Many individuals need protein well beyond the regular requirements. Endurance athletes and other highly active people have increased muscle breakdown and body wear, and so need more protein to rebuild their bodies and prevent injury.

The American Dietetic Association says that when athletes do heavy strength and resistance training, they need more than twice the amount of protein as normal to rebuild and repair their bodies.

This is my first season using MAP. Under the advice of my coach, Shawn Crotto, it has helped me recover faster and make the gains I needed to this season...and look how early it already is. My running has dramatically improved and my bike efforts have been stronger, I find that I am no longer exhausted at the end of a long training day, when my role as a mother and care giver needs to kick into high gear!

In the three races I have competed in this year I have come in 2nd OV (1st AG) for the first 5K of the season, 5th OV (1st AG) in the first Sprint Tri of the season, and had an outstanding 3rd race with a top 10% finish!

I'm looking forward to the the balance of this racing season with MAP.

Sincerely, Kathleen Donatello

by Kim Loeffler - 1st US finisher and 8th overall at the 2005 Ford IronMan World Championships

I’ve just returned home from the Wildlfower Half Ironman where I had a solid season opener, finishing third, behind Sam McClone and Natasha Badman. Not bad company!

Wildflower is one of my favorite races. The race site is located at Lake San Antonio, a beautiful venue and despite the level of competition, a layed back atmosphere. The course is diverse, consisting of steep hills, long climbs and single track trails. As a former collegiate cross country runner, I was excited to tackle the course.

While I was excited to race after a long winter, I was also concerned with my fitness level. We had our typical cold Vermont winter with endless computrainer rides and movie marathons. February approached and I...

by Cherie Gruenfeld - IM Age Group Champion

As triathletes, we tend to divide our races into the three disciplines (swim/bike/run) and the two transitions (T1 and T2). That's fine for shorter distant races. Ironman, however, is a very different animal, and requires a different perspective. I suggest that a better strategy is to break the "King of Triathlons" down a little finer than that, because there are several points in the race that can be critical to our success and yet we tend to just lump them in with the swim, bike and run. Specifically, I'm referring to...

by Kim Loeffler

We are all aware of the importance of the long run and ride in the Ironman puzzle. To complete an Ironman, you must be aerobically fit to run a marathon after biking 112 miles. But what if you have finished a few Ironman races and just finishing is no longer a goal? What if you want to finish faster? Then, it is important to remember the principle of specificity. The most effective way to train for a race is to simulate the race as closely as possible in training. If you want to race fast and long, you must train fast and long. Below are some of my favorite Ironman workouts. After completing several weeks of base training, give the following workouts a try.

The Long Ride With Pace Work: This is obviously one of the most important Ironman training workouts you will do. After several weeks of long aerobic rides, transition into long rides with segments at slightly faster than race pace. Training at race pace, or slightly faster, prepares the body for the demands of the Ironman. Try to do your final few pace rides on a course that simulates the topography you will be racing on. For example, if your goal race is Ironman Lake Placid, include several long climbs faster than race pace toward the end of your ride. If you are training for a flat race such as Ironman Florida, include 2-3x30 min. tempos in the second half of your long ride at slightly faster than race pace. The goal of the workout is to stress your body similar to what it will experience on race day.

We have several programs through which you can earn free MAP.

MAP Winner's Circle -- Win your age group in a sanctioned event and win a free bottle of MAP.

Automatic Re-order Program -- When you sign up for our Auto Re-order program, every 12th bottle is free.

Affiliate Program -- Register as an Affiliate, then have the people you refer enter your name on their order form. Every time you have earned 12 credits, we will ship you a free bottle of MAP.