Energy Gel question

elvis jones

Hi all,

I'm wondering how long it takes an energy gel to get into your system and start working ???

Thinking of getting some of these but wondering about the above first.....

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=248&idproduct=10050

Krusty_Clown

I think I read previously (probably on the side of one of the packets) that as long as you accompany the gel with water, it's 15-20 minutes. Definitely only suitable for longer events.

elvis jones

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

I think I read previously (probably on the side of one of the packets) that as long as you accompany the gel with water, it's 15-20 minutes. Definitely only suitable for longer events.

A 2:15 half marathon is long.............for me..........take it at about 8 miles ?????/

RayCun

You'd want to take it with water, so it might depend on when the water station comes up.
And you should experiment with different gels (and difefrent times to take them at) on long runs before the race. Some people find they can upset your stomach, and you don't want to discover this during a race.

elvis jones

RayCun wrote: »

You'd want to take it with water, so it might depend on when the water station comes up.
And you should experiment with different gels (and difefrent times to take them at) on long runs before the race. Some people find they can upset your stomach, and you don't want to discover this during a race.

Water station is just after 8 miles so thats why i suggested it. I am going to get a a few and try 1 tomorrow evening......fingers crossed.

groovyg

you could also try this one by High 5 - isogel
http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=29786

you don't need to take water with them, they gave them out at the dublin marathon last year. I prefer them to the other high 5 gels as they are not as gloopy.

Sport101

Average athlete can absorb around 60g of carbs per hour. Some ultra distance athletes can train their bodies to absorb a lot more.
Gels typically are around 25g of carbs. So with a few sips of water you can fully absorb a gel in 20mins ish. Remember small sips of water though, too much water +gels can give a lovely "sloshing" effect in the stomach, which invariably leads to cramps etc.

From an average gel you'll get a smiliar amount of calories as you would from a 500ml bottle of locozade sport or a banana, its just easier to digest.

tunney

elvis jones wrote: »

A 2:15 half marathon is long.............for me..........take it at about 8 miles ?????/

At 2:15 for a half the intensity is probably quite low and the fueling requirements will come almost entirely from fat stores I'd have guessed.

Not sure gels would be required?

Open to correction.

Sport101

Depends on the athletes weight & fitness.
2:15 could be high intensity for a half for some people.

elvis jones

tunney wrote: »

At 2:15 for a half the intensity is probably quite low and the fueling requirements will come almost entirely from fat stores I'd have guessed.

Not sure gels would be required?

Open to correction.

fat ain't a problem:D

A banana or lucozade sport are hard to carry, i can slip the gel into my shorts pocket and just whip it out when i need to ( and the gel )

I just want something for around the 9 mile mark, i ran the distance last week and my pace and energy levels really dropped in the last 2 miles.

plodder

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread. But would the gel "buffs" out there have any advice to offer on selecting gels, on effectiveness and taste? Which ones work for you?

Personally, I've only used Lucozade Sport gels before, but they don't taste great imo.

tunney

If I was doing a long event, say an ironman, I would use powerbar caffiene and non caffiene gels on the bike and sis go gels on the run. The different consistency helps me keep taking gels.

Krusty_Clown

elvis jones wrote: »

A 2:15 half marathon is long.............for me..........take it at about 8 miles ?????/

Yep, that'd be perfect. Practice doing it beforehand though (for reasons cited above). I met a woman after the Enniscorthy half marathon on Sunday who had taken 4 gels during the race, and wondered why her stomach was a little upset.

plodder wrote:

Hope I'm not hijacking the thread. But would the gel "buffs" out there have any advice to offer on selecting gels, on effectiveness and taste? Which ones work for you?

It's a really personal thing. I happen to like the SIS Isotonic tropical gels, but others have reported that they hate the taste and texture. As for effectiveness, look at the compositions of the various products. the Isotonic gels do not provide as many carbs or energy as other products, but because they suit me best, it doesn't bother me unduly. Others (who are sure to be along shortly) would swear against gels (or any other highly processed product) but would be kown to consume the odd bottle of lucozade before a race. :P

Sport101

Yeh, Lucozade gels are pretty grim

Found these easiest to keep taking on long races:

http://www.powerbar.com/products/39/powerbar-gel-strawberry-banana.aspx

Apple, lemon or anything acidic I find disusting, even retch inducing.

plodder

Great advice. Thanks! I'll probably try all of those out, if I can find somewhere that sells them all in small quantities.

aero2k

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Definitely only suitable for longer events.

tunney wrote: »

At 2:15 for a half the intensity is probably quite low and the fueling requirements will come almost entirely from fat stores I'd have guessed.

