nut butter or fruit. A 40 g serve of Rapid Pure Cream of Rice gives 30.1 g of carbohydrate and 620 kJ, so it suits people who find big meals hard to eat.

When should I take a carb powder?

It depends on the goal. Before training, cream of rice or a carb drink 1 to 2 hours out can top up fuel. During sessions longer than about an hour, sip a carb drink regularly. After hard training, especially with a second session the same day, carbs help refuel, ideally with some protein. On rest days, food is usually enough.

Sources: Carbohydrates for training and competition (Burke et al., Australian Institute of Sport, 2011); Fluids containing a highly branched cyclic dextrin and gastric emptying (Takii et al., 2005); Nutrition recommendations for bodybuilders in the off-season (Iraki et al., 2019); product labels and brand nutrition panels, checked October 2026.

Order online with Australia-wide delivery, free on orders of $99.99 or more, with Afterpay available at checkout. You can also use click and collect at a store that offers it, or visit a Supps247 store in Melbourne, regional Victoria or Brisbane to compare products in person. Members can use our member price match on full-priced items.

Prices and stock were checked on 29 October 2026 and can change at any time. Always read the label and follow the directions for use. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, check with your doctor first.