I am trying to get some advice on using gels. I am one who has a hard time eating before or during a workout. I have heard some people saying they use gu gel and that it helps to keep them fueled. How often and when should you take them? How much is too much? Would you only use them for workouts of a certain length? Any brands recommended over others?
Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks! Ü :)

When do I use them, any run/bike over 70 minutes. The rule is if taking them you take one every 45 minutes. When taking them make certain you have plenty of water also, not gatoraide. It takes 6-8 ounces of water to dilute the gel or you can dehydrate very easy.

The hard part is deciding which one to use. Each brand is unique and can have different effects on different people. I prefer either Gu or Hammer Gel but thats just me. I have tried them all I think and thats what you probably need to do. Here is a link for some nutrional information on the most commonly used gels gels (http://www.trisports.com/gels.html)

Gels are great if you can handle them. I dont love the taste, but I do use them on my long runs of about 70min or more like Mike said. I usually have one about every 6 miles. I sometimes take them on the bike especially during a race. However, during long rides on my own I usually just eat energy bars instead because my stomach can handle them and I think they taste better.

I have used gels even for a sprint race. I take one right at T2. I think it helps. I know that some people take them before their races too.

I have tried power gel, carb boom, cliff shots and Gu. I think carb boom is the most natural and easiest to go down, but its very sticky. Power gel is too thick and I dont like it. Gu's seem to be alright and the vanilla and chocolate flavors are not so bad. The mocha cliff shots have about 40mg of caffeine in them, and most flavors of Gu accept the banana have 20mg of caffeine.

Mike, why do you say not to take gels with Gatorade? That's what I do all the time.

There are many on the market, but I use 2 kinds, Hammer Gel, and GU. I use about 1oz every 30 min on runs with the run being 60 min or longer. During Tri's I try to keep carbs in my body, so I take 1 before the swim, then 1 usually 30 minutes into the race and 20 minutes there after. I usually consume about 5 oz of gels on Olympic tri's (I use a Gel Flask). GU's are the bomb they taste yummy, and disgest easy with water. Hammer Gel are good as well. I would suggest going and sampling a couple during training runs/rides. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT try any gels during a race if you have not tried it in training, your race my suffer due to an upset stomach. Hope this helps!!

Not a gel fan here until I tried "E-gel" (www.cranksports.com)
It's much thinner than Gu and there's no after taste.

Mike is right....you need water, not gatorade like drinks with the gels. The gels are formulated to give the right electrolyte balance on thier own with water. If you double up and take them with an electrolyte drink you mess up the chemistry and are not getting the full benefits of either one.

NYCTriGal, I has found that I perform better when taking water with gels and gatoraide at other stations. I try to make certain that every 20 minutes I am taking either fluids, gels or endurolytes. For longer events I try to take items in the following order. Water only, gatoraide only, water and gel, gatoraide only, water enduralyte then water and gel. I'll repeate the cycle starting with gatoraide. The key is knowing and understanding what your body is telling you. Some days the plan doesnt work and adjustments need to be made. When that happens I try to recall how I'm feeling, if I've felt that before and what I did to help the situation. Past experience can be save your butt if you use it well.

That said, it doesnt mean this is the best method to use for you or anyone else. I have tried and experimented with several methods and products until I found what works the best for me on the most consistent basis. That is what you need to do. If that means gatoraide with your gels great, do it. Crossing the finish line is all that matters. How we get there is the fun part. :D

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I actually tried some GU gel last week, and I really noticed a difference in my energy level. I didn't feel anywhere near as fatigued, and I was able to put in more miles than I ever had before. I am already thinking to myself, "Hhhmmm maybe one day I can do a half IM" woo hoo
Thanks again!

Another thought on the topic of gels. If there is a particular race your training for it would be a good idea to find out which, if any, gel the race is distributing.If you will rely on the race to provide the gel then you might want to try that brand before you get there.

I ran a half marathon in Hayward, Wisconsin this past weekend. One of the sponsors was
CLIF Bars and gels. The aid stations were packed with Clifshots of all sorts. I chose the water and sports drinks but it didn't dawn on me until the third station that I could grab some gels just to keep and use later (I do use Clifshots but really like GU). At the later aid stations the gels were gone becasue folks were grabbing them and using them. DOH.

When chosing a gel, try to avoid gels with high amounts of fructose. Even though fructose is a monosaccharide (simple sugar....like glucose) it doesn't absorb quite as quickly and can
tend to cause digestive system problems. Gas and cramping are not your friend when you're 6 miles into a long run or bike!

Experiment with gels under race-like conditions! Some will be better than others.

I also like the relatively small package size of the GUs compared to the competition!

And PLEASE REMEMBER.....PACK OUT YOUR LITTER. DO NOT CHUCK YOUR EMPTIES ON THE ROAD. PUT THEM IN YOUR SHIRT OR SHORTS. PLEASE DON'T LITTER!!!

Thanks!

Happy Gel Intake!!

Paul

Thanks for encouraging people to not throw empty gel packets on the ground. I see this when I run and I find it upsetting. It makes athletes look bad. The packets are certainly not biodegradable.

I've been a water station coordinator in the past (dislodged a bone chip in my ankle and was unable to race as planned) and I've had to pick up hundreds of gel packets after they've been tromped into the ground by thousands of runners. My hands were not a pretty sight when I was done. Remember, not only does it make sports enthusiasts look bad for littering - someone has to pick up after you. Coordinators really appreciate athletes who throw their litter away. :D

I have to agree with the don't mix gels and gatorade theory too. I find it makes me sick to my stomach which makes it hard to run.

