But if something goes wrong, thats no reason to give up there are a number of things that you can do to get back on track. Half marathon nutrition and fueling for a marathon actually starts long before the marathon. Its such a great race, requiring speed, My recent article on PodiumRunner. Instead, we can focus on a high quality pre-run meal and a high quality post-run meal over our quick fuel. Fuel early and often! Save 10% on all UCAN products by using this link. Marathon Nutrition Blueprint - Runners Connect The Guaranteed Formula To Never Hit The Wall Again GET MINE NOW - $79 This is a one-time payment and you get lifetime access, so you can get custom race fueling plans for any future races from the half marathon to the ultra. Flat rate shipping of $12.45 Australia wide and $30 New Zealand wide. This is especially important during a marathon when you want to be able to access carbohydrates as quickly as possible. Learn more here. . ", 4x U.S. Olympian, Boston & NYC Marathon Champion, "Any time Im doing any type of physical activity, if I have a big day, or Im on the go, UCAN is a must. Your email address will not be published. Drink formulations centered around fast absorbing carbohydrates that emptied from the stomach quickly, got absorbed from the intestines quickly and thus boosted blood glucose levels quickly (and provided some electrolytes as well). My running buddies use it too! ENERGY THAT LASTS UCAN delivers a steady flow of energy to help you avoid the dreaded bonk! Dilute the carbohydrates with more water later in the race to account of the compromised GI tract. Load up with multiple servings of UCAN pre-workout if youre training for over 90 minutes and want a longer burn of energy. UCAN is a slow-release fuel with the benefit of not having to fuel as often and avoiding blood sugar spikes and crashes. After working with thousands of marathoners from charity marathon groups to Boston Qualifiers to Olympians, I wanted to provide a quick overview of the three most common strategies that Ive seen work. A password will be sent to your email address. UCAN 2.93K subscribers Coach Greg McMillan joins Generation UCAN for a webinar on the top 3 marathon fueling strategies! Most stations are clustered in urban areas where driving a few miles can take 20 minutes. And remember, practice your fueling and hydration plan during training! Here is what were going to cover in the rest of this article: How many calories you burn while running depends on three main factors: duration, intensity, and body weight. As you will soon understand, it's virtual impossible for an ultrarunner to replace all of the calories they burn during an ultramarathon. I finally feel like Ive solved the fueling puzzle for my runners.. Sign up for our newsletter for all the latest news and offers. Ingest 4-8 ounces of sports drink every 15 minutes and/or an energy gel every 30-45 minutes. How are they different? heat exhaustion. 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. If you dont have to take the extra weight, dont. You also need to practice your calorie intake in pre-race training sessions in order to train your gut. Low-calorie electrolyte mixes not only provide fuel and hydration but also increase absorption of carbohydrates. To avoid this crash, sports nutrition companies recommend re-dosing about every 30 minutes with a sugar-based energy gel, or to continuously sip at a sugary sports drink. One scoop provides 25g of carbohydrates and 310mg of sodium. improved the lives of children with a rare metabolic disorder. I absolutely love the Ucan mixes for drinks, which I use for any run 10 miles or longer. More recommendations here for what to eat the night before a long run. You can drink it without any liquid. "I love having UCAN bars after my workouts and long runs. But if you start fading near the end of your workout, you might need a little bit more fuel onboard. That said, no coach will recommend running a marathon at marathon pace prior to the marathon. Now, there's also the UCAN Edge gel. Liquid sources of calories are best for marathon training and racing because of the pounding effects of running. ", Former NFL Quarterback, 2020 Comeback Player of the Year. Were on a mission to empower athletes at all levels to achieve their personal best, and reach beyond their own expectations. Listen the podcast bellow! Consume 1 serving Energy + Protein within 30 minutes after a long run or hard workout. I was quickly struck by how the nutritional value overwhelmingly pointed to Ucan as a better option. Fuel with UCAN 30 minutes before your workout rather than sipping on it slowly like a traditional sports drink. Osmolality is a term describing how quickly a solution clears your stomach and enters the gut. Heres a breakdown of some of the best chews for running to help you determine which may work best for you. I have to admit I don't use anything and maybe i'd get my sub 2:50:00 if I experimented more. Another big plus is that the regimen on race day is much simpler. I tried to do this at the Rocket City Marathon but my stomach rebelled. Our community of athletes, experts and ambassadors are changing the game and inspiring a new generation to say UCAN! Dont overload them all at once. Olympian Alexi Pappas talks about the importance of pre-run fueling with UCAN. Many people rate UCan as a great product for sensitive stomachs. Traditional energy gels and sports drinks with maltodextrin and simple sugars have a high osmolality, which is why many runners experience GI distress when they consume them repeatedly. Sisson isn't the only top marathon runner fueling with UCAN. Runners often find they have energy but if they are used to this rush of energy, they may find the lack of it strange. 