Back 
Introduction
For endurance athletes, performance in an event does not boil down to one moment. It’s sometimes months or even years of preparation. Training loads are fine-tuned, recovery is optimized, and race day logistics are nailed down. And yet, for many athletes, one of the most critical pieces of the puzzle remains an afterthought: nutrition.
Gastrointestinal (GI) distress and energy crashes (bonking) are among some of the most frequently cited causes of underperformance in the endurance space (1). Both are, in many cases, preventable, or at the very minimum, a way that we can reduce risk. This can all be done through nutrition.
The guidance we may see online in regards to fueling for a marathon likely includes taking in carbohydrates and electrolytes, drinking water, and trying to remain calm. However, when we don’t know if our plan works or how much exactly we should be taking, it’s hard to keep calm on the start line. For many, the question doesn’t come down to how much you are fueling with (as more isn’t always better in the nutrition world!), but instead what you're fueling with and how it sits in your system. This is the ultimate goal, to choose a fuel that works with you in all contexts, not just perfect conditions.
UCAN’s LIVSTEADY Carbohydrate
Enter UCAN. UCAN was created in the medical space to help keep children alive with a rare disease. It was designed to provide steady, reliable energy for individuals who had glycogen storage disease, where their body is unable to break glycogen back down into glucose (2). As a result, they depend on UCAN daily to live as it provides them reliable consistent energy since they cannot pull from their glycogen stores to support their blood sugar.
Through this development of the starch in UCAN known as LIVSTEADY, the team realized there could be benefits for others, as well. What if athletes could truly depend on their fueling to keep them going, rather than training and racing with uncertainty as to if they had enough consistently enough to keep them from crashing later on.
Upon hearing that UCAN is a starch-based gel, the first thought is likely that starches are more complex to digest. With the unique patented processing method, UCAN’s LIVESTEADY is engineered to digest easily while maintaining the benefits of starches in that they can deliver longer lasting fuel due to their complexity. No spike, no crash. Consistent reliable fuel with you mile after mile.
In addition to this, LIVSTEADY doesn’t flood the gastrointestinal tract with a rapid surge of sugars (3). When we return back to one of the central problems athletes face, volume of carbohydrates in relation to water in the GI is one of them. UCAN solves that problem. Reducing risk.
Transparency is Paramount
Compared to everything on the market, UCAN feels different. It tastes different. It looks different. And that’s exactly why it’s hard to evaluate on the first pass.
Trying a new sports nutrition product as an adult is a lot like introducing a baby to a new food. The first reaction might be confusion, hesitation, or even rejection. This doesn't mean the food isn’t good. It means there is an unfamiliarity. Similar to introducing a baby to a new food, you want to give any sports nutrition product a few tries before making a decision.
Here’s what you can expect with UCAN:
UCAN gels have a thinner, more liquid consistency to most traditional gels. The color of the fruity gels will be white, rather than clear, due to the starch. The flavor profile is significantly more subtle, too. For many athletes, this is a welcomed advantage. No more dreading the intense sweetness of your gels later on in a marathon or that film of sugar on the teeth.
The best way to build familiarity is to try out a few flavors in a variety of efforts, from a long easy run to a shorter tempo session. Aside from taste, you also want to ensure it sits well for you. While the risk is low with UCAN, we still want to test it out. The body responds differently to fuel based on intensity, and getting a feel for how UCAN works for you in a variety of efforts can allow you to tailor it further to your specific needs.
As you work to introduce UCAN to your sports nutrition lineup, you can also mix it in alongside your current repertoire of gels. Take a UCAN Edge gel at the start of a training session and alternate UCAN with your usual gels throughout the duration of your workout. This approach allows you to test out UCAN, assess how it makes you feel, and see exactly how you may want to incorporate it. Whether it’s full time or as a support to your traditional gels, the options are endless!
Check out our blog on How to Use UCAN next!
