The Science

The Science

Ahh, the budding world of high-carbohydrate fueling for the every-man and every-woman. You probably heard about it from that one friend who brings up their Strava stats a little too often. Welcome to a new way of fueling — one that involves more than just stuffing your pockets with bars and fruit snacks.

So what is this not-so-new, just-underused method of fueling that most companies charge an arm and a leg for? Some kind of mega-super-secret-hard-to-produce-ultra-proprietary formula?
Not even close. It’s actually pretty simple — and that simplicity is exactly why we started Dirtbag Hydration.

See, “Big Salt” (cue dramatic music) is out here selling overpriced mixes that should be way more accessible. We wanted to bring the cost down for athletes who aren’t rolling in dough — because good fueling shouldn’t be elite-only.

The "What"

Our High-Carb mix is built from just a few simple ingredients in key ratios. Most important are the two carbohydrate sources:

  • Maltodextrin
  • Fructose

These two make up the bulk of each serving — and they’re the reason Dirtbag works as a real performance fuel.

We also include a third key player:

  • Sodium — your ride-or-die electrolyte

That’s it. No fairy dust, no fillers. Just a simple, dialed-in formula designed for performance.

The "Why"

Think of carbs like fuel in a car. When you’re grinding through a long run, hammering a climb, or just pushing your body hard — you’re burning fuel. That fuel is glycogen, stored in your muscles and liver. It’s your body’s go-to when you're moving fast, lifting heavy, or going long.

But here’s the catch:
Your tank is small.

Even if you carb-load like a pro, your body only stores enough glycogen to last a couple hours. After that? You bonk. Legs go to mush, brain turns to static, and suddenly that “fun” race feels like a terrible decision.

Enter: carbs.

Consuming the right mix of maltodextrin and fructose helps you absorb carbs faster, use more of them per hour, and keep your energy levels steady. It’s like fueling while you’re driving — no pit stops needed.

And the sodium? It’s not just there to make it taste salty. When you sweat, you lose electrolytes — especially sodium. Drop too low and you’re looking at cramps, dizziness, and brain fog. That’s why we made sure Dirtbag has enough sodium to keep your system in balance and your muscles firing clean.

The “When & How”

So you've got your Dirtbag mix. What now — drink the whole bag and become a rocket? Not quite.

Let’s break it down:

Before

Top off your tank. Take a small serving (~30g of carbs) 30–60 minutes before you start moving. It gives your body a head start so you don’t hit the wall early. Think of it like hitting the gas before the light turns green.

During

This is where Dirtbag shines. Most people can handle 60–90g of carbs per hour, and with training, even 120g/hr. Dirtbag is designed to scale with that.

  • Short effort? → 30–60g/hr (~½–1 sachet)
  • Long day? → 60–90g/hr (1–1.5 sachets)
  • Race mode or backcountry beatdown? → 90–120g/hr (2 sachets — you beast)

Just mix it with water, shake it up, and sip consistently. Don’t slam the whole bottle unless you want to test the limits of your gut mid-climb.

After

Recovery starts with carbs. One or two scoops after a workout helps replenish your glycogen stores and kickstart muscle recovery. Bonus: your next session won’t suck nearly as much.

That's the short story. There's a whole scientific rabbit hole to go down here involving glycan pathways, sodium ion channels, and other fancy things that Nathaniel got a degree studying (nerd). If you've gotten this far you're likely a nerd too and we like that. We should probably hang out.