I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t especially excited to see Generation UCAN in my RunnerBox this month (have you entered to win one yet?). My trainer actually gave me homework last week to look into it, and what better way to learn about a product than to try it?
What is Generation UCAN? From their website:
Generation UCAN is powered by SuperStarch, a healthy, natural, gluten-free innovation in carbohydrate nutrition. SuperStarch is a complex carbohydrate (derived from non-GMO corn) that uniquely stabilizes blood sugar and causes virtually no reaction from the fat-storage hormone insulin. It’s backed by proven science. Finally there’s a healthier, more efficient energy source than sugars, caffeine, or high-carb meals. Originally discovered for children with life-threatening energy imbalances, SuperStarch is a revolutionary fuel being used for ENERGY, SPORTS, and FITNESS.
My trainer recommended that Generation UCAN could help me fuel through my long runs and improve my speed. He also challenged me: try running 1 run without taking it, then try the same run the next day with taking it. Challenge accepted!
It’s still chilly and snowy out, so I decided the test would be best to be on a treadmill at my gym – to make this test more even more scientific, I used the same treadmill both days.
Day 1 (without taking it):
I started out slow (I normally do this with treadmill runs) and progressively increased my speed as I got comfortable. I ended the 1.5 mile run at 13:18, equating to a 8:51 pace.
Day 2 (with Generation UCAN):
On the package, it’s recommended to take 3o minutes before working out. I honestly had no idea how fast I’d be able to drink it (knowing it’s a starch made me think it’d be super heavy) so made it about an hour before so I’d have time to drink and digest. The instructions say to just mix with up to 16 oz of water, but I found it didn’t blend too well when I mixed by hand. I ended up throwing it all into a mixer to mix, and it created a frothy type drink that was really delicious and easy to drink (I had the Pomegranate-Blueberry). I’m not sure if I’d be able to drink it during a run because it’s a bit heavy for me, but it was very good before a run.
I started this run out slow as I usually do, but was able to bump up the speed quicker than before. I completed this run in 12:45, or an 8:29/mile pace. After this run, I felt like I wanted to keep running and didn’t really want to end at 1.5. The only downside, though, was that I was more thirsty at the end of my run. I’m not sure if this is because of Generation UCAN, but I didn’t really notice it with my first run.
Overall, I liked my experience with Generation UCAN and had fun doing this challenge for my trainer. I would have liked to have done this during my distance runs during marathon training, but I’m happy with the results of this shorter test.
QOTD: How do you fuel before runs?
Interesting, never heard of that stuff but I am always looking for new fuels. I use Hammer now during long runs and just eat before a short run.
Jen recently posted…Marathon Monday: Week 3 Training
very interesting! I have never heard of this
Heather recently posted…Risk and Reward