Using Energy Gels to fuel your running
What Are Energy Gels?
Running or exercise in general burns calories, in order to keep going and to not run out of carbohydrates and therefore energy, you can turn to energy gels.
Energy gels are a quick way to digest around 90 - 100 calories of carbohydrates to keep you hitting the dreaded wall.
Although carbohydrates is not the only fuel that your body can draw from, it can also use fat and protein/muscle, it is the most easily accessible for your body. Fat and Muscle take longer to break down.
Depending on the pace you're running at, depends on what fuel source your body uses. Low effort, zone 1 to zone 2 heart rate means your body will also draw up fat stores as it doesn't need the energy quickly. The faster you run, the more your body will need to pull from the carbohydrate stores, in the blood and the muscles. this type of carbohydrate is referred to a glycogen.
Every runner is different, different in ability, fitness level, genetics, weight, height, stride length, etc but as a general rule of thumb most people will start to get towards the end of their carbohydrate stores at the end of a half marathon distance, so can top up on an energy gel or 2 prior to reaching the end to ensure they don't "bonk".
If you're running longer distances but as a slower pace, then you may want to consider taking a source of carbohydrate, whether that is in gel form or otherwise around the 13 mile mark.
How Do Energy Gels Work?
Not all gels are created equal. An energy gel, gets absorbed into the blood, and the simple sugars used in the gel give you a spike in energy, and also insulin. Through the blood, the bloody then transports this energy to your muscles which fuels your limbs.
Some brands such as Hammer Nutrition, have steered clear of simple sugars, and rely more on a complex carbohydrate, Maltodextrin. This gives you less of an instant "boost" and corresponding "crash", but a more evenly released energy.
Energy gels contain about 25g of carbohydrates per gel. One gel provides about 45 minutes of running, but taking two at a time doesn’t mean you’ll have 90 minutes of running, instead you’re likely to crash as your body attempts to process the sugar.
Through the improvements in technology some brands are also now encapsulating the carbohydrate inside a "hydrogel" to allow a higher amount of carbohydrate to be taken on board at any one time.
When Should You Use Energy Gels?
The perfect time to take an energy gels depends on the individual. Every runner absorbs and processes carbohydrates at a different rate. Some can feel the effect within three minutes while for others, it might take up to 15.
When Should You Use Energy Gels?
Wait around 45-60 minutes between gels, or around 6-7 miles to ensure you don’t intake too much simple sugar at once. Likewise, consider alternating between caffeine and non-caffeine energy gels to ensure you don’t overload on caffeine.
Train your stomach as well as your legs...
We get a lot of customers in store 2 days before their race asking what gels we recommend they take. At that point it's too late to risk it. "stick with how you've trained" is our usual response.
If you are at the start or have the time before a race in terms of weeks, then by all means train with gels to get your body used to them prior to race day. Nobody wants an unplanned toilet stop!
It is also important to drink water with gels. If you take on multiple gels without water it is likely they will sit in your stomach and ferment. get them flushed through and the carbohydrate absorbed!