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. For the vast majority of athletes, your ideal running weight is roughly 10 lbs heavier than what is suggested by our Running Weight Calculator. If you start experiencing stomach distress, yet all your calories are coming from liquids and bottles, the risk becomes two-pronged. Let's discuss. It can be tempting to lose weight in the hope that it will make you faster, but this plan will eventually fall apart. Fueling The Pursuit is the UCAN podcast that feeds your obsession to optimize performance and health with cutting-edge insights from top athletes, world-class trainers, nutrition experts, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. No matter what the distance (5K-Marathon) I drink the Maurten Drink Mix 160 starting 3 hours before the race. Many runners will go back to bed or even take a nap between their early morning breakfast and the start of the race. 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? The strawberry banana flavor does not contain erythritol and I plan to experiment with that one in my next training cycle. Many runners consume sports drinks, electrolyte mixes, or sodas during a marathon. Runners often skip fueling because they cant figure out when to eat or what to eat in order to feel good throughout a workout. I am practising with UCAN bars before and UCAN homemade gel during my race, off to Berlin Marathon in 2 weeks. Consume the serving over a 5-10 minute span rather than sipping on it slowly like a traditional sports drink. Stand at the 25-mile mark of any marathon and youll see lots of runners (and Ive been one) who clearly stopped fueling adequately and are left to struggle to the finish line. 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. Aim to consumer mostly liquids such as energy gels, plus electrolyte mix and water. Today we show you how to fuel for an ultramarathon with special guest, and UCAN expert Coach Mario Fraioli. The number revealed by the Marathon Nutrition Calculator is more than just a number you cannot fuel your marathon with equal amounts of chocolate cake, sports gels, or broccoli and expect the same result.Not all calories are created equal when it comes to marathon nutrition and fueling your training session. This is a positive for your muscles but is a big negative for your GI tract. Fuel smarter on-the go with our sugar-free energy gels. And thank you guys for all your support! Then once that is dialed in, try it in a tune up race. For food/food-like products, ingest every 30-60 minutes depending on the product. NO SPIKES, NO CRASH Avoid the highs and lows of sugar-based fuels with our slow-releasing SuperStarch ! Thats where strategy #2 comes in. They do not cost you anything to use, but are a huge help to support the ongoing content creation process. Compare All Plans, Login Training Plan/Run Team UCAN Edge - - Long run fuel 70 calories (less than half of most gels) with 19 grams of carbohydrates and 55mg of sodium. So glad I found UCAN! Login Coach Certification Course There are benefits of carb loading for runners 2-3 days in advance of the race. Having breakfast before a marathon creates a buffer like nutrition insurance which provides you with some extra carbohydrates if you under-fuel during the race. UCAN takes the worries out of running, says Coach McMillan. There are lots of sports products out there such as gels, chews, and sports beverages that contain an ideal amount of carbohydrates (for fuel) as well as provide some electrolytes (such as sodium and potassium). Consult the. Everyones body is unique and can handle different types and amounts of food before a workout. -Sharon W. First marathon in the books! Since this process takes time and requires lots of water, it means fluids can slosh around in the stomach for a while, potentially causing problems.. Second, these products arent usually on the course so you must carry them with you. Required fields are marked *. UCAN delivers a steady flow of energy to help you avoid the dreaded bonk! Simple carbohydrates cause a big spike in blood glucose and give you a short-lived boost, but they soon leave you more drained than when you started. Our Marathon Nutrition Calculator is based on your body weight and the pace you will run. LIVSTEADY also has a very low osmolality, meaning it exits the stomach quickly and does not require lots of water to digest. On Sunday I completed the Austin Marathon. 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. This is the key ingredient in UCAN products and what sets it apart from other fuel sources. 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. Most of your hydration should come from electrolyte mixes and some water. water and mix it into a small flask or carry multiple servings in a bottle. You shouldnt need any solid food during a marathon, as this will be difficult and maybe even painful to process mid-run. Maurten ProductsI have tried all of the Maurten fueling products. Earlier this summer, I started sampling Generation Ucans energy bars. Check out the Energy Lab blog for recipes, podcasts and posts that will help you optimize your training and nutrition! HERE AT MTTIV WERE BIG FANS OF UCAN PRODUCTS: Get a 20% discount on Ucan products here (discount applied at checkout). Stomach issues or GI distress is one of the most common challenges faced by marathon runners. So it's important to train my body to digest those gels. A pre-workout meal before a long run or race may include: This is a good combination of high carb, moderate protein, and a small amount of fat. Use our Marathon Nutrition Calculator to practice your nutrition strategy in training, and pay attention to your body during these sessions. Have I dialed in my preferred quantities and do I own what I need to easily transport my UCAN? Instead, it is best to prepare a meal plan that contains a mix of carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein to fuel your workouts. It was a part of