Winning a 250km marathon with powder food

As we have told you, Ragna has been the absolute winner of this edition of the MDS, but in this year's race there was a non-common protagonist: the first dog who has run the Marathon des Sables! He joined and loved the athletes in the second stage, and the next day, without anyone counting on it, he joined the runners and he even completed the hardest stage of the marathon in 11 hours when the athletes took about 31 on average! Without a doubt, a 4-legged champion.

"After this challenge, I could not be more satisfied and excited to face new challenges!" she explains.

"When I knew that I had to take and carry with me all the food, I thought I would need a very complete meal that would have all the nutrients: low weight, maximum calories! I could not carry an extra gram of food, and I had to make sure that I guaranteed a good muscle recovery after each stage and that it gave me energy for the next one! "

In this high demand races, it is vital that nutrition is on the runners' side, and that it provides all the necessary energy. With its high percentage of protein (whey protein) from milk whey, KÜiK Meal provides a lot of branched-chain amino acid content (BCAA), especially leucine, which contributes to muscle recovery and increases its resistance.

"My daily meals were all KÜiK Meal! For breakfast, I had 3 spoons of vanilla flavour, which is my favourite! During the race I took sports products such as gels and isotonic salts. Then for lunch I used to eat 100gr (1 full meal) of KÜiK with some salty flavour like chicken, but I reserved a bit of the neutral powder to finish a sweet flavour as if it was a dessert! For example, a cappuccino, chocolate or cookie flavour. At night I did the same thing than for lunch, and in the afternoon, if I wanted to eat something else, I had the KÜiK bars, and I ended finishing them all! "


          

She ate balanced during those days, but also Ragna had insured all the nutrients of a complete meal in each KÜiK, and between them, several essential components for every athlete: vitamin B6, vitamin B1 and  taurine to reduce fatigue, L-tyrosine (precursor of adrenaline, which is a neurotransmitter) that improves the reflexes, and vitamin C that helps the synthesis of collagen in the joints.

She reveals that she had some troubles, due to an edema she began to have in the 3rd stage caused by her backpack:
"I did not adjust it 100% well, so it hurt. Consequently, I had to start working more on my abs, but that affected my stomach and digestive system, having diarrhea and vomiting ... So, I got dehydrated and it was difficult to manage because I had limited food and I lost water and nutrients I could not eat again. I remember that the last kilometres of that stage were very hard, I knew I could finish but it was to the limit! Then, the next day I ran more calmly from the beginning, and I am very happy with my food KÜiK Meal because it gave me strength every day to be ready for the next stage, with the perfect stomach and the feeling of being very recovered”.

We could think that after a race of this type it's time to rest, but her spirit and energy took her this past weekend to China, to the Yading Skyrun, where she finished in the 2^nd position! "It was an express trip and I brought my KÜiK Meal with me: for the trip and for my stay, because it would have been difficult to adapt myself to the Chinese diet, and I preferred not to risk, so I go with my complete and healthy meal all over the world!"