Not sure gels would be required?

Open to correction.

elvis jones wrote: »

I just want something for around the 9 mile mark, i ran the distance last week and my pace and energy levels really dropped in the last 2 miles.

I'm currently browsing my way through Lore of Running (4th edition) among other books. I had always assumed that muscle + liver glycogen stores were adequate for events up to 2 or 2.5 hours, depending on level of training and pre-event diet. Based on my recent reading (it's a big book and it's going to take more than a few passes) however, it seems that blood glucose level is heavily dependent on liver glycogen stores, which can be rapidly depleted with exercise, leading to low blood sugar levels and a feeling of overwhelming exhaustion. (Apparently the low sugar causes your brain to think that your legs are exhausted before they actually are)

This explains how people who suffer from this state of near-collapse are often able to continue after ingestion of a high carbohydrate drink.

It appears that there are good reasons to consume carbohydrates during events as short as one hour, and that ingestion of a high-carbohydrate meal about 2 hours before the event has a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels, as well as causing glycogen to be metabolised at a higher rate during subsequent exercise.

The caveat to this pre-race meal is that a minority of people are sensitive to a high dose of carbohydrates - it can cause blood sugar levels to drop dramatically in such people and they're best to follow a different pre-race routine.

There doesn't appear to be any difference in effect whether the carbs are ingested in liquid or solid form, though I'd imagine liquid/gel to be less likely to cause digestive problems.

griffin100

I find Clif Shot Blocks good - easy to carry, easy to eat and easy on the stomach. Also contain electrolytes. Most flavors taste ok but avoid the lemon / orange ones as the smell alone will make you gag. You get 6 'chews' in a pack that equates to 2 typical gels (3 chews = one gel).
http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_bloks/ Only place I know to buy them in Dublin is Irisf Fit in Dun Laoighre.

I have read that you might want to avoid products containing fructose as this can lead to GI issues, especially in longer events.

On a slightly different note, anyone any reccomendations for a powdered product that can be added to water to make an energy drink. I dont really like the taste of gatorade and if I could avoid drinking it for the second half of my IM bike (after I finish my own drinks) by mixing my own powders with aid station water I'd be happier.

shg101

elvis jones wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm wondering how long it takes an energy gel to get into your system and start working ???

Thinking of getting some of these but wondering about the above first.....

http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=248&idproduct=10050

I used these, or something close from High5, during the Hell of the West.

When I bought them, there was a free leaflet from High5 on the stand giving nutrition info for different events. For the Olympic distance, while doing the 10k they recommended taking a gel every 20 mins with water.

BTW, I understand that this is not an objective source!

The PDF version of the leaflet is here. The info is subtly different from the printed version I have actually, but for Olympic and Ironman distance runs they recommend 2-3 gels per hour.

http://www.highfive.co.uk/pdf's/TRIATHLON_RFG_ENGLISH_LR.pdf

rainbow kirby

Snow and Rock in Dundrum had the Shot Blox too the last time I was there.

Hard Worker

groovyg wrote: »

you could also try this one by High 5 - isogel
http://www.cyclesuperstore.ie/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=0&idproduct=29786

you don't need to take water with them, they gave them out at the dublin marathon last year. I prefer them to the other high 5 gels as they are not as gloopy.

Gloopy - great word.:)

I have found the High5 Isogel to be the best option. In fact, they make running so easy, they should be banned.
Easy on the stomach and no need to take water with them. They are available in Wheelworx in Liffey Valley Retail park, along with all the other branded gels.

plodder

Hard Worker wrote: »

Gloopy - great word.:)

I have found the High5 Isogel to be the best option. In fact, they make running so easy, they should be banned.
Easy on the stomach and no need to take water with them. They are available in Wheelworx in Liffey Valley Retail park, along with all the other branded gels.

Does Wheelworx sell them individually or only in boxes?

shg101

EDIT: Double post

Hard Worker

plodder wrote: »

Does Wheelworx sell them individually or only in boxes?

Sold individually. You can buy a few different types and experiment with them to see what suits you best.

aero2k

Hard Worker wrote: »

I have found the High5 Isogel to be the best option....Easy on the stomach and no need to take water with them.

OP remember that even though you don't need to take water with these gels for them to work as fuel, depending on the duration of your race you will still need water to avoid dehydration.
A lot of literature suggests that the body can ingest 500-800 ml of fluid per hour while exercising - I've managed the lower end of this in training but not in a race.

elvis jones

aero2k wrote: »

OP remember that even though you don't need to take water with these gels for them to work as fuel, depending on the duration of your race you will still need water to avoid dehydration.
A lot of literature suggests that the body can ingest 500-800 ml of fluid per hour while exercising - I've managed the lower end of this in training but not in a race.

