MORRIS PLAINS, N.J.—German personal trainer Stefan Schlegel finished fifth place in in the 2014 Race Across America, utilizing BENEO’s Palatinose as his main carbohydrate energy source during the race.

Race Across America is a 3,000-mile, cross-country bicycle race from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland and is 30 percent longer than the Tour de France. Racers must finish the race in a maximum of 12 days. Schlegel finished the race in 10 days, 14 hours and 32 minutes, besting his 2012 finish by 15 hours. His feat comes after he suffered an injury on the first day of the race due to a punctured tire.

Schlegel, 37, credits much of his performance to his personalized diet; 12,000-14,000 calories per day consumed via 3.9 to 6.6 gallons of liquids containing 20 percent protein, 20 percent at and 60 percent carbohydrates. He consumed two pounds of daily Palatinose, a natural carbohydrate that provides full carb energy in the form of glucose in a balanced and sustained way. It helps endurance athletes keep their energy levels consistent over an extended period of time, and promotes enhanced fat oxidation during physical activity.  

“With Palatinose I did not experience a single hunger pang during the race, never felt a lack of energy and my blood glucose level remained constant, which is crucial for endurance races," he said.