Triathlon Taren's UCAN Workout Nutrition Plan

By Taren Gesell

I’ve tested UCAN with a continuous blood glucose monitor and in real-world testing at races and in training. In all cases, UCAN is a great tool for athletes looking for a sustained energy source without the risk of crashing or experiencing digestive issues. You can learn more about the fundamentals of UCAN and check out all of the different products here. Here's my guide on how I utilize UCAN for training and racing.

Low-Intensity Workout Nutrition

By avoiding blood glucose spikes during low intensity workouts you’ll teach your body how to access fat as fuel which is critical for successful performance in triathlon. There are two ways to improve your ability to burn fat as fuel. The first method to improve your ability to burn fat as fuel is to train a lot, upwards of 25-30 hours per week of triathlon training. The second method is to train with stable blood glucose during the low intensity workouts. Fortunately, UCAN products with LIVSTEADY are perfect for this!

Morning Nutrition

Pre-workout: Almond butter and coffee
During workout: UCAN Hydrate for 26 ounces of fluid per hour, for rides and runs longer than two hours I’ll take UCAN Energy Bars in a small amount as I feel hungry
Post-workout: UCAN plant-based Protein + Energy

High-Intensity Workout Nutrition

During high intensity workouts you want your blood glucose and muscle glycogen levels topped up so you have easy access to energy to hit the peak effort levels with ease. Carbohydrates provide a much more instant source of energy than fat stores, so prior to and during high intensity workouts we want to have our energy stores full with carbohydrates. Ideally, you don’t want to take something that is refined carbohydrates (sugar) because that could cause your blood sugar to spike too high too soon causing a crash later in the workout if you don’t keep filling yourself with more and more carbs.

Morning Nutrition

Pre-workout: UCAN Energy Bar
During workout: ½ scoop UCAN Energy Powder mixed in 26 ounces of fluid per hour (I mix this up the night before)
Post-workout: UCAN plant-based Protein + Energy

Triathlon Race Nutrition Plan

If you’ve eaten enough food and enough carbs in the two days prior to race day you shouldn’t need much more food on race morning, but it’s a good idea to eat if your stomach will allow it. I recommend taking breakfast exactly four hours prior to the start of your race so your stomach has time to empty before the race start. Make your race morning breakfast very carb-based, but keep it small so you don’t have a big mass of food to pass before the race. My ideal race morning nutrition is as follows:

Breakfast

½ cup of steel cut oats that were heated up in water the night before then put in the fridge
1 serving of Tropical Orange UCAN Energy Powder mixed in with the oatmeal
One tablespoon of nut butter just to feel satiated
1 or 2 coffees

Pre-Race

Sip a light electrolyte drink like UCAN Hydrate
20-30 minutes prior to the race start, eat a UCAN Energy Bar, and take additional caffeine.

Race Nutrition

Bike Fluids: Lightly mixed UCAN Energy Powder with 40-50 calories from carbs per 26-ounce bottle.
Bike Calories: I prefer solid foods during the bike so I feel full during the day. I like to use UCAN Energy Bars for this
Run Fluids: I don’t like carrying anything during a race so I’ll take water at every aid station. I’ll carry a small tube of electrolyte powder and whenever I feel cramps coming I’ll take a small hit from some of that stash of electrolytes.
Run Calories: while running it’s best to take your calories in the form of liquids. Personally I’ll take either Coke at every aid station; I'm excited to experiment more with the new UCAN Edge in my race plan (portable, pre-mixed LIVSTEADY)
* If your stomach starts feeling “funny” during the race drink straight water until you feel better, then switch back to the light electrolyte drink.

ABOUT TRIATHLON TAREN

Taren Gesell, aka “Triathlon Taren”, is one of the most well-known and relied-upon resources in the triathlon world. From beginners to veterans, every triathlete will learn something, and be entertained, by Taren’s frequent and well-produced videos on nearly every aspect of triathlon. Taren draws upon the knowledge of experts, existing research, pro triathletes and his own experiences to help triathletes get to the start line more confident, and to their finish lines faster. To learn more about Taren’s training plans, blog and podcast, visit mymottiv.com.