Maurten Fuel Guide

Fueling athletes since 2015, Maurten has become a trailblazer for natural sports nutrition integrated with scientific research. Founded in Sweden, with expanding global markets in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Maurten has gained traction with its range of energy gels and drink mixes derived from only natural ingredients. With their innovative hydrogel technology, Maurten has concocted carbohydrate-rich fuel without the gastrointestinal distress common in other sports drinks, setting them apart from the competition. In this guide, we break down the science of how these energy gels and endurance drinks work and offer fuel guides on how best to incorporate Maurten's nutrition during your training and race day to maximise your performance and aid in recovery.

Maurten's nutritional products all function with the same goal: to provide a high concentration of carbs for athletes to consume in a GI-friendly package, preventing stomach upset before, during, and after a run for optimal performance. To successfully execute this, Maurten found a way to build hydrogels using natural food ingredients and fill them with the most efficient source of energy, carbohydrates, which athletes need for endurance sports.

Since a high intake of carbs when exercising can cause stomach discomfort, to make sports fuel easier to tolerate and digest, Maurten encapsulated the carbs in hydrogels. Hydrogel is a biopolymer, water-based structure with tiny pores, similar to a sponge, used commonly in the food industry as a thickening and stabilising agent. The hydrogel technology allows for smoother transportation of carbs through the stomach to the intestines, where the carbs are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream as fuel for your muscles.

According to Maurten, the hydrogel in their energy gel is formed during production by combining sodium alginate and calcium carbonate. Conversely, with Maurten's drink mixes, the hydrogel is produced naturally during the digestive process from the stomach's acidic environment and built from a combination of two natural dietary fibres: alginate (seaweed) and pectin (fruit fibre). Alginate is extracted from the brown algae's cell walls, while pectin is found in apples, lemons, carrots, tomatoes, etc. Combined under precisely the right circumstances, alginate and pectin form a pH-sensitive hydrogel.

By encapsulating high amounts of carbs in hydrogels and using only clean ingredients (no artificial flavours, colorants, or preservatives), Maurten's nutritional products provide more fuel to athletes that their bodies can quickly absorb for enhanced energy delivery. This technology sets them apart from other sports drinks that use artificial ingredients to deliver carbs at the cost of gastrointestinal and digestive issues.

Fuelling during workouts is as important as during race day. Since individual nutritional needs and tolerances vary, the training period is when athletes should experiment and test their fuel to discover what works best for their bodies. Because GI discomfort can significantly inhibit a runner's performance, incorporating a training fuel guide during your workout runs will help your gut adapt and get used to the same fuel source on race day, decreasing the chance of GI distress.

Following a training nutritional guide also enables you to proactively plan ahead for your fuelling needs by knowing the amount of carbs your body requires and how much nutrition you'll need to carry when it's time to toe the starting line. In addition, maintaining proper fuelling when working out benefits muscle recovery. Since muscle glycogen and blood glucose are the primary sources of energy for contracting muscles, once your training run is complete, it's essential to rehydrate and replenish your body's glycogen to be better prepared physically for your next training session.

The chart below highlights the type of training runs and the suggested fuel intakes (in downloadable PDF formats). Since the amount of energy expended varies on such factors as your training intensity, body composition, fitness levels, sweat rate, weather, etc., use the fuel guides as a starting point and adjust accordingly to suit your individual nutritional needs, tolerances, and sensitivities to certain ingredients (such as caffeine).

Whether you signed up for a 5-10k, a half or full marathon, or an ultra, having proper fuel is necessary for achieving your personal best and making it to the finish line. Especially during longer mileage races, having quick access to nutrition for maintaining endurance is vital. To maximise your energy, you need an intake of carbs to keep you going, and that's where Maurten's products have been revolutionary. Elite athletes worldwide have integrated Maurten for their race day fuel to enhance their performance, lower GI stress, and break marathon-winning records.

Since glycogen stores are limited in the body, pre-race nutrition helps to optimise glycogen storage. During the race, depleted glycogen stores can result in underperformance, so it's essential to maintain proper fuel while running longer distances. The amount of energy gels you will need will vary depending on factors such as the duration of the race and your body's tolerance.

The fuel racing guides from the chart below are available in downloadable PDF formats. Use these informational guides as a reference since individual nutritional needs are highly personal and differ based on relative fitness levels, athletic form, temperature, sensitivities, etc.

By addressing the fuelling needs of endurance athletes, Maurten has blended the union of healthy sports nutrition and science to help athletes achieve their personal best. With hydrogel technology infused in their natural energy gels and drink mixes, Maurten has been able to rapidly fuel runners with rich carbs for easier digestion to maximise performance. Whether going hard on a training session or race day, incorporating nutritional guides aids your recovery and running experience. It is important to note that Maurten fuel products should be a supplement to your fuelling needs before, during, and after a run, and not a substitute. Do not use Maurten products to replace real food, and consult a sports nutritionist for a personalised nutritional program.