The Great Sports Gel Experiment
The Great Sports Gel Experiment
What do you get when you allow a running coach/physician assistant and a dietitian to talk endurance fueling for hours on end? The answer: this blog post.
A common conversation topic was the optimal way to fuel runs and the effectiveness of various sports gels. With each brand claiming superiority for different reasons, the unanswered question was: “How do they really stack up?”
The only rationale approach to this debate was to test the gels on our runs in “The Great Sports Gel Experiment.”
Methods and Procedures
As scientists, there was no question we had to come up with standard procedures and evaluation criteria to which we could both adhere in hopes of yielding the most accurate results. Details are as follows:
1. Each gel would be rated on a scale of 1-10 for each of the following criteria:
a. Perceived energy gain
b. Consistency
c. Flavor
d. Intestinal satisfaction
e. Overall performance
2. We would select 5 gels, all of which would be vanilla flavored with no caffeine. The types of gels and their flavors are as follows:
a. Clif Shot – vanilla
b. Gu – birthday cake
c. Hammer – vanilla
d. Honey Stinger – honey
e. SIS (Science in Sports) - vanilla
* Note: it is harder than we expected to find 5 different vanilla gels with no caffeine and no non-traditional ingredients (e.g., chia seeds). As such, for the Honey Stinger and GU gels, we chose non-caffeinated flavors that were most like vanilla.
3. We would both test the gels for running workouts (tempo or speed, not easy runs) of 45-60 minutes.
4. We would each choose our pre-workout fuel and have the same thing before each of the trial workouts.
5. We would consume the gel while stretching after completing our warm-up, a few minutes before beginning the workout.
Results
Clif Shot Vanilla
Kathy’s Response and Ratings –
First impression: this is pretty tasty. Second impression: so thick I have to chew it. Third impression: holy moly that’s sweet…it actually made my eye do a tiny little twitch. Overall, good vanilla flavor, a little on the sweet side, with a thick texture. Since I do not have the skill to chew while running, I probably won’t be using these for mid-race fuel, but otherwise not a bad option when you’re in the mood for something sweet.
a. Perceived energy gain – 7/10
b. Consistency – 5/10
c. Flavor – 8/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 8/10
Nicole’s Response and Ratings –
To start, this is the gel I use at mile five in the marathon, so I knew what was coming when I took this gel. The CHEWING. That makes this gel tough. It’s kind of like bringing a sugary jerky with you on your run. Fortunately, this experiment was in the Arizona heat, but a word of caution: on really cold days, the Clif Shot is difficult to get out of the packaging because it is even more thick. Otherwise, the delightful taste of pure vanilla sugar and happiness always keeps me coming back to this gel.
a. Perceived energy gain – 5/10
b. Consistency – 2/10
c. Flavor – 10/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 6/10
Honey Stinger Gold
Kathy’s Response and Ratings –
If you like the taste of pure honey, you will love the flavor of this gel. The texture is also very much like it came straight out of the honey bear bottle. It was running down the side of the packet, all over my fingers, and on my chin. Hot mess. Personally, I prefer my honey mixed with something else as the sweetness is just a little overwhelming for me. I also prefer a thicker texture for my gels, so this one won’t be my go-to. I will say, though, the sweet honey flavor with added electrolytes is a perfect addition to your post-workout smoothie (yes, I have tested it). I’d also like to add that the other flavors of Honey Stinger gels have a different texture and I have used and liked them in the past, so don’t let this review discourage you from trying Honey Stinger gels in general.
a. Perceived energy gain – 9/10
b. Consistency – 4/10
c. Flavor – 4/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 5/10
Nicole Response and Ratings –
The flavor of this gel is my biggest qualm – it is pure honey. Unlike Winnie the Pooh, I don’t walk around with my hand oscillating from the honey jar to my mouth. That is the reason I didn’t like this gel. If you like honey, this very well may be the gel for you. I will say that I loved the smooth consistency of this gel. It was easy to get down and didn’t require chewing. Maybe if you don’t squeeze it like a five-year-old drinking a Capri Sun, you’ll have more success than Kathy.
a. Perceived energy gain – 5/10
b. Consistency – 8/10
c. Flavor 3/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 6/10
GU Birthday Cake
Kathy’s Response and Ratings:
Full disclosure, GU has been my go-to gel off and on for many years. I like the texture. It’s not runny, but not quite as thick as the Clif Shot. This particular flavor enticed me with the packaging before I ever opened it up. I mean, who doesn’t love white cake with colorful sprinkles? I was a little afraid it couldn’t live up to my expectations. I liked the flavor, though. It was a bit sweet, maybe just slightly less so than the Clif Shot, and had a bit of an artificial flavor, but not bad. I would definitely use it again.
