At BENEO, we’re proud to support individuals who go the extra mile – both professionally and athletically. Robbe De Man, BENEO’s Country Manager for Eastern Europe, has been an avid runner for many years. In 2024, he took on new challenges, shifting his focus from long distances to speed. I sat down with him to talk about his training, his approach to fuelling, and how the smart carbohydrate Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) helped him reach new performance levels.

Robbe, in 2023 it was all about long distances for you. How was 2024 different?

Robbe: I decided to focus on speed. Shorter distances like 5 and 10 kilometres. My goal? To keep getting better and break personal records. It was a completely different challenge, but one that kept me motivated.

What was the biggest shift in your training?

Robbe: Training for short distances required a different approach. Over the past year, I participated in about 17 races where I managed to secure several first and second places. But that doesn’t mean I abandoned my long runs. They remain the backbone of my training, as they build endurance and help trigger fat oxidation. Last summer, I even ran up Mont Ventoux. That was a completely new endurance challenge for me.

With such intense training, how did you manage your energy levels?

Robbe: Fuelling my body was key. For long runs, I needed good energy, a balanced release of carbohydrate energy to keep me going. That’s where Palatinose™ came in.

Speed and endurance require different energy strategies. How did you balance that?

Robbe: To excel at shorter distances, I had to optimize my body’s efficiency. One of the biggest challenges was teaching it to rely more on fat oxidation. My training and nutrition went hand in hand to keep improving.

How did Palatinose™ support your performance?

Robbe: Palatinose™ helped me here, too. It gave me the energy I needed without the spikes, allowing my body to make that critical switch to fat oxidation during training. 2024 wasn’t just about chasing records. It was about learning, improving, and embracing every step of the journey.

What’s next for you in 2025?

Robbe: Every run taught me something new about pacing, perseverance, and finding the right fuel for the right moment. This year, I’m taking this growth with me as I return to long distances. I hope to break a new personal record in the marathon.

Robbe’s success on the track raised an important question:

Why is running with Palatinose™ so effective at improving fat oxidation, even for short distances?

To answer that, I spoke to Klaudia Volmer, Product Manager for Palatinose™. She offered fascinating insights into the science behind Robbe’s progress.

Klaudia: As Product Manager for Palatinose™, I’m often asked how our ingredient can support runners. The advantages for long distance are more obvious, as Palatinose™ is mostly known for its balanced carbohydrate energy supply. But there’s more to this functional carbohydrate. Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) offers a unique benefit due to its ability to enhance fat oxidation and provide a steady source of energy.

When runners consume Palatinose™, they experience a more steady release of glucose into their bloodstream. Unlike high-glycaemic sugars that cause rapid spikes in blood sugar, Palatinose™’s slower digestion helps maintain stable energy/glucose levels throughout activity. This balanced energy release is crucial, particularly in events that require both speed and endurance.

Additionally, Palatinose™ has a key advantage that is important for short distances races such as the ones Robbe focused on during the past year: it is the ability to support fat oxidation. But fat oxidation is also a training effect. In order to run a very fast short distance race, Robbe needs substantial hours of endurance training. This training not only increases the body ‘s capacity for lung volume, heart rate and oxygen uptake, it also improves the body ‘s use of fuel resources by increasing its fat oxidation capacity during activity. When the body can mobilise and use more fat fuel for energy supply during intense activity, it helps managing and sparing its limited glycogen sources for longer endurance or higher intensity. Palatinose™ can support this endurance training effects in those long training sessions in preparation of a race, unlike high glycaemic sugars. Endurance training with Palatinose™ is a key element when preparing for a short distance race.

Whether you’re training for your next marathon or aiming to improve your sprint times, running with Palatinose™ may offer a smart and steady energy solution — supporting fat oxidation and sustained performance, step by step.