here’s <\/a>a podcast from scienceofultra.com as an example of an expert’s opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFrom taste, absorption, price and unwanted side effects, here are the key arguments why gels shouldn\u2019t be your first choice of nourishment for marathons:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n- They may not be that essential:<\/strong> Energy gels only hit the marathon scene in 1986. Before then, athletes were perfectly capable of running long distances by relying on other sources for fuel and nutrition.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Energy crash:<\/strong> The concentrated amount of glucose and caffeine in gels that are rapidly absorbed by the body can lead to an energy spike, followed by an abrupt drop in energy. The sudden energy crash can leave you feeling lethargic, weak and shaky.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Digestive issues: <\/strong>Some athletes battle to digest gels effectively \u2013 This is possibly due to the amount of caffeine, fructose or synthetic ingredients present in the gels. In these cases, digestive upset, including nausea, heartburn, reflux, bloating, cramps or diarrhea may occur.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Costly: <\/strong>Gels may not always be the most economical option. It can be cheaper to purchase alternatives such as sports drinks and energy bars.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Dehydration: <\/strong>Forgetting to drink -or not drinking enough water with gels can lead to dehydration and poor absorption. GI upset, fatigue and cramping are likely to follow, affecting performance.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Personal taste: <\/strong>People may find the synthetic taste, texture and consistency of gels gross.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
What Are The Alternatives To Energy Gels?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n- Cannot tolerate the taste and texture of gels<\/li>
- Are prone to digestive issues<\/li>
- Prefer the idea of whole foods<\/li>
- Or you just need variety for mid-run replenishment<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Then try out the following alternatives:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n- Sports Drinks or isotonic drinks:<\/strong> Look for ones that do not contain fructose for better digestion<\/li>
- Jelly Babies or gummies:<\/strong> 4-5 jellies are equivalent to 1 gel pack<\/li>
- Chews and Blocks:<\/strong> Energy gels in a solid form<\/li>
- Energy bars:<\/strong> Keep in mind that these will require a lot of chewing!<\/li>
- DIY Energy Drink:<\/strong> Mix fruit juice with water or coconut water, and add a little sea salt<\/li>
- Whole foods:<\/strong> Raisins, dates, goji berries, peanut butter and nuts<\/li>
- DIY ‘gels’:<\/strong> Blend fruit such as bananas, berries, stewed apples\/pears, baby food, nut butters and other high-carb foods to make your own easy-to-drink \u2018gels\u2019<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nEnergy gels may not be utterly essential for marathons, but they have been proven to be highly beneficial.<\/strong> They are convenient, practical and effective option for rapid replenishment, energy and endurance during marathons<\/strong>. Trial and error will help determine if gels are suitable for you and which type will promote optimal performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Energy gels are a fundamental staple for most marathon runners. They provide quick and sufficient energy for optimal overall performance during a marathon. Small packages with concentrated doses of carbohydrates<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8885,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,52],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":36,"label":"Running"},{"value":52,"label":"Sports"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/runners-gear-without-gels-1024x818.jpg",640,511,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Peter","author_link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/author\/outsidedecider\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":36,"name":"Running","slug":"running","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":36,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":52,"count":38,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":36,"category_count":38,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Running","category_nicename":"running","category_parent":52},{"term_id":52,"name":"Sports","slug":"sports","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":52,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":17,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":52,"category_count":17,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Sports","category_nicename":"sports","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8883"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8883"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8883\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8905,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8883\/revisions\/8905"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8885"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8883"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8883"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8883"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}