The energy gel market in Britain is worth around £300 million annually. It's one of the biggest growth markets within the sports industry. I've decided to test one out for myself and see if it's just a myth or a must have.
You could say I was never a natural runner but my running sessions have always been naturally fueled. By this I mean putting the right stuff inside me 2 hours before heading out. More recently though I've been interested in adding some science to the mix in the form of energy gels, instant fuel and hydration for the modern athlete?
Just a quick google resulted in a staggering amount of quick fix fuel aids, for runners, cyclists, gym addicts and any other physical activities. These companies sell the hope of improved performance and results, promising increased speed, stamina, endurance, recovery and overall fitness.
It was time to test one, I was buying into it, I wanted to believe.
At present I'm doing a regular 5 mile run, this is an ideal distance to check the increased performance a gel would give me. I'm half way through the weeks run quota so my pace and split times should be a good average to use due to me always peaking around mid-week.
Here is a little information on the gel I'm testing.
Brand - SIS Go Isotonic Energy Gel (orange flavour)
Cost - £1.25 per sachet or 6 for £6 (Tesco)
Directions - Consume up to 3 sachets per 60 minutes during exercises as required
Ingredients - Water, Maltodextrin (produced from partial hydrolyses of a special variety of maze), Natural Flavouring, Gelling Agents (Xathan Gum, Gellan Gum), Acidity Regulators, (Citric Acid), Sodium Citrate), Preservatives (Sodium Benizoate), Sweetener (Acesulfame K), Sodium Chloride, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Colour (Beta-Carotene).
Nutritional Information Per 60g Sachet - Energy 86kcal, Protein 0.0g, Carbohydrate 22g, Fat 0.0g, Sodium 0.01g, Fiber 0.1g
Here is the time line for this test, followed by some screen grab pictures from my running app then a few words to conclude.
Consume First Energy Sachet 3.00pm - The packaging is quite space age so mentally I felt I was about to consumed something that had been developed with care and attention. Initial thoughts are the taste is good with a consistency that is similar to a smoothy. I consumed mine from the fridge so it was well chilled. For a runner it's important to execute taking it on the move at speed. Just a simple tare strip at one end, a swipe of the fingers up the packaging and it's gone. A very fast and user friendly opening method. Impressive product so far.
Warm Up 3.05pm - The hit from the first sachet was pretty much instant. It almost felt too much during a warm up. My normal routine would include some light stretching, some simple yoga moves and just mentally preparing myself for the run. After 5 minutes from taking the Gel the liquid from the sachet was still coating my mouth. Not an unpleasant taste but distracting enough to have me consuming water to wash my mouth clean, the packaging does state - no need for water. I would say this is true but for me personally I just needed a small amount to not have it as a distraction. Taking on water is obviously not a bad thing but how would this feel during the run?
Start Run 3.19pm - Today's run is one I've been concentrating on for a few weeks. 5 miles in length and has two 400 meter length hill climbs. Both hills are challenging enough to show as part of the slower mile split times from my phones running app. Although remember, what goes up, must come down. During the first mile I was still feeling the effect of the added energy boost from the first sachet, almost having to slow my pace down I recorded an open mile time of 7 minutes 34 seconds. Feeling strong during mile 2 this is the most challenging part of the 5 mile route with the biggest hill climb (in fact its the steepest hill in Warrington) It's almost in the middle section of the second mile. My previous best split time on this section is beaten as I reach the top of the hill.
Time to rip open another sachet, on the move this proves as easy to open and consume whilst running as it did pre warm up. After the hill climb it was a welcome boost to my energy level although I did once again feel the need to cleanse the inside of my mouth with water. Not a problem or inconvenience as I would normally be taking some water on at this stage regardless of the energy gel.
Mile 3 and 4 pass with yet more personal best split times. Again I felt like I had to watch my pace, it felt almost too easy. Mile 5 takes in the routes other hill climb, not as challenging as the first but its during the latter half of the final mile so it's a tuff one. I'd decided on taking just the two gels to see how I would perform in the final mile and specifically the hill section. I was not to be disappointed with the performance of the gel feeling that the final stage of the run was less brutal than in passed sessions. Again, another personal best split time laid to waste.
Finish Run - 3.57pm So the run is complete and the test over. I felt I didn't need to hydrate instantly on finishing the run and also felt I could have gone harder and faster. For my first real energy gel fuelled run I was very impressed.
Performance Summary
Route Guide
Mile Splits
Conclusion - I would and will use energy gels in the future. Maybe not for every session, notably they are quite expensive but when you really want to achieve a personal best time or under race conditions I think they're a must. Sports science is now a major part of any athletes ritual. It is now also a major part of how they fuel their bodies with gels are becoming a major part of that system. In no way do I consider myself close to the fitness of a professional athlete but for me using these gels will bring me a few steps closer. The only downside was the coating it left in my mouth but given more time and practise I think the technique of getting the liquid into my system would eliminate this. It's a great product and one I totally recommend.
To find out more about this product visit www.scienceinsport.com
My advice would be to do some reserch before taking any sports suppliment. Check out whats on the market. Join a blog or internet group, speak to others about their experiences and the pros and cons of taking sport fuel suppliments.
