Amylase is the enzyme that breaks down starch in food and is found in our mouths and intestines, but can also be supplemented.
Just like proteases break down whey protein for example, does a regular amylase supplement break down HBCD?
yes, and by the way HBCD is only slightly slower absorbed into the bloodstream than glucose-very fast. The main benefit is that fewer larger molecules pull much less water into the stomach and intestines than more smaller ones, so it prevents cramping and bloating.
So would taking amylase with it enhance or negate the benefits over glucose?
Negate. It’s already fast absorbed, but speeding up the breakdown would increase the pull of water out of the bloodstream and into the stomach.
Great, thanks, that’s good to understand.
So would that technically mean that you shouldn’t swish around the beverage in your mouth, since your mouth has amylase it would negate the benefits of hbcd alittle? You should just down it?
It starts breaking down in the mouth or stomach anyway. If you took straight powder in your mouth then it would break down faster while dissolving it in a volume of water is going to insulate it a little from enzymes. Ph levels and temperature are going to make a difference in digestion speed. Colder liquid improves absorption but also slows breakdown. I mean, you want a fast carb source. If you want to slow it down for a long event you could mix it with coconut milk or something. We know that HBCD creates a lot less osmotic pressure pulling water out of the bloodstream and into the stomach and I’d say that given enough cool/cold water you are not going to break it down much in the mouth.
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