Repetition of the same taste — during regular training or long races — can reduce the appeal of fuel. Often known as flavor fatigue, not all athletes will recognize its effects. But for some, over-exposure and repeated consumption of the same taste can reduce the appetite to maintain a consistent fueling strategy. Taste buds are desensitized, and fuel becomes less appealing.
On the trail — where access to varied nutrition can be limited — this can break an athlete’s commitment to their fueling plan. Resulting in an energy deficit and reduced performance over time.
Flavor fatigue in training and racing.
In trail races, where high concentrations of carbohydrate fuel are consumed frequently — often across changing terrain, elevation, and intensity — the palate can quickly become desensitized to the same flavors and textures. Maintaining disciplined in-race fueling is crucial for performance, especially as fatigue builds into the later hours.
Training is often routine-based — similar workouts, similar routes, similar times of day, and similar fuel. That structure, with little variation and regular fueling, can also bring on flavor fatigue. When in a sustained block of training, underfueling can impact recovery — making subsequent sessions less effective — and hinder the physical adaptations that lead to progress.
Mind control.
The mind also plays a role. A sickly or even nauseous sensation, that some athletes may experience from repeatedly consuming the same taste over long durations, can prompt the mind to adopt a response akin to self-preservation. In this state, the mind perceives that the source of the nausea is a danger and may override (or ignore) the cues that the body requires more fuel.
On technical trails or during long climbs, this mental resistance can make it even more difficult to stick to a fueling plan.
A solution you can taste.
Maurten Additions — dissolved in Maurten Drink Mix — is a tool to support consistent fueling and help mitigate the effects of flavor fatigue. Athletes can choose to vary taste on their own terms — like a rotation strategy — with Apple, Cola, Menthol, and Orange. Resetting the palate with taste can improve fueling satisfaction and make consumption easier, boosting motivation — as if the same fuel feels new and interesting again.
Additions enable athletes to use sensory variation without impacting the fueling performance and efficacy of Hydrogel Technology. It means staying aligned with the planned fuel strategy. Additions reinforce the personal importance of fueling — adding taste is chosen, not forced.
Add taste to the Mix.
Drink Mix is a liquid carbohydrate fuel that changes from a liquid in the bottle to a hydrogel in the stomach. This chemical reaction encapsulates the carbohydrates and carries them through the stomach to the intestines — here, they are absorbed and used as fuel while being easier on the stomach. The conversion from a liquid to a gel helps reduce the sensation of liquid sloshing in the stomach when consuming fuel during exercise. A feeling of discomfort that can affect performance during climbs, descents, and on technical terrain.
Drink Mix has a neutral taste profile. Even in the absence of taste, flavor fatigue can still limit performance. To help maintain your target carbohydrates per hour and reset the palate as required, add your preferred Addition to a 500 ml bottle of prepared Drink Mix.
Explore Additions on maurten.com.
Non-Canada subscribers: Limited time — 1 x box of Additions included with every Drink Mix purchase. Offer expires 31 December 2026.
Canada subscribers: Limited time — purchase a box of Drink Mix and get 33% off a box of Additions. Offer expires 31 December 2026.
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