When our athlete Jean-François Cauchon stepped onto the podium at the 2025 Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB®, the achievement wasn’t just about the 110 km he ran or the 6,250 metres he climbed. It was about everything that kept him moving forward for over 13 hours: training, grit, community support—and the often-overlooked edge of great-tasting fuel.
A Brutal Challenge, a Brilliant Performance
The Tenerife Bluetrail is one of Europe’s most demanding ultra races, taking runners from sea level to the peak of Mount Teide, through a mix of technical trails, volcanic terrain, and relentless elevation. Jean-François stayed strong through it all, finishing in 13h35m and taking 3rd place overall in the 110K category. View full race results here.
This follows his record-breaking win at the QMT 100-miler in 2024, confirming his position among North America’s top ultra trail athletes. But while his performance speaks for itself, there’s another story we want to tell—one that links mindset, flavour, and performance.
Think Back to That One Activity…
Think back to a time you were deep into your own long training session—a hike, a run, a ride, maybe a race. Energy fading, legs hurting. And then? The thought of your favourite food popped into your mind. That one thing that always hits just right. Just the idea of it gave you something to hold onto. Maybe it got you to the next aid station. Maybe it got you home.
That’s not just a craving. That’s a mental shift—and it’s something scientists are now taking seriously.
Taste Isn’t a Bonus. It’s a Performance Tool.
A growing body of research shows that good-tasting food and beverages can enhance endurance performance through psychological mechanisms linked to the pleasure of eating. One major review put it clearly:
“Preferred tastes may not always directly improve physical output in laboratory settings, but they consistently generate more favorable psychological responses, including reduced perceived exertion, increased motivation, and greater enjoyment.”
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2023
In other words: how something tastes can influence how hard it feels. And over long distances, that difference can be everything.
We Don’t Just Create Performance Nutrition for the Body—
Because when you’re hours into a race, body hurting, focus fading, flavour becomes strategy. A burst of fresh fruit, a comforting bite of chocolate—that’s more than fuel. That’s relief. That’s motivation. That’s mental strength.
That’s why at XACT, we build products that deliver on taste as much as they do on performance. And we’re not talking artificial sweetness or chalky textures—we mean real fruit, pâtisserie-level texture, and the kind of indulgence that makes you look forward to the next bite.
Jeff’s Secret Weapon: Apple & Chocolate
- 🍏 Green Apple Energy Fruit Bars and Green Apple Minis — that crisp, refreshing kick when everything else feels heavy
- 🍫 Chocolate Coated Wafers — light, crunchy, and just indulgent enough to lift your spirits at the right moment
Taste. Science. Results.
The latest research is pointing to the complex relationship between taste, brain reward circuits, and neurotransmitters. Scientists are beginning to map how pleasurable foods activate the brain in ways that reduce perceived effort and boost motivation. That’s not marketing hype. That’s the future of sports nutrition.
And for us, it’s the now.
🎉 Celebrate Jeff. Taste the Difference.
To celebrate Jeff’s podium at Tenerife Bluetrail, we’re offering 15% off his favourite XACT products this weekend only.
Use code: BRAVOJEFF at checkout to get 15% off:
Because when your food tastes great, your mind stays strong.
#FuelYourGoals | #BravoJeff | #XACTNutrition | #UTMBSeries | #TrailRunning