Nutrition Success: Generation UCAN

It's been almost ten years since I got involved in triathlon/endurance sports.  It's been an awesome adventure and I've dialed in quite a few things related to racing.  However, there's been one thing I've never gotten a handle on: training and racing nutrition. I have run the gamut of trying pretty much everything or a combination of it all in some form.  Gels, bars, real food, sports drinks; you name it, I've tried it.  It's not to say that I've never had a race with good nutrition, but there's never been any consistency to it.  I couldn't tell you what I did in any specific race because quite honestly there was no rhyme or reason to what I took in.

Don't get me wrong; none of these products are bad. I just couldn't find a combination that worked efficiently for me while I was racing. 

After a very disappointing day at Boise 70.3 that included the most awful cramping I've ever experienced and landed me in the medical tent at the finish line, I knew something had to change.  I didn't want to continue struggling with my nutrition in this manner.  Brian had been telling me about something called Generation UCAN that had been really successful for him.  I picked up a couple of individual packets at Destination Kona to give it a shot.  While I've done a lot of research myself, I'm not going to go into all the specifics of the product; I'll leave that to the experts on the website.  However, I will mention that UCAN is powered by SuperStarch, which stabilizes blood sugar and still allows you to burn fat.  It doesn't give you that sugar high followed by the crash and it's gluten free.

Take UCAN in a mason jar to work for an afternoon snack!

I didn't have much time to experiment with the product since I decided to race two weeks after Boise at Deuces Wild in Show Low.  I trained with it twice before giving it a go at Deuces; not necessarily the appropriate formula for success, but I didn't really have much to lose in this area.  Race morning at Deuces, I had an early morning breakfast of protein pancakes and peanut butter.  I wasn't due to race for about 3 hours after that, so I mixed two scoops of Trop Orange UCAN with water and drank it 30 minutes before the race start.  I did prepare a one scoop flask to have in T2, just in case I felt depleted.  I grabbed it for the run, but promptly trashed it when I realized I had no need for it.  I felt great the entire race, outside of general fatigue and racing at altitude.  My two favorite parts of racing on UCAN were that I could stay focused on racing and I wasn't sick to my stomach after the race.  I never had to be concerned about when to eat or counting calories; I just had to race and drink water.  Not having a bloated and upset stomach after the race was awesome as well.   
 

UCAN nutrition success at Deuces = 2nd Overall.

Since Deuces, I have switched to using Generation UCAN for all of my training and racing.  For shorter/less intense workouts, I use the Sports Drink Mix.  For longer/more intense workouts, I use the Chocolate Protein-Enhanced Drink Mix.  I also use the Chocolate mix as a snack during the day.  You can blend it up with a couple of your favorite things and it's a great afternoon treat. 

Try this combo of Chocolate UCAN + banana + scoop of peanut butter + coffee for some kick!

After training with UCAN for about six weeks, I raced again with it at AG Nationals in Milwaukee.  I raced the Olympic followed up with the Sprint the following day.  I drank a protein packet for both races; 30 minutes before each start.  I had great races and again loved that I got to focus all of my energy on racing and nothing else.  I successfully completed two more races with no stomach issues or post race headaches using this product.  I will have to experiment with the product a little more when I add some long distance racing back into my schedule.  There isn't one magic product that works for everyone, but if you're struggling with your nutrition and want to try something simple while adopting the less is more philosophy, give Generation UCAN a try.

Two successful Generation UCAN racers at AG Nationals.