Fuelling is personal. What our bodies can tolerate during exercise requires practice, but sometimes what we know we should be doing is overridden by other factors — flavour fatigue, texture, or personal preference. To get the most out of each training session or race requires the right fuelling strategy, but what if we just don’t feel like consuming sports fuel — even when we know we should? Sports fuel is specifically formulated to help the body absorb and utilize carbohydrates — the energy we need to sustain performance — during high-intensity exercise. But palatability matters. If you don’t feel like consuming it then you are more likely to under-fuel, and that impairs performance. Fuelling needs to be at the front of your mind and you need to know what to expect from it before race day.
In training you will practice consuming a certain amount of carbohydrates per hour. With the Maurten fuelling ecosystem you have options. Gels, Drink Mixes, and Solids enable athletes to break down the source of their carbohydrates — to consume the right amount and in a format that best suits your personal preference. It’s your choice.
Let’s start by getting real.
Fuelling starts with real food — with getting the basics right. Embarking on a block of training is not an excuse to treat your body like a dustbin. Eating healthily, and at the right times, will help your body adapt to the process of preparing to run a half marathon. And it’s worth noting that although sports fuel is supported by science, it works alongside real food — not as a replacement. It’s the longer or more intense training sessions that rely heavily on the specific composition of sports nutrition. As intensity increases, most runners will find it easier to tolerate the scientifically formulated fuelling options over real food.
Drink Mix
Maurten Drink Mix is the fuel that has revolutionized distance running — enabling athletes to rewrite the performance playbook, particularly in the marathon. Known as the disappearing drink, Drink Mix is based on Hydrogel Technology, and has been specifically engineered in a liquid format. The pH-sensitive drink forms a hydrogel in the acidic environment of the stomach that encapsulates the carbohydrate, limiting exposure to stomach acid and creating an efficient delivery system through to the intestines, where the energy is absorbed. Drink Mix is the race fuel choice of Elite runners because it eliminates the heavy, sloshing sensation of liquid bouncing in the stomach after consumption, as can happen with water or non-hydrogel fuels. Drink Mix is based on clean principles — no colours, no preservatives and no added Flavours.
Gels
A portable, easy-grab source of carbohydrates — Maurten Gels are also based on Hydrogel Technology. They are not a runny syrup, like traditional gels. Once in the stomach the hydrogel performs same job as the Drink Mix — delivering the carbohydrates through to the intestines. Maurten Gel 100 contains 25 grams of carbohydrates and Gel 160 contains 40 grams, so it’s easy to refine a fuelling strategy. Both options contain just six ingredients — only what’s required to aid performance — reducing the risk or irritation in the stomach. Maurten Gel 100 and Gel 100 Caf 100 will be on both the half and marathon courses at this years Nike Melbourne Marathon.
Solid
Maurten Solid 160 is a go-to fuel. A fast, light, low-fibre chewable source of carbohydrates. It’s Maurten’s take on an energy bar. There are 40 grams of carbohydrates in a pack, split into two equal 20-gram portions. Solid is a great pre-race breakfast option or post-race carbohydrate replenishment. Training for a big race adds stress to a normal routine — athletes are always on the go. Solid works with the daily transitions of your life, to maintain fuelling and be race- or training-ready. On the way to the track, the start line, the trail-side break, or when heading home from training — it is fuelling made easy. Solid serves you right.
Treat each of the fuelling options like they are part of a modular system — pick and choose the right combination, with the right amount of carbohydrates, to suit your race plan. Using the fuelling system in this way avoids issues of flavour fatigue or palatability and means you won’t fuel short.
Maurten have created packs have that will allow you to fuel your training and race day performance at this years Nike Melbourne Marathon and these are available at www.maurten.com.au/pages/melbourne-marathon
