By Unbroken  | In conversation with Viktor Thorup, Danish Olympic medalist, on using recovery strategies, lactate optimization, and Real Time Recovery with Unbroken to improve performance, increase training volume, and compete at the highest level.

For Danish Olympic medalist Viktor Thorup, performance isn’t built on shortcuts. It’s built on details. Every session. Every variable. Every marginal gain.

“Most things don’t work - but once in a while, you find something that actually makes a difference.”

Unbroken was one of those.

From Curiosity to Competitive Edge

Viktor didn’t discover Unbroken through a system. No federation. No team doctor. No predefined protocol. He found it through research. “I don’t want to leave anything untested,” he says.

With a background in nutrition and a tightly controlled training setup, Viktor tracks everything—sleep, HRV, heart rate, wattage. So when something works, it shows. And when he tested Unbroken, the signal was clear.

Where It Matters Most: Recovery

"The biggest difference was recovery.” Not during sessions, but between them. With consistent use, Viktor saw:

• Deeper sleep
• Higher HRV and lower resting heart rate
• More training sessions—without losing quality
• Higher output at the same physiological cost 

“I could train more and maintain quality. That’s everything.” At the elite level, progress is built between sessions.

Lower Lactate, Higher Output

For a speed skater, lactate is a limiting factor. And this is where the gains became undeniable. “At world-record pace, my lactate levels dropped by two to four millimoles.”

That translates directly into performance:

• Longer high-intensity efforts
• More repeatable training blocks
• Better race outcomes 

“That difference can decide positions at the Olympics.”

A System Built on Consistency

Once something works, Viktor doesn’t change it. “I treat it like brushing my teeth.”
His protocol:

LONG SESSIONS → Unbroken in every bottle 

HIGH INTENSITY→ isotonic + Unbroken

RECOVERY/TRAVEL → simple, consistent intake

RACE DAY → identical to training 

“I don’t change anything on race day. That consistency gives confidence.”

Built Different: The Danish Path

Viktor didn’t come through a traditional system. No ice rinks in Denmark. No national team. No team doctors or nutritionists.

“We’ve had to figure everything out ourselves.”

Together with his wife, he built everything - training, recovery, nutrition: “There’s no one handing you a plan. You have to find what works.”

That meant: Doing his own research, testing everything in training and taking full ownership. What once felt like a disadvantage became an edge. “It forced me to understand everything.”

And that’s how he found Unbroken. Not through recommendation. Through proof.

The Medal Race: Execution at the Highest Level

The medal wasn’t won in a moment. It was managed across a full day. Olympic races are scheduled for global broadcast, often late in the evening. That means hours of preparation before stepping on the ice.

“It’s a very long day.” The process started in the morning:

1. Activation ride
2. Two Unbroken tablets
3. Controlled intensity 

At the rink, nothing changed:

• Isotonic for energy
• Unbroken for recovery
• Structured warm-up 

Then came the real challenge. A semi-final. A final just one hour later.

“In total, I was actively training for about four hours that day.”

That hour between races is critical. There is no downtime, just transition. Cooling down. Resetting. Preparing again.

“You don’t have time to think. Everything has to be automatic.”

His approach: “I took one Unbroken tablet and a small amount of isotonic - just enough to recover fast without overloading.” No adjustments. No risks. Just execution. “At that level, it’s not just about performance - it’s about how fast you can recover and go again.”

Five Days to Turn It Around

Days before the race, Viktor was severely ill. No food. No training. “I was basically in bed for five days.”

At the Olympics, you can’t control nutrition the same way. That’s where supplementation matters. “When I started feeling better, I relied on what I knew worked. Unbroken was a big part of getting me back.”

It wasn’t about optimizing. It was about recovering fast enough to compete.

Holding the Moment

After the race, it becomes real. Not the podium - the medal. “It’s over half a kilo. You really feel it.” Heavy. Dense. Solid. It carries years behind it: years without a system, years of testing and refining, years of doing everything himself. “You can feel what it took.”

Looking Ahead: Still Chasing More

The mindset hasn’t changed. “The goal is still to become the best skater in the world.” The medal isn’t the finish line. “If anything, it gives me more motivation.”

Now, the focus shifts forward - building toward the next Olympic cycle and the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps. Back in Calgary, it’s already back to work - twice a day, every day. No reset. No pause. Just the process.

“Train, improve, repeat.”

And this time, it’s with clarity - knowing exactly how small margins can decide everything.

Advice to the Next Generation

“You can’t fool passion.” “I’m not a hard worker because I’m tough. I work hard because I love what I do.”

That’s what carries you through everything else. “If you truly want it, you’ll figure it out.”

Rapid Fire with Viktor Preferred distance? 10,000 meters Explosiveness or endurance? Endurance Indoor or outdoor ice? Outdoor Best place to train? Calgary Pre-race song? Eye of the Tiger Must-have item when traveling? Unbroken - besides my skates and passport. Favorite flavor? Orange, which surprises me, because I don’t really eat or drink anything orange.

The Takeaway

For Viktor Thorup, success isn’t built on systems. It’s built on ownership. On asking better questions. On testing what works. On committing to the details - every day.

Unbroken became part of that system because it delivered where it matters most: recovery, consistency, measurable performance. At the highest level, that difference is everything. 

Train. Recover. Ready for what’s next.