Swedish sports nutrition brand Maurten has revealed it was heavily involved in helping Sawe prepare for the London Marathon on Sunday (April 26), in a world-record time of 1:59:30.
Over the last 12 months, Sawe tested and refined his fueling protocol, and the Maurten team made six dedicated trips to Kenya to work with him to develop a fuelling plan.
“Anyone who’s seen Sabastian run knows he’s an extraordinary athlete — once-in-a-generation, really,” said Joshua Rowe, head of sports tech at Maurten. “What is perhaps not as well-known is that he’s also one of the best fuelers the marathon has ever seen.”
They carried out extensive testing and analysis to guide the nutrition and training strategy including measurements of exogenous carbohydrate uptake; energy expenditure; running economy; VO2 max; lactate testing; blood sampling. They conducted body-composition assessments, monitored ongoing training-load, and analyzed food-intake logs to ensure sufficient energy availability.
The teams also developed a personalized gut-training plan and a race-day fueling protocol to enhance Sawe’s gastrointestinal (Gl) tolerance for the high carbohydrate intake required on race day.
“He took a Maurten gel before long sessions and Maurten Drink Mix at set intervals during training runs — mimicking his exact race-day schedule,” said Rowe. “This was aimed at progressively conditioning his gut — reducing the risk of Gl distress while maximizing his ability to oxidize exogenous carbohydrate during competition.
“After months of adaptation and tweaking, a race-day fueling plan was ready.”
Why is carb loading so important?
Rowe explained that a key part of race preparation was making sure Sawe had enough glycogen stored in his body. Athletes focus on carb-loading before an endurance race as it helps build up the energy needed for the race.
Muscle glycogen fuels marathon training by supplying a readily available source of energy for working muscles, and during running the body breaks glycogen down into glucose and uses it through processes like glycolysis to produce ATP, which powers muscle contractions.
As intensity increases, the runner relies more heavily on glycogen because it provides energy quickly, allowing the runner to sustain faster paces during workouts such as intervals and long runs. Therefore, adequate glycogen stores help the runner delay fatigue, maintain pace, and preserve efficient movement.
Sawe’s London Marathon fuelling plan
Sawe used Maurten’s Drink Mix 320 to carb load for the two days before the race, which contains 80 g of carbohydrates per 500ml of water. The mix is designed to become a hydrogel upon contact with stomach acid, encapsulating the carbohydrates and helping to reduce the sensation of liquid sloshing in the stomach when consuming fuel during exercise.
On race day, Sawe consumed the Maurten Bicarb System early in the morning. Sodium bicarbonate can neutralize the acid build up in muscles, helping them to keep working longer and delaying fatigue. However, it can also lead to stomach upset and GI pain, so the product uses Hydrogel Technology to encapsulate the bicarb and carry it through the stomach to be absorbed. Sawe also consumed a Gel 100, which contains 25 grams of carbohydrates, using the same Hydrogel Technology.
The technology uses alginate — extracted from seaweed — and pectin — found in fruit fibers — to create a protective structure. The semi-solid state of the hydrogel is designed to behave like a sponge, with lots of microscopic holes that are filled with the carbohydrate component.
At 5 km, 10 km and 15 km, Sawe drank small amounts of the carb drink; at 20 km, he took a caffeinated energy gel and a bit more drink; and at 25 km, 30 km, 35 km and 40 km, he had more of the carb mix drink.
The result was a “place in history”, said Rowe.
