Upper East Side

By Coach Carissa 

There’s a lot of confusing information out there about carbs. Carbs are bad. Carbs are good. SOME carbs are bad and SOME carbs are good. Carbs will cause certain, slow and painful death.

The truth is that carbs = energy. Your body relies on carbs as its primary source of fuel. This is true of your muscles, which use them when you work out, as well as your brain. The truth is also that there are different types of carbs. All of them have a different effect on your body. Some are faster releasing than others, some cause insulin levels to spike more than others, and all are more appropriate at some times versus others.

Generation UCan has come up with a carb source that gives you the benefits of carbs as energy without the cons of carbs as a health detriment. Don’t worry, I was skeptical too. I sampled their product for one week and did my research.

My conclusion: I really like it! It’s a niche energy source that can be really game changing for a lot of people. Here is what I found and who can benefit.

What is it, and who should care?
UCan’s “SuperStarch” is a modified corn starch. Translation: it’s corn, and UCan has found a way to produce it in such a way that carries certain benefits:

1. It’s extremely slow releasing, so it delivers steady energy over a long time without the “crash.”
2. It has very low GI distress, which means it’s very easy on the stomach.
3. It does not spike insulin levels, which means it keeps you in a fat-burning state and is better for general health.

Who can benefit from this “SuperStarch”? Really anyone who needs a prolonged source of energy that is high quality and easy to drink. Here are some examples:

• Athletes training or competing for more than 2 consecutive hours
• Doctors, surgeons or nurses who perform multi-hour procedures or work long shifts without a break to eat
• Teachers who teach multiple consecutive hours without a break to eat
• Breakfast haters can mix this with whey for a quick shake that is actually fulfilling
• Midnight snackers who wake up starving in the middle of the night

Prolonged energy without the “crash”
SuperStarch is the slowest releasing carbohydrate that UCan tested in developing their product. It releases slowly over time, which stabilizes blood sugar and keeps energy levels steady over long periods of time. Contrast this to Gatorade, for example, which releases immediately and causes blood sugar to spike briefly and then crash hard.

I tested this in my own training. It works. For context, between my warm-up, workouts, and cool down, I typically spend 5 to 6 consecutive hours “training.” Eating during this time period is a factor. I’ve gotten into the habit of stopping once to eat a full meal, in addition to 3 shakes, which each include about 45 grams of carbs. For the last week, SuperStarch and whey protein is the only thing I’ve eaten while training. Despite eating about half the carbs I’m used to, I’ve actually had more energy. I no longer feel like I have to chase my hunger by pounding Gatorade after Gatorade. My stomach feels empty and light, but I have the same energy for my last workout as I do for my first.

Low stress on the stomach
SuperStarch has an extremely low GI distress rating. Translation: It’s easy on the stomach. In my efforts to drink enough Gatorade to match my training, I never stopped to think about the stress that this was placing on my GI system. I never made the connection to the large quantity of sugar that I eat while training and how sick I felt afterward. In the past week while fueling off of UCan, I’ve had some of my best metcon performances and have felt much better.

Better for fat loss
Perhaps the biggest factor separating SuperStarch from other carb options is that it will not cause your insulin levels to spike. This is a really big deal. Most carbs cause insulin levels to spike (sugar causes the biggest). Apart from having broadly detrimental health effects, a spike in insulin levels takes you out of a fat-burning state, which means your body is solely reliant on carbs for fuel. Since SuperStarch doesn’t cause insulin levels to spike, your body remains in a fat-burning state. This has implications for both performance and weight loss. For performance, this allows your body to benefit from both the short-term energy it gets from glycogen, as well as the long-term energy it gets from fat. For weight loss, this means that you can take a carb to increase energy while still burning fat.

Downsides?
I know what you’re thinking. What’s the catch? Real talk: it is not the best tasting thing I’ve ever tried. UCan does a pretty good job of coming up with some clever flavors that taste OK, but they all have a bit of a starchy aftertaste. That’s because, um, it’s a starch. Also, it’s a bit pricey at $2 per serving. Is it better to just have a big, delicious, nutritious, high-carb meal? For some of us, yes, probably. But for those of us who have more specific energy needs, the price is worth it and the taste is less important.

Conclusion
UCan SuperStarch is an excellent option for anyone who needs a prolonged source of energy but is not in a position to stop to eat a full meal. The energy really does last several hours. It’s easy to drink and kind on the stomach. It’s not necessary for everyone, though. For those of us who can afford to stop to eat a nutritious meal, I think it’s always best (and tastiest) to get our energy there. For me personally, I’m signed on. I’ll be taking this product at least for the foreseeable future!

UCan will be coming to Columbus Circle on Tuesday, Aug. 14 and the Upper East Side on Wednesday, Aug. 15 for evening classes to sample their SuperStarch. Let us know how you like it!

Product Info
Generation UCan SuperStartch
Website: https://www.generationucan.com/
Price: $60 for 30 servings