Dathan Ritzenhein Joins Meb in Using Generation UCAN’s One-of-a-Kind Nutrition In His Training (Sponsored)
by: Generation UCAN (Sponsored)
October 28, 2015
3-time Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein, a top contender for a spot on the 2016 U.S. Olympic marathon team, has joined Meb Keflezighi and other top athletes experiencing the benefits of Generation UCAN’s revolutionary nutrition.
“It’s an important part of the plan for me to try to change my metabolism before race day,” says Ritzenhein, who started using UCAN last year as he trained for the Boston Marathon.
Fellow 3-time Olympian Meb Keflezighi, who’s looking to win his second New York City Marathon this weekend, has relied on UCAN for several years to help keep him fit and fast. He points to his nutrition as a key factor in his ability to stay remarkably consistent with age, which includes a personal best 2:08:37 to win the 2014 Boston Marathon just a few weeks shy of his 39th birthday.
“UCAN is my secret weapon” says Meb. “Part of the reason I’ve been running PRs is because it allows me to recover so I can train hard consistently.”
With the top two men’s distance runners in the country sharing their success with UCAN, the secret is out.
HOW RITZ USES UCAN TO IMPROVE METABOLIC EFFICIENCY
For Ritzenhein, it started with a desire to feel better in the later miles of the marathon and move away from a reliance on simple sugars. Metabolic testing and a consultation with his nutritionist revealed that a change in his fueling strategy could produce major benefits.
“I’m a really high carbohydrate burner, so I had struggled towards the end of my marathons because I would take things in and I would use it up very fast,” says Ritzenhein. “I had to become more efficient because it really makes a big difference in the marathon at the end. Even when I ran a 2:07 in the marathon, I didn’t finish strong. I had to try something different.“
One of the differences over the last year is his use of the UCAN drink mix. It was an important part of Ritz’s training leading up to this year’s Boston Marathon, where he finished 7th overall as the top American.
“I started using UCAN as I led up into Boston and I was trying to do some more of the fast work, but also trying to metabolize fat better. I would use it leading up to a big workout when I didn’t want to have a full stomach. It helped me run so much faster in these long, hard efforts than I was before.”
Ritzenhein’s next marathon will be at the Olympic Trials in February 2016 and he believes his continued use of UCAN in training will help get him to the starting line feeling strong and fit.
HOW MEB USES UCAN TO RECOVER
Since he started using UCAN before and after workouts and races, Meb has enjoyed a series of impressive performances and an amazing level of fitness at a point in his career when many expected him to slow down.
He’s been using UCAN since 2009, when his nutritionist introduced it to him while training for the New York City Marathon. “I had tried a lot of different products, but they always bothered my stomach,” says Meb. “UCAN gives me 2 to 3 hours of sustained energy without any stomach problems. I can have it before or after a workout, and even as a snack.”
Meb will typically use his favorite Chocolate UCAN 4 times a week after his hard workouts, a ritual he has followed since 2010.
“For me, it has been a game-changer with recovery,” says Meb. “I really look forward to having it after my hard workouts. During my cool down, it’s the first thing that goes into my body. I don’t feel the same soreness the next day and it also helps me keep my weight in check. ”
WHAT MAKES UCAN UNIQUE?
UCAN’s key ingredient is SuperStarch, a slow-releasing carbohydrate that delivers steady glucose without the spike and crash of sugar-based sports nutrition products. This one-of-a-kind, natural energy source was originally designed for Jonah, a child with a rare disease that prohibits the body from producing its own blood sugar resulting in frequent episodes of hypoglycemia.
The discovery of SuperStarch allowed children like Jonah to sustain blood sugar levels for several hours, rather than being fed repeatedly day and night in order to maintain steady energy levels. As its founders ran further tests, they realized that this one-of-a-kind delivery of energy offered major benefits for athletes who also have to work at managing their glucose levels to sustain mental and physical energy for peak performance.
“I love the story of how the company was formed,” says Ritzenhein. “It’s amazing to see that UCAN started out with one kid and his parents and turned into something that can help athletes all over the world.”
“With UCAN you don’t have to mess with the spike and crash, you can have stable blood glucose and fuel less frequently, and you can burn more fat and spare those carbohydrates,” says running coach and exercise scientist Greg McMillan. “That’s the trifecta to avoid the bonk.”
UCAN products powered by SuperStarch are available in powdered drink mixes and bars. The benefits of UCAN drinks and bars include:
- Steady, long-lasting energy without the spike and crash
- No gastrointestinal (GI) distress
- A unique dual-fuel energy profile that helps you burn both carbohydrates and fat efficiently.
The product family also include UCAN Hydrate, a zero calorie/no sugar electrolyte replacement specially formulated by former Olympic Dietitian Bob Seebohar with a mix of 5 essential electrolytes to match the ratios of nutrients lost in average sweat.
For more information on how to use UCAN for running, visit generationucan.com/ucanrun
*Save 15% on UCAN with code LETSRUN
