Running on Maurten Hydrogel Technology
Middle distance running requires a unique blend of endurance, speed, and tactics. The 800m, 1500m and 5000m require sustained efforts at, or above, an athlete’s lactate threshold. The intensity is high, the duration is relatively short, and the margin for error is minimal.
Preparation for these distances is often discussed through the lens of training — interval sessions, threshold development, and the like. But fueling these sessions is just as critical for performance, recovery, and building on training adaptations.
Carbohydrates — the currency of fueling
The primary fuel source for high-intensity sport is carbohydrates. When intensity rises and oxygen availability becomes limited, the body increasingly relies on carbohydrates to sustain the energy required for performance. For middle-distance athletes, this demand is particularly high during demanding training sessions — interval sets, race-pace work, and sessions that include repeated surges of speed. The purpose of fueling these moments is not just to provide energy during the effort itself — it supports training adaptations that are built during recovery and across the training cycle.
Maurten Hydrogel Technology is a carbohydrate delivery system designed to bypass the fueling limitations that prevent athletes from achieving their potential. The hydrogel structure in Maurten Gel and Drink Mix encapsulates the carbohydrates and transports them through the stomach to the intestine — the carbohydrates are absorbed here and used as fuel.
Hydrogel Technology enables the delivery of high carbohydrate concentrations while reducing discomfort in the stomach — key for athletes running at high-intensity.
More power to you — Bicarb System
While carbohydrates provide the energy needed for intense efforts, sodium bicarbonate acts as a buffering agent that helps the body delay the stress that comes with doing sport at very high intensity.
When an athlete hits higher intensities, the muscle becomes slightly acidic — signaling the limitations of the athlete’s physiology. The feeling of fatigue. The familiar sensation experienced during the final stages of a hard repetition or the closing lap of a race. Sodium Bicarbonate improves the muscle acid-base balance by acting as a buffer, allowing athletes to maintain higher levels of effort for longer. The challenge with traditional methods of consuming Sodium Bicarbonate is that it results in intense stomach issues.
The Maurten Bicarb System uses Hydrogel Technology to encapsulate and carry the Bicarb through the stomach — allowing runners to push harder for longer with reduced gut discomfort.
Fueling strategies for middle-distance
Training for middle-distance events often alternates between sessions of differing intensity — easier aerobic work, threshold sessions, and race-specific intervals. Fueling strategies should be adapted to each of these.
Lower-intensity sessions — often supported by a healthy, balanced meal timed well before training.
Higher-intensity sessions — carbohydrate demand increases. Performance will benefit from easily digestible carbohydrate fuel. Liquid carbohydrates such as Maurten Drink Mix 160 and Drink Mix 320 or carbohydrate gels like Gel 100 can be used before or during demanding workouts to help maintain carbohydrate availability.
Caffeine fuel — can be applied to a fueling strategy as an ergogenic aid, which can help lower perceived exertion and increase alertness. Caffeine can take 15-45 minutes to reach peak concentration in the bloodstream, so the timing of intake is important. If new to caffeine during training and racing, start with one Gel 100 Caf 100 or Drink Mix 320 Caf 100 during training and take note of how you feel.
Using Maurten Bicarb System as an ergogenic aid, enhancing performance — if bicarbonate is used as part of a race-day approach, get used to it first. Test Bicarb System in training before putting it to use on race day — it requires specific protocol and the right timing for consumption.
Fueling is personal.
Fueling isn’t one-size-fits-all. Runners need to practice, experiment, and adapt. Always test your fueling strategy in training — so there are no surprises in competition.
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