a. Perceived energy gain – 6/10
b. Consistency – 8/10
c. Flavor – 8/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 8/10
Nicole’s Response and Ratings:
Wow! I was impressed with this gel. I never thought I would find a flavor that rivaled Clif Shot’s vanilla, but Gu’s birthday cake is utter perfection in the flavor department. As an athlete, one of the hardest things to do is convince myself to take gels mid race so flavor is a make-or-break for me. In addition, I took this on a frigid day in North Carolina, so it got put to the test for consistency and came up short; it was still a chore to get it out of the packaging. However, I did feel that this gel helped to get me through a tough set of hills and gave more energy than Clif Shot and Honey Stinger. Therefore, Gu’s gel takes home the cake for me!
a. Perceived energy gain – 8/10
b. Consistency – 5/10
c. Flavor – 10/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 9/10
SiS Vanilla
Kathy’s Response and Ratings:
Given that this gel is isotonic (i.e., the water is included), it was almost like I was drinking it. At first, the flavor was a bit off-putting. It tasted watered-down, like someone had put a spoon of Betty Crocker vanilla icing in a glass of water and let it dissolve. As I continued to drink it, though, I was somewhat grateful it didn’t have a stronger flavor since there’s quite a bit more volume to get down vs the other gels. I also think I might have consumed it a little too quickly because it didn’t sit so well on my stomach. I was burping a lot for my entire run but, again, that could have been user error or totally unrelated. I do have random GI issues from time-to-time.
a. Perceived energy gain – 7/10
b. Consistency – 2/10
c. Flavor – 5/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 4/10
e. Overall performance – 5/10
Nicole’s Response and Ratings:
I wanted this to be my favorite gel. I loved the packaging as it was black, silver and bright yellow with brightly colored tops to identify the specific flavor. However, it’s flavor score makes this gel incredibly tough for me to love. The vanilla tasted artificial with a chemical aftertaste. On the other hand, the consistency and perceived energy gain made this gel rate much higher. I appreciated the isotonic nature of this gel because it was easy to get down. While I did not love the vanilla flavor, I am eager to try others from SiS to see if there is a flavor that I like more. One more note, because the water is mixed in, the gels are a little larger in size (2 fluid ounces) than the other ones in this review (e.g., Clif Shot is 1.2 fluid ounces).
a. Perceived energy gain – 9/10
b. Consistency 10/10
c. Flavor – 1/10
d. Intestinal Satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 7/10
Hammer Gel Vanilla
Kathy’s Response and Ratings:
I think this was my favorite. It has a nice vanilla flavor that doesn’t smack you in the face. Not overly sweet in my opinion. he texture was similar to GU…not too thick and not too runny. Ding ding ding, we have a winner (at least for me)!
a. Perceived energy gain – 7/10
b. Consistency – 8/10
c. Flavor – 9/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 9/10
Nicole Response and Ratings:
Hammer’s vanilla gel seemed very comparable to SIS for me. The flavor was bitter and reminded me of a protein bar. However, it went down easily and seemed to give me an energy boost for my workout. Overall, I think this is a good option if you don’t like the sweet gels.
a. Perceived energy gain – 9/10
b. Consistency – 8/10
c. Flavor – 2/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 7/10
Conclusion
When it comes to the world of endurance events, fueling is one thing that cannot be overlooked. From this experiment, vanilla Hammer Gel was the winner for Kathy, and birthday cake Gu was the winner for Nicole. Based on these results, there is no obvious winner. But there are some key points to take home:
1. This experimental design can easily be replicated. If you are struggling to find the fuel that is right for you, buy some gels, use them on your long days or workout days, and consistently rate them. You may not find one winner, but at the very least, you should find a brand that you like. Then you can see if you can identify a flavor or consistency that suits you.
2. Throughout the response and ratings from Kathy and Nicole, consistency and flavor seemed to come to the forefront in each critique. Remember, that every athlete is different. For these two, finding something tasty that they could look forward to mid-marathon that wasn’t a chore to consume and/or wasn’t spilling all over the place seemed to be more valued. You may find value in different criteria.
To say that one of these gels is superior to the others is not possible. But to say that one gel was favored in the eyes of the subject is. Looking ahead, know that fuel is necessary. Be encouraged to try out nutrition that you haven’t before. Oh, and don’t forget the caffeine! It just may be a race-changer.
Next up: Which caffeinated gel is best?