A Canadian brand with a simple goal: better-tasting nutrition

In 2012, Montrealer and passionate outdoors adventurer Lawrence Colsell was talking with his wife, Marianne, about how unpleasant some running energy gels taste. There had to be something better. Their shared passions for food and the outdoors led them to start creating nutritional products that both work and taste great, and XACT Nutrition was born.

From humble beginnings

The brand started out by handing out bars at local trail races and events across Quebec, back then the bars were known as FRUIT2; a tasty, easy-to-eat alternative to energy gels and chews. Eleven years later, XACT Nutrition offers six different flavours of fruit bars, now called XACT Energy, and six flavours of Chocolate Wafers, and is the official on-course nutrition partner at five of Canada’s biggest road races: Around the Bay 30K, the Vancouver Marathon, Calgary Marathon, Victoria Marathon and Ottawa Race Weekend.

“Our product is simple,” says Alain Regnault, fellow co-founder, who also has over 40 years of experience in the food and nutrition industry. “We are always focused on creating a better-tasting alternative, but it’s really the taste, quality, and texture that set us apart. The experience of eating”.

The recipe of great taste

Their original product, the XACT Energy fruit bar, has a sweet, jelly-like texture and is easily digestible for all athletes. The bar contains four different sugars originating from apple pulp, orange pulp, sugar and glucose syrup with natural hints of pectin. The ingredient list is simple and part of the reason why the bars are so easy to digest. Each bar contains 25 grams of carbohydrates and should be consumed every 30 to 60 minutes during activity to help refuel your body.

A couple of years ago, XACT Nutrition expanded its offering with the Protein Chocolate Wafer, a bar that tastes more like a reward than fuel. If you’re looking for that tasty protein-filled post-run snack, these wafers contain 15 g of whey protein, 16 g of carbs, and precise B vitamin complexes, helping aid in recovery. The bar comes in three flavours: chocolate, vanilla and coconut.  There are also three dark chocolate options using pea and rice protein, which is suitable for vegans.

Make Xact your race day fuel

As many of you embark on your first half or full marathon this spring or fall, a good rule of thumb for taking nutrition is one bar for every 45 minutes during your race. The purpose of using XACT Energy bars during your race is the need to replenish your glycogen stores that begin depleting after an hour of cardio exercise, causing that infamous bonking feeling.

It is great to train with your planned race-day nutrition on long runs leading up to the big day. XACT’s natural ingredients and flavours make it easy to digest to keep you going further and faster!

Last year, I used XACT as my main source of fuel when I ran with a team of eight others on an ultra-relay race from Toronto to Montreal (Run2MTL). I found the XACT Energy fruit bars easy to digest and made a great fruity snack for quick energy before/during each leg of the run. This bar is perfect for someone who is training for a marathon and looking for a yummy alternative to a gel that won’t upset their stomach.