Designed to optimize post-workout muscle repair. It is recommended to mix this with 20-24 oz. Firstly, you want to make sure you are eating enough throughout your training cycle carbs, protein and fat. If using the Plain UCAN, mix with a scoop of protein powder or with sugar-free electrolytes for flavor. How To Fuel For An Ultramarathon? - YouTube For years, I watched well-trained runners fail because of the nasty effects of sugary gels and chews, says Coach Greg McMillan, whos worked with all levels of runners from Olympians to first time marathoners. Here, were going to take you step-by-step through the crucial fueling windows for a marathon. As a professional runner and nurse anesthetist, Sarah Sellers relies on UCAN to energize smarter before her morning long runs. The fueling begins 15-30 minutes before the race start. Thats where strategy #2 comes in. I dont recall ever really liking the taste of gels. When my body needed a boost and a cheerful volunteer offered up a free packet of energy in an easy-to-open package, who was I to argue? Earlier this summer, I started sampling Generation Ucans energy bars. This led to the traditional fueling strategy that most runners have used (or at least started with). I've switched to SIS gels for in race. They have gels now so they may be great running gels for sensitive stomachs. GO SHOP! This change in the GI tract makes Strategy #1 a big challenge for many runners. He is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles where he had a legendary career, winning 4 NCAA Championships. It does contain erythritol as a sweetener, so be sure to know how that effects your digestive system. An average marathon runner, for example, may target 30-60 grams of carbohydrates consumer per hour during a marathon. The more you can take in and use, the better off you will be. Remember to start fueling 15-30 minutes before the race, and then continue fueling every 17-30 minutes through the race. UCAN simplifies marathon nutrition for runners. Save 10% on all UCAN products by using this link. who was introduced to UCAN by his nutritionist while training for the 2009 NYC Marathon. It is flavored with real fruit so has less sugar than other fueling products. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. Im also currently working on my certification to become a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD). water or sports drink, Begin exercise in an adequately hydrated state, Drink a couple sips or gulps (approx. This worked well until one time when it was just too much for my stomach during the, Remember, this is the fueling approach that works for me and every runner is different. Another big plus is that the regimen on race day is much simpler. Then once that is dialed in, try it in a tune up race. While Strategy #1 has been popular, it can be problematic and has led to the development of this new slow-acting carbohydrate strategy. Dathan Ritzenhein's Marathon Fueling Journey Dathan Ritzenhein details his struggles with "The Wall" and how the steady energy of UCAN helps him get the best out of himself in training and racing. Dathan Ritzenhein's Marathon Fueling Journey - PodiumRunner 4x U.S. Olympian, Boston & NYC Marathon Champion. All runners need to start practicing pre race meal for the morning of the race. And remember, practice your fueling and hydration plan during training! I want to thank MTA for all the advice I received as I trainedit was appreciated! Ask 100 marathoners how they fuel and youll get 100 different answers. UCAN | How Can SuperStarch Fuel Your Run - News5.Org Coach Greg McMillan joins Generation UCAN for a webinar on the top 3 marathon fueling strategies! The flavors Hammers apple cinnamon was my favorite did make them palatable, if nothing else. Depending on the marathon's start time, you don't necessarily need to consume a full breakfast before the race. I am a Registered Dietitian with my Masters in Public Health. Increasing your fluid intake in the days leading up to the race, the night before, and the morning of is going to be good practice to reach adequate fluid status. You dose frequently with fast-acting carbohydrates to boost blood glucose levels. But UCAN isn't just for elite runners - it's for anyone looking to improve performance and fitness in training without having . Rejoin Run Team Do I perform best on 1 serving per hour of UCAN, 2 per hour, or something in between? Drink 1 serving of UCAN 30-45 minutes before the race starts. The 9 Best Running Gels of 2023, According to Dietitians - livestrong Here are some tips on fueling with UCAN during a workout: Consume 1 serving Edge every 45-60 minutes during exercise. I was so excited when the Edge gels came out but they were a flop for me. You just work out in your training the frequency of ingestion so you maintain energy. Strategy #2) Slow Acting Carbohydrates The Alternative Strategy. I'd be interested to try Maurten someday. The advantage of Maurten is that it allows you to take in more calories and carbohydrates over the course of your run, which has shown to enhance performance. ! But theres a catch you cant have too many simple carbs at once or youll be at risk for GI distress and overly high blood sugar levels, and you cant take too little or youll bonk. If you are planning on taking on fuel during your race, you can probably get away with around 300-500 calories before the race, if you run 1:20 or under so will not be needing fuel, try to have 500-800 calories. Marathoners have been encouraged to drink 4-8 ounces of sports drink every 15 minutes and/or to take a gel every 30-45 minutes to keep glucose moving through the GI system and into the blood stream. These are some other factors to think about for your marathon race day and fuel during a marathon. Check out the resources below, and The Performance Zone: Your Nutrition Action Plan for Greater Endurance & Sports Performance for more information. 