my routine in the NFL, during my recovery, and I use it daily. In this strategy, you arent using fast-acting carbohydrates that create the quick shuttling of carbohydrates from the gut to the blood stream (and creates the spike/crash cycle). Fueling for a marathon involves looking at many factors, which we will discuss in this post. How many calories you consume in a marathon training session depends on the sessions duration, intensity, and body weight. That said, I find this strategy to virtually cure issues with the spike/crash and GI upset in the marathon and highly recommend you give it a try. Their sport hydration drink mix mixes with water and provides calories and electrolytes. And I would much rather do so without constantly stuffing gels in my pie hole. 25th Floor - 700 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V7Y 1B3, The Performance Zone: Your Nutrition Action Plan for Greater Endurance & Sports Performance, An average runner will burn anywhere from 400-600 calories per hour during an easy-to-moderate run, Carbohydrate Recommendations for Marathon Runners, Hydration Status After an Ironman Triathlon: A MetaAnalysis, Energy expenditure comparison between walking and running in average fitness individuals, 1 gel and a mouthful of water or electrolyte mix (<30 calories per serving). Energy bars. As a MTA follower you can get 15% off by using the code MTABERLIN at checkout. Can they be used together? She also relies on UCAN to. At first glance, I was concerned with isomaltooligosaccharide one of those long ingredient names that falls into the if you cant pronounce it, dont eat it trap. half of a bagel with low fat cream cheese, a glass (roughly 8 oz.) On the one hand, if you continue drinking your fluid calories, you could seriously upset your stomach and experience cramps, GI stress, or worse. Before discovering Maurten, I always had the UCAN Energy Powder 30 minutes before the race. . Its important to recover with carbs and protein for endurance athletes in order to replenish glycogen, especially after a long run. BCAAs and creatine are not necessary supplements if one is getting enough protein in the diet. (Theres been more than one race where the sports drink on course wasnt mixed correctly leading to many upset stomachs.). To gather a stronger understanding over time of how much you need so that you are optimally fueled on race day, without hitting the wall or having stomach problems. Best Selling Book 1 serving contains 15g LIVSTEADY carbs and 20g of protein (both whey protein and pea protein options are available). 2-3 hours before activity drink 20 oz. You dose frequently with fast-acting carbohydrates to boost blood glucose levels. One of the keys to marathon nutrition performance is that it involves much more than the run itself. Eating before a long run or race helps to provide extra FUEL for the muscles and the brain. Here are our pro tips for marathon nutrition: Use the Marathon Nutrition Calculator to create a nutrition plan for your next marathon. The secret is out! If you are truly unable to eat anything the morning of a marathon, I would recommend drinking something with carbs such as 100% fruit juice or sports drink. These are some other factors to think about for your marathon race day and fuel during a marathon. 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. For Hammer gels, the top three were maltodextrin, water, apple juice concentrate (apple cinnamon) or tapioca syrup (for the chocolate variety). Maurten uses a hydrogel technology that makes the fuel super easy to digest and quickly accessible as you run. how this blueprint was created Were going to answer all those questions and more in this article. In the last 30-45 minutes, ingest a gel (once) or ingest sports drink (4-8 ounces every 15 minutes). Then this UCAN review might just make your day with how it works and could solve your dilemma. Ahead of race day, you should be able to lay out your race-day nutrition with the exact amount of total calories you need for the race. Sign up to get 20% off Training Plans and get weekly tips from Greg himself! Forming a hydration plan for athletes will depend on your sweat rate and electrolytes lost in sweat. If your calorie expenditure is greater than your calorie consumption, you will start losing weight and you will no longer be able to fuel your workouts. Electrolyte mixes are best for performance but can be difficult to stomach for long periods. I used to feel a crash a few hours afterwards and I dont get that anymore with UCAN. First, you dont get the high from the sugar rush at every feeding. I too struggled with the gus and hammer gels for my first 3 marathons. It may take some practice to find the right foods and gels for your stomach, but thats why you practice in training instead of trying something new on race day. 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. Check out the Energy Lab blog for recipes, podcasts and posts that will help you optimize your training and nutrition! Although the packaging a bit bulky compared to others. Super simple. Once the race has started, your nutrition window or how often you eat or drink comes in 17-30 minutes increments. Pasta can be one of the best foods for carb loading before a competition. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Stomach troubles derailing your marathon fueling? It comes in seven different flavors, including one caffeinated flavor (matcha). Assuming you have carb-loaded the day before the race, your body can store up to 2000-2500 calories overnight. If you feel your stomach starting to turn, switch to drinking water until your stomach resettles, and then go back to electrolyte mix. