The Ultra Distance Blog

Maybe you have already asked yourself this question: can vegetarians eat bugs? This debate has been a subject of controversy in the vegetarian community since the recent raise of entomophagy. In this article, you'll understand what is the entotarian diet and how it solves the problem.

Our mission at Näak is to power the world of ultra-sport performance with efficient and sustainable fuel while bringing out the limitless potential in all athletes. We will continue to lead the cricket protein market in sport nutrition by relaunching our energy bar line and expanding into the product line of plant-based protein with a strong differentiation. We believe that our new logo will ensure that customers understand the brand benefits at first glance: sustainable performance, long-lasting energy, and fast recovery.

While gels are a convenient way to get in some energy, some athletes struggle to choke them down and some even find that gels can cause an upset stomach due to the amount of fructose and caffeine in them. If you’re tired of energy gels, take one of these 4 alternatives on your next long workout or race. You’ll power through those dreaded final miles!

When running an ultra marathon of any distance, anything can go wrong. You are on your feet for hours, often alone, getting progressively more tired, hungry, and anxious: there will undoubtedly be some factors you cannot control on race day, but you’ll just have to keep going.

If you’re planning to run your first ultra marathon or are a novice to ultra running, read on to learn the 7 common mistakes that almost all runners make. Learn from these mistakes to avoid making them in the future! 

Right now, our world is facing significant and urgent food shortages. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 795 million people currently suffer from a chronic lack of nutritious food. With the world’s population at a steady increase, we will not be able to sustain the world’s current protein diet by the year 2050. Thankfully, Naak is on a mission to address this dooming food security problem: crickets! Read on to learn about the many benefits of these edible insects.

It's no secret that athletes are always on the hunt for tricks that will help them enhance sport performance. Whether it is training at high altitudes or switching up their diets, if you can name it, someone has probably tried it. As the years go by and new training techniques arise, some turn out to be successful, some are destined to fail, and others… well we just don’t know yet! Amongst those training techniques, one which has been recently grabbing the attention of many endurance athletes is: training in a fasted state. What is it? Does it work? Should you try it? If you’re looking for answers to these questions, read along!

Carbohydrates are arguably the most important macronutrient needed for ultra endurance athletes. Simply put, carbohydrates are the sugars, starches, and fibers found in fruits, grains, vegetables, and other foods. They provide fuel for the central nervous system and energy for working muscles: without carbs, the body runs much less efficiently. Read on to learn everything there is to know about carbohydrates and their vital role in ultra sport nutrition!

Nutrition for ultra-marathons or ultra-trails is a whole new ballgame of fueling and hydration requirements. Defined as events lasting at least 6 hours, ultra-endurance events place extreme and unique physiological demands on athletes. Although proper training is undoubtedly a crucial factor in preparing for such extraordinary physical feats, nutrition is also paramount as these events would not be possible without adequate fueling.

People often think that cricket flour and cricket powder are the same ingredients. However, you might be surprised to learn that these two terms, which seem quite similar at first, actually have very different meanings!

Cricket powder is milled from whole crickets, so it has a nutritional profile high in protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. On the other hand, flour is a powder ground from grains and has a very different nutrient composition than that of cricket powder. If you’re confused, don’t worry, we’ll be explaining the differences in this article!

Crickets are not only delicious, but are excellent for health, especially for ultra endurance athletes! Need further convincing? Here are 10 reasons why you should add crickets to your diet.

Proper fueling for endurance athletes means more than just replacing calories: it also involves consistent and adequate electrolyte and fluid replenishment. Fluids and electrolytes are more consumed by athletes for a number of different reasons and an electrolyte imbalance can seriously impact overall athletic performance. If you’re wondering what electrolytes are and why you might need them, all of your questions will be answered in this article!

Caffeine is the world’s most widely used psychoactive drug and by far the most common stimulant to date. Most of us are familiar with the stimulating effects of caffeine, but for endurance athletes in particular, caffeine is often used to boost energy and performance. However, the science behind caffeine supplementation in endurance athletes is muddled, as we often hear contradicting thoughts on the drug. If you are curious about the effects of caffeine and whether or not to supplement with it, then this article is for you!