1 serving of Energy Powder has 20g of LIVSTEADY carbs and delivers 60-90 minutes of steady energy; 1 serving of Edge has 15g LIVSTEADY and delivers 45-60 minutes of steady energy. Fuel smarter on-the go with our sugar-free energy gels. Most sports drinks and gels also include electrolytes. You just get your carbohydrates once every hour and then just need to drink water and electrolytes in between. Add caffeine if you like. For most runners, the best marathon fueling strategy is to consume their calories in liquid gels while also consuming water or a low-calorie electrolyte mix. Before discovering Maurten, I always had the UCAN Energy Powder 30 minutes before the race. This is where it all starts coming together we know how many calories we need to consume during the marathon, the type of foods we should consume, and how to separate your fluids from your calories. The energy release is so prolonged, in fact, that it massively improved the lives of children with a rare metabolic disorder, the initial reason for UCANs existence. Find a McMillan Coach Near You Without the right marathon nutrition plan, your engine is running on empty, your body wont have the building blocks it needs to adapt, and you wont hit your goals. Sign Up to Receive a Weekly Newsletter with Top Running Tips, Best Running Belts That Wont Slip or Bounce and Carry it All, How Far Did I Run? I wanted to thank you both from the bottom of my heart for starting the Academy and online community. If you feel your stomach starting to turn, switch to drinking water until your stomach resettles, and then go back to electrolyte mix. For both UCAN and food, drink water with electrolytes (but no fast acting carbohydrates) every 15 minutes. 4-8 oz. Here are our pro tips for marathon nutrition: Use the Marathon Nutrition Calculator to create a nutrition plan for your next marathon. Drink a 2nd serving of UCAN around 15km and a 3rd serving around Mile 25. Many runners will preload with electrolytes before running. They have 2 types of gels and 3 drink mixes. Chocolate milk, smoothies, shakes, UCAN Recovery Mix are all good choices. How to Perfect Your Marathon Fueling Strategy with Coach Greg - YouTube Marathon Fueling Strategy One of the most important marathon tips I can give you is to make sure you know what to eat during a marathon that will work for you. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for endurance athletes in training. . My Videos Marathon Fuel Before Running This one is kind of given, you need to make sure in the days leading up to the race, you are only eating those foods you know sit well in your stomach. Most endurance energy products have simple sugars or maltodextrin as their carbohydrate source and deliver quick bursts of energy that require repeated re-dosing. Save 10% on all UCAN products by using this link. This is essentially to try to get you to stabilize energy and blood sugar levels. Compare All Plans, Login Training Plan/Run Team As for the cinnamon swirl option, it has a similar amount of protein and carbs and other measureable nutritional elements but lacks the flavor of the chocolate bars. Do you have trouble fuelling before or during your training? Fueling The Pursuit UCAN - Apple Podcasts There are lots of things that could go wrong the weather might change, you might forget a packet of gels, or you might start bonking with 7 miles to go. I thought of you during the race! More recommendations here for what to eat the night before a long run. It did not take me long to figure out that I could cut them into easily manageable bite-sized pieces that were easy to transport and easier to chew on the run. Go back up to our Marathon Nutrition Calculator and try changing your weight. Here are some tips to get started: Here are some tips on fueling with UCAN during a workout: Refueling with Energy + Protein after a tough session helps your muscles recover while giving you a consistent release of energy so you dont crash. You then risk cramming everything down or hitting the wall, which is why yourlong run fueling strategy should be practiced many times before race day. My favorite flavor is Lemon and I have tried them all. Running longer runs and marathons without fuel means energy levels, and blood sugar levels, fade over time. The Best Energy Gels, According to a Dietitian - Healthline With some experimentation, you can use more or less UCAN each feeding and/or take it more and less frequently. Each drink has its own mixture, which can be watered down or made even more concentrated. A large portion of UCANs running customers come to UCAN because of this steady feeling of long-lasting, strong performance without sugar. What to eat while running a marathon is so individual. Theres no chewing required, and in a matter of seconds, you will have another 20-30 grams of carbohydrates flowing into your bloodstream. Stations | Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership Generation UCAN makes fueling for a marathon simple, whether youre a competitive athlete and running to win, or focused on fitness and running to lose. Youll be able to fuel at less frequent intervals and wont be prone to rapid energy swings if you dont get the timing exactly