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. Read on through the rest of this article, and soon youll be able to put together your marathon nutrition plan. There is no more faking it when it comes to your nutrition approach when you get up to the marathon distance since glycogen stores are limited at around 2000 calories, or about 2-2.5 hours. Nothing new on race day. The harder you run, the more calories you burn, and the fastest runners in the world can burn over 1000 calories per hour. fructose and glucose) and maltodextrin have been used in a big way by sports nutrition companies to fuel runners. Avoid the highs and lows of sugar-based fuels with our slow-releasing SuperStarch ! I am a Registered Dietitian with my Masters in Public Health. Clinically proven to help maintain stable blood sugar, LIVSTEADY supports increased productivity, sharper focus, and optimal energy levels. You feel worse and worse until glycogen (carbohydrate) stores are all but depleted and youre forced to walk. You can practice various methods of carrying and consuming your nutrition so that on race day you are not burdened with anything more than the physical goal youve set for yourself. An important part of taking in carbohydrates during the race is to take them with water, and take them consistently. Most traditional sports nutrition with simple carbs provide a spike and crash effect, and youre left managing the sugary roller coaster. If you have a misstep in your fueling protocol, then you might end up running out of energy or hitting the wall. water or sports drink, Begin exercise in an adequately hydrated state, Drink a couple sips or gulps (approx. This carbohydrate is manipulated by heat and water so it is absorbed more slowly to avoid the spike and crash. Maurten is a fast-acting energy source that allows you to easily digest and use a large amount of carbs which has shown to enhance performance. Agree with what Trevor said about the Ucan bars including chocolate/peanut butter being my favorite too. So, runners learned that we need to fuel during the marathon and this research coincided with the boom in the sports drinks industry. Fueling up with UCAN before a workout is one of the best times to use the product. Gels. The vast majority of your training sessions will be done far below race pace, which means you will be burning fewer calories. This crash occurs because the body senses rising blood sugar levels, and the pancreas releases a hormone called insulin, which draws sugar out of the blood stream. What is LIVSTEADY Trusted by the Best. Though it should be noted that you still must work out the amount to ingest so your blood glucose level doesnt drop. We start with non-GMO corn and apply a patented, natural cooking process with just the right amount of heat and moisture over a long period of time. UCan's gels come in larger pouches than other energy gels and are made of their signature SuperStarch, which is a complex carbohydrate made from non-GMO corn. You just get your carbohydrates once every hour and then just need to drink water and electrolytes in between. Hey Carmen, I used bars only at the Flying Pig Marathon. UCAN FUELING 14 TOP RUNNERS AT THE OLYMPIC TRIALS . Rough guidelines are 30-90 grams of carbohydrates per hour in this strategy. Sara has Cran-Raz UCAN Energy as her pre-race meal before her marathons to load her muscles with glycogen and sips on a bottle of UCAN leading up to the race start. UCAN marathon fuel: Utilizing a super starch they claim both no stomach issues and no crashes. My hope with this section is to provide some insights into the common fueling methods so you can experiment to see what works for you. Hes the only athlete in history to win the New York Marathon (2009), the Boston Marathon (2014) and an Olympic Medal (Silver Medalist, 2004). Lastly, body weight significantly affects how many calories you burn while running. What to eat while running a marathon is so individual. Gels are one of the most common sources of carbohydrates during a marathon. Consider 1-2 servings of. Check out the resources below, and The Performance Zone: Your Nutrition Action Plan for Greater Endurance & Sports Performance for more information. You can move it up or down to understand how much weight makes a difference in marathon nutrition. That will tease out any flaws in your nutrition approach since youre subjecting yourself to as much of the race day stress as possible. It can no longer tolerate as concentrated or as much carbohydrate as it could earlier in the race. Other things to consider include texture, taste, flavor, caffeine amount, and portability (how will you carry it?). ", American Marathon & Half Marathon Record Holder, U.S. Olympian, "UCAN was my secret weapon to help me win the NYC Marathon, the Boston Marathon, and qualify for the Olympics at age 40! 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. You can learn more about this nutrition strategy in The Performance Zone: Your Nutrition Action Plan for Greater Endurance & Sports Performance, by John Ivy and Robert Portman. Check out the handy chart on the left to see how UCAN simplifies your nutrition for races of any distance. Ideally, you should have this carbohydrate-based breakfast four hours before the raceto give your body plenty of time to digest the food. Depending on the marathons start time, you dont necessarily need to consume a full breakfast before the race. Firstly, you want to make sure you are eating enough throughout your training cycle carbs, protein and fat. It is important to keep your hydration hight, so make sure to hydrate with water and additional sugar-free electrolytes as needed during the race, especially on hot and humid days. Protein bars. 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.). -Jen M. I ran my first marathon this past Sunday and I am so proud of myself! This Marathon Nutrition Calculator Will Dial in Your Fueling Strategy. Coach Greg McMillan joins Generation UCAN for a webinar on the top 3 marathon fueling strategies!