Cheers, yeah i will take in the water........but i can only take in so much !!

robinph

aero2k wrote: »

(Apparently the low sugar causes your brain to think that your legs are exhausted before they actually are)

That sounds about right for when I get low sugars during training. But my head starts to go a bit loopy in general as well as anyone who has seen me go low when not running will probably testify.

I'm still going through my stocks of High5 gels, but will be giving some isotonic ones a try once I've got through them as the carrying water is a bit of a pain in training all the time.

Hard Worker

robinph wrote: »

That sounds about right for when I get low sugars during training. But my head starts to go a bit loopy in general as well as anyone who has seen me go low when not running will probably testify.

I'm still going through my stocks of High5 gels, but will be giving some isotonic ones a try once I've got through them as the carrying water is a bit of a pain in training all the time.

As aero2K correctly points out above, you still need to take water on board. The difference with these gels is that they are more easily ingested and there is no need to take water immediately with them, which means you can take them between water stations. Also, if doing a long run in training, the iso gel will get you a few miles without water, to the next point where water becomes available.

robinph

Hard Worker wrote: »

As aero2K correctly points out above, you still need to take water on board. The difference with these gels is that they are more easily ingested and there is no need to take water immediately with them, which means you can take them between water stations. Also, if doing a long run in training, the iso gel will get you a few miles without water, to the next point where water becomes available.

Yep, I need to take on gels before I need to take on water distance/ time wise during my runs, or just carry the gels for emergency usage so could really do without needing to carry water on those runs.

ThisRegard

I've been wading through the torrent of advice and articles regarding the various gels, drinks etc and found this blog from Wiggle of some use

http://blog.wiggle.co.uk/2010/04/20/wiggles-guide-to-sports-nutrition-for-running/

Krusty_Clown

ThisRegard wrote: »

I've been wading through the torrent of advice and articles regarding the various gels, drinks etc and found this blog from Wiggle of some use

http://blog.wiggle.co.uk/2010/04/20/wiggles-guide-to-sports-nutrition-for-running/

Just bear in mind that it is Wiggle-centric, and describes only the brands that they carry. There are additional alternatives, such as PowerBar, Clif, Honeystinger, Lucozade sport, Powerade, GatorAid etc.

It's often advisable to see what brand will be offered in your target race (and where on the course it will be available), and try these out beforehand to see if they suit you.

ThisRegard

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Just bear in mind that it is Wiggle-centric, and describes only the brands that they carry. There are additional alternatives, such as PowerBar, Clif, Honeystinger, Lucozade sport, Powerade, GatorAid etc.

Oh yeah, I'm aware of that, but it's a pointer to what's out there and what can be used pre, during and post events.

plodder

Called into Wheelworx last Sat and bought a few High5 isogel and Powerbar gels.

The High5's are great all right - so convenient, though I was surprised how liquid they are. The taste (berry) was a bit bland, but if you're taking 5 or 6 of them in a race, mayabe that's not so bad.

The Powerbar gels are really impressive though. They have a 2:1 mixture of glucose and fructose, which apparently increases the absorption rate in the stomach by up to 50%. With the caffeine and 200mg of Sodium, I reckon that's about as close you can get to a "legal high" from running :pac: Only tried the Vanilla flavour so far, and it's not bad at all. [edit]The downside obviously, is having to take water with them.

So, what I think I'm going to do, is try these out on a few long trainign runs and if I can manage them, that's what I'll use for the next marathon.

Tau

Are there any gels you can buy other than in individual packets? I have a 120ml gel flask which I always use (far easier on the bike) and getting gels into it before heading out is a pain. It also seems like a waste to have all the little packets. I'd be looking to buy 1 -2L at a time and preferably get a bulk discount...

elvis jones

Just wanted to say i ended up buying a Power Bar gel to try out in the Sandstorm half marathon on sunday on Clontarf, i took it just before mile 9 and it seemed to help and stayed down with no cramps.....also the size of the packet fitted perfectly into my shorts.

I had strawberry/banana one and tasted eh sweet:p

Krusty_Clown

Tau wrote: »

Are there any gels you can buy other than in individual packets? I have a 120ml gel flask which I always use (far easier on the bike) and getting gels into it before heading out is a pain. It also seems like a waste to have all the little packets. I'd be looking to buy 1 -2L at a time and preferably get a bulk discount...