right. Should I pre-load with 2 or 3 servings of UCAN Energy before a long run or race? Delivers a steady stream of energy to the mind and body. That will tease out any flaws in your nutrition approach since youre subjecting yourself to as much of the race day stress as possible. My running buddies use it too! Many people rate UCan as a great product for sensitive stomachs. The top three ingredients for all of the Gu Energy gel options were maltodextrin, water and fructose. Not only do you have the challenge of making sure you dose at the right intervals to avoid the sugar crash but just when you need carbohydrates for the last part of the race, your body cant tolerate it as well (which is why its recommended that you dilute your carbohydrates more in the latter parts of the race). Now, I dont see this as a problem given todays hydration packs but if a runner isnt prepared to carry, then this strategy will not work. Fueling before a workout is especially important if the workout is going to last more than one hour or if the workout is high intensity and you are trying to perform your best. Sign up for our newsletter for all the latest news and offers. The coordinated deployment of hydrogen stations across the state is providing the freedom to travel. As long as you practice with bars during training runs, you should have no problem using them as fuel during races. Have I dialed in my preferred quantities and do I own what I need to easily transport my UCAN? Find out what the best food options are before a weekday run, a long run and race day. For Hammer gels, the top three were maltodextrin, water, apple juice concentrate (apple cinnamon) or tapioca syrup (for the chocolate variety). You hear this when runners mention that the gel or drink that tasted so good at mile 5 made them want to vomit at mile 20. I use the UCAN powder before long runs and carry a bar along the way. This last strategy is becoming very popular and I suspect will be the go-to strategy for most runners in the future (unless some breakthrough product/strategy is discovered). Hydration Before A Marathon 2-3 hours before activity drink 20 oz. UCAN is a sports nutrition company that sells products containing its proprietary SuperStarch, a low glycemic complex carbohydrate that's designed to provide steady energy rather than spike blood. THANK YOU, ANGIE! Liquid sources of calories are best for marathon training and racing because of the pounding effects of running. Use our Marathon Nutrition Calculator to practice your nutrition strategy in training, and pay attention to your body during these sessions. Learn more here. Can they be used together? Thank you again! First and foremost, every endurance athlete must practice with various nutrition options before race day. Load up with multiple servings of UCAN pre-workout if youre training for over 90 minutes and want a longer burn of energy. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Comfortably fast. The top three ingredients in the Ucan bars are SuperStarch (hydrothermally cooked non-GMO corn starch), protein blend (whey protein isolate, milk protein concentrate) and isomaltooligosaccharide. As you know, I give you my honest feedback on all products. Electrolytes are especially important if the weather is hot and/or humid and/or if you are a heavy sweater or a salty sweater. Runners often skip fueling because they cant figure out when to eat or what to eat in order to feel good throughout a workout. That said, no coach will recommend running a marathon at marathon pace prior to the marathon. You can get away with poor nutrition habits at shorter distances. Marathon Runner Nutrition Plan During Race | UCAN Australia Their sport hydration drink mix mixes with water and provides calories and electrolytes. Do you have a long run fueling strategy in place? Since the marathon lasts 2, 3, 4, 5 and even 6+ hours, it makes sense youd need to fuel to maintain your blood glucose level. 1 serving contains 15g LIVSTEADY carbs and 20g of protein (both whey protein and pea protein options are available). Additionally, consider increasing your carb intake the day and night before as your body can store some amounts of carbs from fuel, it just cant store enough to get you through an entire marathon. You should still have a carb-based breakfast on race morning to make sure that your carbohydrate stores are completely topped off. Fueling for the Marathon | McMillan Running marathon heat exhaustion, UCAN Energy Powder for my long training runs so that my body burns fat for fuel, The Maurten gels (both Caffeinated and regular) to fuel immediately before and during a race. This will help decrease your marathon recovery time. Runners often find they have energy but if they are used to this rush of energy, they may find the lack of it strange. There is a growing collection of products where the carbohydrate source is more slowly absorbed and therefore the blood glucose remains stable. UCAN's breakthrough complex carbohydrate, LIVSTEADY, delivers consistent energy without the unhealthy, jittery blast you get from caffeine and sugar-laden products. P..S. loved your Belin race recap, I am a huge fan of your podcast, keep up the good work! Hes the only athlete in history to win the New York Marathon (2009), the Boston Marathon (2014) and an Olympic Medal (Silver Medalist, 2004). The vast majority of your training sessions will be done far below race pace, which means you will be burning fewer calories. You feel worse and worse until glycogen (carbohydrate) stores are all but depleted and youre