“We’ve worked with the best runners in the world. Now, when entering cycling we wanted to work with the most innovative team – someone that shares our belief in hard work and a scientific approach. And we feel that this is a very, very good match,” said Olof Sköld, CEO and co-founder of Maurten.
Maurten is the first sports nutrition company to incorporate hydrogel into its drink mix formula. The carbohydrate-rich formula is extremely popular amongst runners and was used by the winners of the nine latest major marathons, including Eliud Kipchoge, who ran the fastest marathon in history (2:00:25) on the Monza race track in May.
Maurten’s Drink Mix contains only five ingredients. In addition to carbohydrates and electrolytes, there are two key ingredients: pectin and alginate. These two naturally-derived dietary fibers form a hydrogel when the drink hits the acid in the stomach. This gel encapsulates the carbohydrates and helps in the transport into the small intestine, where it is absorbed. In effect, this process helps improve efficiency and reduces stress on the stomach.
“I have been a fan of drinks that only contain ingredients aimed to support performance for a long time,” said EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale head of nutrition Nigel Mitchell. “Maurten provides both hydration and energy using a unique polymer technology that helps with the delivery of carbohydrates. The use of hydrogels is widely considered the next generation of sports nutrition and has already been used with great effect by our team.”
“I started using Maurten, and for me, it is perfect,” said Pierre Rolland, who took two wins for the #ArygleArmada last year, including the 17th stage of the Giro d’Italia. “The technology behind Maurten’s products can help me on the mountain stages, the days that I’m on the escape, when temperatures are very hot and on the longest days when we burn a lot of calories. The problems with some drinks is the assimilation and the digestion. You must remember that we drink 10-15 bottles every day. What we put into our bodies is so important, and I’m happy we are using Maurten.”
Mitchell agrees: “One of the great things about Maurten is that they’ve minimized the risk of underfueling during races. The neutral flavor reduces the risk of flavor fatigue.”
Maurten has embraced the opportunity to bring its product to cycling and share the benefits of their science-backed technology with cyclists who compete at the highest level of the sport. EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale will use Maurten Drink Mix and help the company develop new products that rely on hydrogel technology.
“There are few sports that are as demanding as cycling and getting feedback from top riders is crucial for us in our product development," said Sköld. "We know that the team will provide us with invaluable input on how we can develop the next generation of cycling fuel."
Mitchell is currently working directly with Maurten and plays a crucial role, along with EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale riders, in the collaboration.
“There are very few people that have such thorough understanding of nutrition – not only in theory but also from practice,” noted Sköld. "We know that with Nigel’s background within the sport, we’ll be able to develop sport nutritional concepts that are entirely new.”
About EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale:
EF Education First – Drapac p/b Cannondale is an American-registered WorldTour cycling team competing at the highest level of the sport. In the 2018 season, the team will race with the youngest roster and one of the most diverse squads in the WorldTour. The team is managed by Slipstream Sports, which was founded by Jonathan Vaughters and Doug Ellis in 2005 on the belief there was a better way to run a cycling team. Slipstream Sports has always been unwavering in its commitment to anti-doping and was the first professional cycling team to institute its own internal testing protocols.
About Maurten
Maurten is a Swedish tech start-up founded in 2015. The company has developed entirely new types of sports fuels based on natural hydrogel technology. Their hydrogels are built with food ingredients and contain very high levels of energy in the form of carbohydrates. Products based on their hydrogel technology have lately been adopted by some of the best runners in the world and have fuelled the latest nine major marathon winners and a number of national records. Maurten AB also:
- Collaborates with several National Olympic Committees and academic organizations. The company is currently involved in ten scientific studies that are evaluating the technology and applications within different sports. The first results will be published in 2018.
- Fueled Sir Mo Farah in his World Championship preparations for London 2017 and the world’s fastest marathon , when Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge ran 02:00:25 at the Monza race track, Italy 2017.
To learn more about Maurten visit https://www.maurten.com/.
KEV MONKS FOR DIGITAL SPORTS GROUP
Source: DSG
