UCAN is a line of energy drinks, snacks, and electrolyte replenishment products.
UCAN is a mantra that will get you through to the finish line. One of my favorite movie lines is from “The Waterboy,” “you can do it.” Repeat that phrase for 26 to 50 miles. You can do it.
I started using UCAN in 2020. I wanted to reduce my consumption of sugars. For the previous 27 years, I consumed Gatorade during my long training runs. Gatorade was the most used replenishment drink at marathons and ultras.
In an eight-ounce serving of Gatorade, there are 50 calories and 12 grams of sugar. In my typical long training run, I would consume 60 grams of sugar, which would spike sugars for that day. I was working with the theory that the extra sugars were causing some of my digestive issues.
I went to the local running stores searching for a product without sugars. I still wanted a drink with readily usable calories and electrolytes.
The only product I could buy and test was UCAN Energy, which has 90 calories and 21 grams of carbohydrates per scoop. The carbs come from a corn starch mixture containing zero grams of sugar.
I use one scoop per 20-ounce water bottle. The recommended mixture is one scoop per 12 ounces.
In the fall of 2020, I tested UCAN during multiple training runs. With the aid of a crew, I used UCAN during my 25th JFK 50-mile race.
During 2021, my two spring marathons were multiple loop courses, where I could stage UCAN bottles for exchange on each lap. In my fall marathon, I reverted to the race-provided Gatorade.
I didn’t decide to run the 2021 JFK until November 1. So, I only had crew assistance at Mile 15. For that race, I started with two full UCAN bottles, exchanged them for two bottles at Mile 15, and carried extra baggies of UCAN scoops.
For my 2022 road marathons, I ran with a single bottle belt with two extra baggie scoops. I would refill my bottle with water at each aid station and add a baggie around miles 10 and 18. With this process, I stayed hydrated. However, I bonked in two of the three road marathons, maybe from reduced electrolytes.
One issue with the baggies was not getting all of the powder into my bottle.
Looking for a solution, I’m trying UCAN hydrate. This product has zero calories with all the electrolytes of UCAN energy. It comes in convenient tubes that should be easy to pour into a bottle.
My first long run using UCAN hydrate worked well. I’ll have a few more test runs.
My road marathon plan is to start with a bottle of UCAN energy and add the hydrate packet every 6 miles.
Unfortunately, the UCAN snacks contain galactooligosaccharides (almonds, peas, peanuts) which cause me digestive issues.