forced to walk. This carbohydrate is manipulated by heat and water so it is absorbed more slowly to avoid the spike and crash. Marathon Nutrition Calculator To Nail Your Race Day Fueling UCAN is a slow-release fuel with the benefit of not having to fuel as often and avoiding blood sugar spikes and crashes. Consume 1 serving Energy + Protein within 30 minutes after a long run or hard workout. This makes it a stomach-friendly solution for runners who are struggling to take in sugary sports fuels. Usually my long runs last a maximum of 2:45. I used to feel a crash a few hours afterwards and I dont get that anymore with UCAN. The performance benefits of carbohydrates were discovered many decades ago and since the 1970s, fast-acting carbs like simple sugars (i.e. I am using these for a powerful but healthful boost during a training run or competition. Once the race has started, your nutrition window or how often you eat or drink comes in 17-30 minutes increments. It provides long-lasting fuel to help power your runs and doesn't contain added sugars. Want to learn more and get personalized recommendations? NO SPIKES, NO CRASH Avoid the highs and lows of sugar-based fuels with our slow-releasing SuperStarch ! You also need to practice your calorie intake in pre-race training sessions in order to train your gut. Rather, your body weight should stabilize as your training load and performance increase. Flat rate shipping of $12.45 Australia wide and $30 New Zealand wide. None of the gels deliver any protein, fat or fiber while there are very similar amounts of carbs and sugar. If the traditional strategy of sugar-based fueling has not worked. Most first-time marathon runners will be out there for at least 4 hours, so fueling before and during your run is critical to performing your best and feeling good doing it. This changes the way the starch is metabolized and allows it to deliver steady, long-lasting energy. I was quickly struck by how the nutritional value overwhelmingly pointed to Ucan as a better option. with elite U.S. marathoner Emma Bates about the mindset that led her to finish 2nd at the 2021 Bank of . how this blueprint was created Plus, the tangy, citrus flavor provides a refreshing treat when you feel like you've hit a wall. I finally feel like Ive solved the fueling puzzle for my runners.. When I use UCAN, I drink a full serving of the Energy Powder 30 minutes before I start. These carbs can be in the form of a sports gel or energy drink, and liquids are best. Sports drinks are another option for fueling that include carbohydrates and help with hydration. In the last 30-45 minutes, ingest a gel (once) or ingest sports drink (4-8 ounces every 15 minutes). On Sunday I completed the Austin Marathon. As you will soon understand, it's virtual impossible for an ultrarunner to replace all of the calories they burn during an ultramarathon. There are no flavors: Love UCAN for pre race. Generation UCAN makes fueling for a marathon simple, whether you're a competitive athlete and running to win, or focused on fitness and running to lose. Zach has a degree in Exercise Science and Psychology. 2-3 hours before activity drink 20 oz. They do not cost you anything to use, but are a huge help to support the ongoing content creation process. This has been a popular strategy and there are hundreds of products available that aim to provide fast-acting carbohydrates in lots of different flavors, textures and carbohydrate types (glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltodextrin, etc.). When you first start running, its hard. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. You can concentrate the Energy Powder with 4-6 oz. And, runners are using more food and food-like products (dates and figs seem to be very popular at the moment). I tried to do this at the Rocket City Marathon but my stomach rebelled. I like UCAN energy before races. As a former college athlete and an avid runner, I have firsthand knowledge and experience about how nutrition plays a role in performance and overall well being. Prioritizing the fuel you put into your body will have you on track for your best marathon training block yet, and youll be well on your way to crushing your goals. Instead, it is best to prepare a meal plan that contains a mix of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein to fuel your workouts. DIY Generation UCAN A homemade version of the popular race fuel that can be made for pennies! Electrolyte needs are very individualized but a good starting point is to consume 500 to 1000mg of sodium per hour during exercise. Then, well guide you through the details of creating a nutrition plan for marathon training and racing. Edge won't give you a sugar rush like a typical energy gel, and you don't need to chase it with water to digest it. Running Articles and Videos, Find Your Running Training Plan The lighter you are and the less body weight you have, the fewer calories you will burn. Weight loss is not always a good thing. There are benefits of carb loading for runners 2-3 days in advance of the race. What if You Have Stomach Issues During a Marathon? It can be tempting to lose weight in the hope that it will make you faster, but this plan will eventually fall apart. The main reason for the frequent dosing is that as the carbohydrates are quickly absorbed and raise the glucose in the blood very quickly, the brain senses this (and remember I said it tightly monitors the blood glucose level) and triggers the release of insulin to lower the blood glucose level to keep it from going too high.