They're generally sold in individual packets as they're more portable, and wouldn't generally keep once opened. You could always investigate making your own. There were recipes here before, and are easy to find on the web.

BTW: I buy mine in a box of 30 for around €30.

elvis jones

Which ones do you use Krusty ?

rainbow kirby

elvis jones wrote: »

Just wanted to say i ended up buying a Power Bar gel to try out in the Sandstorm half marathon on sunday on Clontarf, i took it just before mile 9 and it seemed to help and stayed down with no cramps.....also the size of the packet fitted perfectly into my shorts.

I had strawberry/banana one and tasted eh sweet:p

They're not too bad if you have 1-2 of them, but after 4 (for DCM last year) they get quite sickening!

elvis jones

rainbow kirby wrote: »

They're not too bad if you have 1-2 of them, but after 4 (for DCM last year) they get quite sickening!

Wow in a marathon how many would most people use.......i'd only hve space to carry 2 and i'm not shelling out 40 cent for a plastic bag:rolleyes::D

rainbow kirby

elvis jones wrote: »

Wow in a marathon how many would most people use.......i'd only hve space to carry 2 and i'm not shelling out 40 cent for a plastic bag:rolleyes::D

I took 5 to DCM last year, and took 4 of them (mile 5, 10, 15 and 20). That meant taking one about every 50 minutes.

Krusty_Clown

I take 3 or 4 SIS Isotonic gels, which I would carry in a gel belt.

ger664

elvis jones wrote: »

fat ain't a problem:D

A banana or lucozade sport are hard to carry, i can slip the gel into my shorts pocket and just whip it out when i need to ( and the gel )

I just want something for around the 9 mile mark, i ran the distance last week and my pace and energy levels really dropped in the last 2 miles.

At distances less then 14-16 miles you should not be considering any intake other the water and concentrate on getting your carbs/energy in Pre Run.

Make sure to eat a carb loaded meal 2-3 hours beforehand and Glass of Juice and Glass of water (30 mins before) do the trick for me up to 14-16 miles.

This will train your body to burn fat stores earlier and conserve energy in the run as it is expecting your glycogen stores to be depleted/starved later. Starting slow and gradually increase your pace will help with this as well.

You should only need gels/food/carbs during races/runs longer then 2 1/2 hours. My preferences is a bottle of original Lucozade @ 16 mile mark if I can arrange it during a race for training runs I will stick one in a ditch.

Whatever your preferred poison is test before it before you race

phonejacker

what do energy gels taste like?

sconhome

Loads of different flavours available. Some like the High5 or SiS can be like a Ribena / MiWadi type drink. Others are more syrupy with the Gu or Powerbar being the thickest consistency (I find). The Kinetica Cola flavour reminds me of melted Mr Freeze pops.

Krusty_Clown

phonejacker wrote: »

what do energy gels taste like?

Flavoured snot.

rainbow kirby

Depending on the flavour, anything from the cold filling of a McDonald's apple pie to concentrated Lucozade to lemon flavoured lube.

nerraw1111

Depends. Badly flavour snot if taken before a race.

If on the verge of collapsing, it tastes like ambrosia, nectar of the Gods.

Another question. Best before days, do they matter? Got a free box of hi 5 gels with best before date of Dec 2012.

Krusty_Clown

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Another question. Best before days, do they matter? Got a free box of hi 5 gels with best before date of Dec 2012.

Look at the ingredients list. I doubt there's much in there to be too concerned about. Primarily sugar/glucose. They might just taste like less runny snot.

Ingredients: Citrus, Orange, Summer Fruits.
Maltodextrin, Water, Glucose, Fruit Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavours, Sea Salt, Preservatives: Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.

Ingredients: Banana
Maltodextrin, Water, Glucose, Flavouring, Sea Salt, Preservatives: Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate.

entropi

The lemon flavoured Hi5 ones were decent enough, the mixed fruit(?) ones were not that nice at all. Never used them running under 13mi, only longer than that for marathon training. And for some reason, the isogels taste worse than the regular ones.

ThisRegard

The isogels are much better I think, they go down easier so even if they do taste worse they spend less time in your mouth. They're slightly bulkier than the others though.

TheRoadRunner

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Depending on the flavour, anything from the cold filling of a McDonald's apple pie to concentrated Lucozade to lemon flavoured lube.

Lemon flavoured lube classic.

TFBubendorfer

nerraw1111 wrote: »

Best before days, do they matter? Got a free box of hi 5 gels with best before date of Dec 2012.

About 2 years ago I had some that were months out of date. They didn't cause any troubles whatsoever.