Generation UCAN is a sports supplement company best-known for its sports drink. Find out everything you need to know about Generation UCAN today in our review.
What is Generation UCAN?
Generation UCAN is a nutritional supplement distributor that calls itself “the new generation of nutrition”. The company is best known for its two flagship sports drinks: one is designed to be taken before and during exercise, and the other is a protein-based formula you take after your workout.
Generation UCAN is particularly popular among runners, and you can find plenty of reviews from marathon runners and other long distance athletes available online.
What’s the difference between Generation UCAN’s sports drinks and the thousands of other sports drinks on the market? Generation UCAN claims to provide a slow release glucose source that is low in GI, doesn’t elicit a significant insulin response, and doesn’t suppress fat burning. The sports drinks do this using a “super starch”.
How Do Generation UCAN Sports Drinks Work?
Generation UCAN sports drinks use a “super starch”, also marketed under the name Superstarch or Super Starch. Generation UCAN claims their Superstarch formula has numerous advantages over other sports drinks, including:
- Provides a slow release glucose source for sustained energy throughout your workout
- Has a low glycemic index (so it doesn’t spike your glucose)
- Doesn’t cause a significant insulin response, so it doesn’t suppress fat burning
To reinforce these benefits, Generation UCAN has performed a number of research studies on their Superstarch.
They also cite studies performed by organizations like the University of Oklahoma showing that Superstarch enhanced fat burning during exercise, enhanced fat oxidation during exercise, and enhanced the breakdown and usage of fat during recovery.
SuperStarch, by the way, is labeled as “hydrothermally cooked non-GMO corn”. Ultimately, Generation UCAN claims their Super Starch is more effective than maltodextrin at fueling your workout and encouraging fat burning.
Many of the company’s products rely on these claims to sell you high-priced nutritional supplements. In layman’s terms, Generation UCAN’s SuperStarch gives you little bits of energy over time. This keeps your blood sugar stable, which is the ideal place for your body to be during exercise.
Generation UCAN Products
Generation UCAN sells three core products, including their Energy Drink Mix, their Protein Drink Mix, and a new series of snack bars.
Energy Drink Mix
This is a pre-workout and intra-workout beverage containing Generation UCAN’s flagship ingredient, Super Starch. The formula claims to be clinically proven and made from all natural, non-GMO, and gluten-free ingredients.
Ingredients in the energy drink mix include: SuperStarch, natural flavors, xanthan gum, sodium citrate, gum Arabic, potassium citrate, citric acid, monk fruit extract.
The Energy Drink Mix comes in the form of a powder. You mix the powder with cold water, then shake it vigorously before drinking. Unlike other pre-workout formulas, the Generation UCAN Energy Drink Mix does not contain stimulants like caffeine.
We’ve seen other preworkouts claim to contain ingredients that boost your energy – when in reality, they just contain a ridiculous dosage of caffeine.
Protein Drink Mix
The Protein Drink Mix is Generation UCAN’s product for after your workout. The formula also contains SuperStarch to provide stable blood sugar and steady energy throughout the day.
The company describes it as “liquid food that’s easy on the stomach”. The protein, thanks to SuperStarch, accelerates post-workout fat burning.
The full list of ingredients includes SuperStarch, whey protein isolate, natural flavor, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, sodium citrate dihydrate, potassium citrate, sucralose, ascorbic acid. There’s 7g of protein in each serving, which is low for a protein powder. There’s 30 servings in each container.
Protein Bars
Generation UCAN also offers a lineup of snack bars in multiple flavors. Like the company’s other supplements, the snack bars claim to stabilize your blood sugar while giving you a strong dose of protein, fiber, and healthy fats to make you feel full. It can be a healthy pre-workout snack or an anytime snack to curb hunger.
Key ingredients include SuperStarch, a protein blend (whey protein isolate), milk protein concentrate, sugar, isomalto-oligosaccharide, coconut oil, palm kernel oil, natural flavors, oligofructose (chicory extract), cocoa powder (processed with alkali), peanut butter, peanut oil, partially defatted peanut flour, salt, mono- and diglycerides, soy lecithin, tocopherols, xanthan gum, monk fruit extract, stevia extract.
Each snack bar contains 6g of protein.
Does Generation UCAN’s SuperStarch Actually Work?
Generation UCAN frequently cites the University of Oklahoma study on its website. They also call SuperStarch a “revolutionary ingredient”. Let’s take a closer look at that study and how it worked:
Cyclists at the University of Oklahoma took part in a 2.5 hour test ride with the goal of comparing SuperStarch versus a maltodextrin-based product
Participants received SuperStarch 30 minutes prior to the ride, and then again after the ride
After the ride, it was revealed that the riders who took the SuperStarch had blood glucose levels that were maintains 8 times longer and were able to compete at a higher peak performance level
That may not sound like much, but it’s important: maltodextrin-based products cause your blood glucose levels to spike.
Every spike is followed by a crash. The SuperStarch kept riders at a steady level of energy, while the maltodextrin-based products caused spikes and crashes, leading to fluctuating energy levels.
Interestingly, SuperStarch doesn’t work like normal preworkouts. You need to take UCAN 30 to 60 minutes before a workout, as opposed to approximately 15 to 30 minutes for an ordinary preworkout.
Based on reviews online, people seem to take 1.5 packets before a workout, then half a packet during the workout. Ultimately, the study shows that SuperStarch works better than maltodextrin-based products, but it’s not totally clear if it’s more effective than other preworkout formulas.
We know it was more effective than a maltodextrin-based product in this particular study, but we don’t know much beyond that.
Generation UCAN Reviews: What Do Customers Have to Say?
Generation UCAN supplements are all sold on Amazon, where they’re well-rated, with an average rating of around 4 stars out of 5 for most supplements.
Here are some of the pros and cons of Generation UCAN’s supplements according to Amazon users:
Pros
- Many people are surprised how powerful a stimulant-free preworkout can be
- Great for multiple types of activities (people take Generation UCAN for everything from yoga to marathon running)
- Sustained energy throughout the day
- Great supplement to take before running, as it doesn’t sit in your stomach like some other preworkouts
- Easy to take, just mix it with water
- Mixes well with water without clumping, and is easy to swallow
Cons
- Some customers report some digestive problems
- Not all customers enjoy the taste
Generation UCAN Pricing
Generation UCAN’s supplements are available on Amazon and in supplement stores or gyms around the world. Here’s how pricing breaks down on Amazon:
- Energy Drink Tub: $62.95
- Protein Drink Tub: $64.95
- 6 Pack of Single-Serve Packets: $32.95
- Snack Bar Box (12 Bars): $33.20
Each tub contains 30 servings. Oddly, some people claim their gym sells the 30 serving tubs for as little as $52 – so you may want to check your local area before you rush to buy from Amazon.
Generation UCAN Review Summary
Generation UCAN is a lineup of supplements built on a unique concept: instead of using stimulants to fuel your workout, Generation UCAN sports drinks use “SuperStarch”, a corn-based formula that purportedly provides sustained energy throughout your workout – instead of causing you to peak and crash like maltodextrin-based beverages.
One study from the University of Oklahoma reinforced the benefits of the Generation UCAN lineup. However, we would like to see more evidence of how Generation UCAN’s SuperStarch compares to conventional preworkout formulas and other sports drinks on the market.
Nevertheless, many people swear by Generation UCAN – especially runners or those who want to avoid stimulant-based preworkouts. It’s popular among a diverse range of athletes – and may be worth a try if you’re looking for a new preworkout.
