Protocol VPROTOCOL V

Carbohydrate Timing Protocol — A 3-Phase Energy & Recovery System

Wed Jan 07 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

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Educational use only. Not medical advice. Not instructions.
This page explains physiological rationale and timing logic, not personal dosing or individualized prescriptions.

Why This Exists

Most lifters treat carbohydrates as a single tool instead of a time-dependent signal.

That leads to:

  • insulin spikes at the wrong time
  • mid-workout crashes
  • GI distress
  • chasing “more carbs” instead of fixing sequencing

Training isn’t one metabolic state. It moves through distinct phases:

  1. preparation
  2. execution
  3. recovery

This protocol separates carbohydrate use across those phases so each carb does one job well instead of doing everything poorly.

The Core Idea

This system is not about “best carb.”

It’s about matching carbohydrate behavior to physiology.

  • Before training: you want stable energy availability
  • During training: you want maintenance, not rescue
  • After training: you want deliberate insulin signaling

Same macronutrient.
Different timing.
Different biological effects.

The 3 Phases (What Each One Actually Does)

Phase 1 — Preload Energy (Pre-Workout)

Primary: Highly Branched Cyclic Dextrin (HBCD / Cluster Dextrin®)

This phase exists to prepare the system before stress begins.

HBCD is typically described as:

  • high molecular weight
  • low osmolality
  • rapid gastric emptying
  • gradual glucose appearance in blood

What that means in practice

  • blood glucose rises without a sharp insulin spike
  • liver glycogen is supported
  • early reliance on stress hormones is reduced

Why preload matters If you start training under-fueled, everything downstream becomes reactive:

  • bigger intra doses
  • GI issues
  • energy crashes

Preloading lets the session run calm and predictable.

Why I use a larger HBCD serving here A bigger pre-workout dose allows energy to be front-loaded, so less carbohydrate is required later during the workout.

Phase 2 — Sustain Output (Intra-Workout)

Primary: HBCD (smaller amount) + EAAs

Once training starts:

  • muscle contraction increases glucose uptake (GLUT4 translocation)
  • glycogen breakdown accelerates
  • insulin becomes less relevant for uptake during contraction

Because energy was preloaded:

  • intra carbs act as maintenance, not emergency fuel
  • smaller doses are sufficient
  • GI stress stays low

Why EAAs belong here

  • training increases muscle protein breakdown
  • EAAs help preserve amino availability during the session
  • they support performance without slowing digestion

This phase is about preservation and consistency, not recovery signaling.

Phase 3 — Recovery & Refill (Post-Workout)

Primary: Dextrose

After training:

  • muscle glycogen is depleted
  • insulin sensitivity is elevated
  • muscle tissue is primed for nutrient uptake

This is where dextrose excels.

What dextrose does

  • rapidly raises blood glucose
  • triggers a strong insulin response
  • activates glycogen synthase (refilling muscle glycogen)
  • increases transport of nutrients (glucose, amino acids, electrolytes) into muscle

Insulin here isn’t the enemy — it’s the delivery signal.

Why dextrose is reserved for post Used earlier, it can:

  • spike insulin before it’s useful
  • increase crash risk mid-session
  • worsen GI tolerance

Used post-workout, it supports:

  • faster glycogen replenishment
  • improved nutrient shuttling into muscle
  • better recovery between sessions

Why HBCD Before & During — but Dextrose After

  • HBCD = stable fuel availability + stomach-friendly performance support
  • Dextrose = fast recovery signal + insulin-mediated nutrient transport

HBCD supports performance without forcing insulin.
Dextrose leverages insulin when it matters.

This is timing vs intent, not good vs bad carbs.

Product Selection (Same Carb, Different Use Case)

Both options below use Cluster Dextrin® (HBCD).
The difference is serving size, container size, and price per gram — not the carbohydrate itself.

Pre-Workout (Larger Preload)

Muscle Feast — Cyclic Dextrin

Best suited for larger upfront servings to preload energy before training.

  • Larger tub
  • Higher per-serving carb amount
  • Ideal for heavy sessions and longer training blocks

🔗 Referral Link: https://bit.ly/4qJlyS4
💸 Discount: Automatic 10% off
🔖 Link Text:
“Muscle Feast — Cyclic Dextrin (10% automatic)”

Intra-Workout (Smaller Maintenance Doses)

Granite Nutrition — HBCD Powder

Best suited for smaller, precise doses during training to maintain output.

  • Smaller serving size
  • Easy to titrate intra-workout
  • Convenient for lighter or shorter sessions

🔗 Referral Link: https://granitenutrition.com/?ref=ProtocolV
🏷 Discount Code: Protov10
🔖 Link Text:
“Granite Nutrition — Gym fuel (Protov10)”

Common Mistakes This System Prevents

  • using fast sugars pre-workout and crashing mid-session
  • skipping preload and trying to rescue workouts with massive intra carbs
  • blaming “tolerance” when the real issue is sequencing
  • treating insulin as something to avoid instead of a tool to deploy

Protocol V Takeaway

Performance improves when:

  • energy is loaded before stress
  • output is sustained during stress
  • recovery signals are used after stress

Same carbs.
Different phases.
Different jobs.