During a tri, what are we supposeed to do with the empty packets....eat them....stuff umm down our shorts...what??? I never see a trash can on the tri course. Get real dude!

Well there are a few options for disposing of your sticky, non-biodegradable, non-earthfriendly gel packet. 1) Eat them at water stations and throw them away there; 2) Eat it, hold on to it and throw it away at the next water station; OR 3) carry a zip lock bag with you in a pocket or some other place and put it in there until you can throw it away later.

Considerate, anti-litter athletes won't care about holding onto a gooey packet for a mile.

Your call. :rolleyes:

I've stuck one in my shorts before so there!

You can't think that it's just one little gel packet when there are hundreds of people doing a race. Think about hundreds of gel packets...I say hold onto it until a water stop -- either in your hand or in your shorts!

Sorry Toni about having to pick them up off the ground. I will try to be more conscious of putting them in an actual garbage can but I think it's something you still might have to contend with.

Hey,

Tim, in your reply you ended with "GET REAL DUDE".....

I suppose that was directed at me...and to tell you the truth, I'm not too happy about it.

Are you saying that I'm out of line for suggesting that folks don't litter? Are you sure that is out of line? Think about it....


What are you supposed to do with them?....Read the replies on this thread.....


STICK THEM IN YOUR SHORTS.....

STICK THEM IN YOUR SHIRT.....

WAIT UNTIL AN AID STATION AND PITCH THEM WITH THE REST OF THE TRASH....


You have options. If you choose to litter, that is not just your problem...your trash becomes OUR problem.

Get real dude.

Well there are a few options for disposing of your sticky, non-biodegradable, non-earthfriendly gel packet. 1) Eat them at water stations and throw them away there; 2) Eat it, hold on to it and throw it away at the next water station; OR 3) carry a zip lock bag with you in a pocket or some other place and put it in there until you can throw it away later.

Considerate, anti-litter athletes won't care about holding onto a gooey packet for a mile.

Your call. :rolleyes:



You keep mentioning the water stations. In your original post you said you worked at the water station and was tired of picking up the gel pacs, but you are saying to wait for a water station to dispose of them....which I can't ever remember seeing trash cans around at my tri's on the race course.

By the way, I don't use gels... they upset my stomach. I don't litter when I bike either. I was just pointing out that there is not a good way to get rid of it in the middle of a race.

Tim

I personally don't use gels, they make me sick when I run. I thought the original poster said they were tired of picking up the gel packs at the water station, but says to wait for a water station to dispose of it...see my point? I agree with NOT littering. But during a tri, there are going to be water cups, gel pacs, etc on the ground....this is not being inconsiderate, it's a reality. Maybe a few, big plastic trash cans around would help if it were easy to throw the packets in without breaking stride.

Sorry about the get real dude thing. I'm really not like that. I guess I was in a funky mood and I misunderstood the point.

I can say with experience now the affect of throwing away something in the trash vs the ground during a race.

I'm no saint, I admit to tossing the cups when they're empty onto the ground, but if there's a trash can available, I will attempt a two-pointer. At the Big Kahuna, there was a lot of trash on the ground, kudos to the volunteers and staff on returning the aid site back to normal. At one station, I really made a concerted effort to make it into the trash, and I did end up carrying a gu packet over a mile. Carrying the packet was more a result of 'sipping' the gu, than trying to be clean, but my jersey had a pocket, and I threw it into the pocket after I was done (it has to be washed anyways right?) When I got to the next aid station, I took everything out and placed it into the trash bag the volunteer was holding. The thank-you and gratefulness that resulted made me stop and consider, yeah, these people really do have to pick up all this crap, that sux for them, I should really try and keep my stuff in the trash next time, and I did. People were happy they had one less cup to pick up, and I felt good that I made someone else feel good.

It was a spiritual experience. ;)

The internet, although an amazing source for info, is not such a great source for tones of voices or getting a certain message across. Anyhow, thanks for cooling things off TDB. At least we all agree on the litter issue. :D

Most races do have trash cans. But if they don't, I guess you have to hold on to it. But I'm also disappointed if a race has been properly organized except for the trash cans. Anyhow, I could literally sit on my soap box for a while, so I'll spare you all.

Truce? . . . Truce. :)

Good luck in future races and training.

Toni

Ok, I might be obsessing about this but...what do you think about throwing a gel pack on the ground near a mile marker on a tri course? I must confess I did this during my last tri. I figured that someone would be picking up the markers so that if the packet was right there, they would pick it up too. Is that rude?

that's pretty much instant bad karma right there. yep.

i think the gel manufacturers should come up with a race-gel that has a piece of velcro on it that you can just affix to your shorts, shirt or hat. :D

then you can wear them like a badge of honor, or some kind of trash-dork.

This past Saturday at the US Half Tri Championships they had "trash drop zones" at each aid station. I went through 6 GU's and a clif bar during the bike and just tucked the empties in the leg of my shorts until I came to an aid station and dropped them there.

I prefer GU but the race provided Hammer Gel's and I had a couple of those and they were pretty good.

The aid stations during the run had these Energy Ice deals. Not exactly sure of the name but they are like frozen energy drinks. Awesome! Cold and refreshing. Only downed about half of it at about mile 9. Didn't think brain freeze would be too good at the time!