When Nothing Else Goes In: Why Maple Syrup Works in Ultra-Endurance
There comes a point in long endurance events where fueling stops being about what’s optimal on paper and starts being about what your body will still accept.
When fatigue sets in, when you’re sleep-deprived, when the weather has changed and your stomach is tired, eating can feel almost as hard as running.
That’s where simplicity matters most.
During my mountainous 100-mile race in Nice, which took just over 41 hours, maple syrup became my most reliable source of fuel. Not because it was exciting, but because it kept going in when many other foods didn’t.
From the snowy alps to the Mediterranean sea
The race began in winter-like conditions: –2°C, snow at the top of the first mountain, cold winds and the stiff muscles you get when your body can't create enough heat. It ended by the sea in Nice, in 24°C heat, after two nights without sleep and nearly two days of continuous movement.
Those changing conditions matter. What feels easy to eat early in a race often becomes difficult hours later.
From the start, I followed a structured fueling plan:
-
One gel (~25 g of carbohydrates) every 20 minutes
-
Plus carbohydrates from a drink mix
This brought my intake to over 85 g of carbohydrates per hour, not counting the solid food eaten at aid stations.
At each aid station where I met my crew, I sat down and ate more substantial foods:
-
Wraps with hummus and tapenade
-
A slice of pizza
-
Pasta with olive oil
Salty, oily, soft foods — foods that are easier to eat and digest during long efforts.
As Fatigue Builds, Eating Gets Harder
As the race progressed, fatigue accumulated.
Sleep deprivation set in.
The temperature rose.
And eating became harder — not because fueling was less important, but because my body resisted anything that required effort.
This wasn’t new. During my P’tit Train du Nord FKT (202 km in under 35 hours), also done mostly in the heat, I learned how quickly dry or pasty foods become difficult to tolerate.
Chewing requires saliva. Saliva decreases with dehydration and fatigue. It was non-existent after 24 hrs. The more you chew, the longer food stays in your mouth — which can make nausea and food aversion worse.
This is where liquid carbohydrates become essential. Not pastes or even the softest fruit bars, but a truly liquid form.
Why Maple Syrup Kept Working
Maple syrup worked for several simple, practical reasons.
It’s liquid.
No chewing, no dryness, no prolonged contact in the mouth. When energy is low, being able to swallow quickly matters.
It’s carbohydrate-dense.
Compared to compotes (usually my favourite food with it’s rehydrating texture), maple syrup delivers more carbohydrates in a smaller volume, meaning you need to consume less to meet your fueling needs.
Its carbohydrate profile supports high intake.
Maple syrup is primarily sucrose, which is broken down into glucose and fructose. Because these carbohydrates use different intestinal transporters, trained athletes can absorb more than 60 g of carbohydrates per hour, and often closer to 90 g per hour or more when glucose and fructose are combined.
It works across conditions.
From cold mountain mornings to warm coastal heat, maple syrup remained easy to take in.
Salt makes a difference.
Adding salt helps replace sodium lost in sweat and balances sweetness, making the gel more palatable when taste fatigue sets in.
When Everything Hurts, Simple Wins
Late in an ultra, fueling is no longer about variety or novelty. It’s about reliability.
When chewing feels like work, when your stomach is tired, and when every decision feels heavy, maple syrup offers an easy, efficient source of carbohydrates.
It was the fuel I could rely on when fatigue was high and options were limited.
When eating feels almost as hard as running, maple syrup makes fueling simpler — and in long endurance efforts, that simplicity can make all the difference.