Disclaimer: I received the Generation UCan product to review as part of being a BibRave Pro Ambassador. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

I’d wanted to try Generation UCan for some time now since I know several people in the Atlanta Track Club, including coach and Olympian Amy Begley, who’ve used it with success. Also, I’ve struggled with my nutrition over 5+ hours and wanted to find a new regimen that would work better for my body as I move into Ironman training. I notice that my blood sugar seems to spike easily, so gels and high sugar sports drinks don’t work well over long periods of time. These products also make me feel nauseous after 4-5 hours of activity, which starts a bad cycle where I stop eating.

UCan was developed to help children with life-threatening hypoglycemia manage their blood sugar levels by utilizing a product known as SuperStarch. You can learn more about the origins from the story of the founders and their son, Jonah.

The same benefits that help kids like Jonah, can help athletes such as (from UCan website):

• Steady Energy
• Burn fat by causing a minimal rise in insulin
• No GI distress – UCan is gluten free, no added sugars, and SuperStarch is designed to pass thru the stomach rapidly
• More efficient calories – less reliant on outside calories because the slow release product allows body to burn both carbs and fat
• UCan also works great for post-workout recovery and to curb cravings between meals without spiking blood sugar and insulin, both of which prevent fat breakdown

For my first test run I opted for an 8 mile training run with the Atlanta Track Club In-Training for Peachtree. Since I wake up more than 2.5 hrs before we actually start running I opted for a small bowl of oatmeal with raisins and an egg. I started halving my oatmeal in the early mornings because I found I was unable to finish a larger bowl. Generation UCan recommends dosing with the product about 30 minutes before activity, so the small bowl of oatmeal 2+ hours in advance followed by UCan shortly before running sounded like a good plan.

The sample box I received came with a blender bottle and this is definitely how I recommend mixing the product so to avoid any powder clumps or chalky texture. I also added ice to the bottle and it made the product creamier and almost tasted like a milk shake. Yum! If you don’t have a blender bottle, mixing in a bottle with just the ice worked as well. Generation UCan recommends mixing a serving in 8-12 ounces of water but also points out that the product works the same no matter how much or little water you use. You can also mix it in less water to make a gel.

What I found really useful was the box came with 2 pamphlets, one for running and one for triathlon, that described the recommended dosing/timing for different length events. For activity less than 2 hours, one serving 30 minutes before is recommended. Anything longer they recommend additional servings every 75-90 minutes. Due to the slow release nature of the SuperStarch Generation UCan operates on the less calories is more philosophy. A serving is 130 calories. Even though I drank all of it 30 minutes before, it didn’t feel heavy in my stomach at all, yet I felt full and energized for my entire 8 mile run. I consumed zero calorie electrolyte hydration during the run since it’s getting hot and humid in Atlanta these days. Since then I’ve actually purchased UCan’s own zero calorie electrolyte product known as Hydrate and really like it as well!

I felt so comfortable with the product that I even used it at Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga, drinking a serving before the swim and using it in my bottle during the run. Next week I’m riding from Atlanta to Savannah on BRAG (Bike Ride Across Georgia) and will experiment more with it on the bike. I used my BibRave discount code to buy an additional sample box, also including some of their snack bars. I’ll be trying all of it on the ride next week. Hopefully I can move UCan into my entire Ironman training nutrition plan. I will definitely update my product reviews as I move forward with that plan over the next 4 months.

Want to see what other BibRave Pros are saying about Generation UCan?

Erin |

Join BibRave and Generation UCan for our Tuesday night #Bibchat Tweetup on June 7 at 9pm EST. Someone will win great UCan prizes! Don’t win but still want to give UCan a try? Use code BIBRAVE for 15% all products at www.generationucan.com