Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein Teams Up With Gatorade G Series Pro

With a mobile version of the elite Gatorade Sports Science Institute facilities, GSSI took to the Big Apple to help top endurance athletes assess their fitness, examine their nutrition, and test out the new Gatorade G Series Pro line for elite athletes.

To determine basic athletic capabilities and requirements, GSSI staff identified a number of key measurements including body composition (identifying fat and lean muscle mass), aerobic capacity and fueling optimization techniques.

"They're doing a broad range of tests from VO2 max testing to body composition," said Olympian and long-distance runner Dathan Ritzenhein, who was on hand observing the testing. "Those are all things that are basically the science behind my sport of distance running."

Ritzenhein, who logged impressive top 10 finishes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 ING NYC Marathon, has been focused on recovery with the help of Gatorade and its new G Series Pro line of products. Ritzenhein had surgery on his left Achilles tendon in March after battling injury since December.

"It's been especially trying with the recovery from the injury because I've had to cross-train so much," said Ritzenhein, who has  been logging about 70 miles a week on the Alter G Anti-Gravity Treadmill and spends about 90 minutes cross-training daily to stay as fit as possible. "There's such a complex thing to how your body recovers from each workout and what it takes to be the best."

Geared toward elite and highly competitive athletes, the new Gatorade G Series Pro line is the latest outcome of GSSI hydration and sports nutrition research. The line offers a diverse set of products that vary from energy drinks and nutrition bars to recovery shakes and smoothies. It also includes a wide assortment of flavors from chocolate chip and blueberry almond oat to strawberry banana and more.

Rich in carbs and nutrients, the G Series Pro line has something for every part of an athlete's day. This is a key reason Ritzenhein is teaming up with Gatorade as he works to fuel for recovery and perfect his marathon nutrition plan.

"With this revamped Gatorade series, there is a specific product before, during and after a workout, which has been essential for me," Ritzenhein said. "I'm getting introduced to the whole line of products, and it's a change for the old standard."

Though he hasn't ruled out competing in the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships later this summer in Korea, Ritzenhein's main focus is on the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team Trials in 2012. He's hoping a visit to the GSSI headquarters in Barrington, Illinois, later this year will help fine-tune his training.

"I still haven't dialed in exactly what is best for the marathon," Ritzenhein said. "It's very important to avoid cramping and energy depletion, and I'm really looking forward to testing with GSSI because that's been the one limiting factor for me—nutrition."

Learn more about the Gatorade G Series Pro line and follow Ritzenhein's road to recovery via Twitter.

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