Maltodextrins are water-soluble carbohydrates derived from mainly maize starch, which is composed of long glucose chains that can be divided into simpler carbohydrates. Maltodextrins are therefore partially digested starch. For this reason maltodextrins have particular characteristics that are useful both for sportsmen and food industry. Indeed Maltodextrins have a pleasant taste, they are easily assimilated and soluble in water. They represent a good compromise between time to assimilate sugars and availability of energy, and their intake has no particular side effects. They represent a good compromise between the of sugar’s assimilation and availability of energy, and their intake has no particular side effects. Maltodextrin is a complex water-soluble carbohydrate and therefore an excellent substitute for dextrose and for this reason in the late 1980s the bodybuilding industry used it massively to increase the intake of carbohydrates in the diet without resorting to sugar. Maltodextrin can result from any type of starch if it is derived from wheat could alarm people who suffer from gluten intolerance but such fears are unfounded; in fact, the production of maltodextrin involves treatments for which most proteins are removed, making it effectively a gluten-free substance.