The Great Caffeine Experiment
This post is the sequel to our previous “The Great Sports Gel Experiment.” If you haven’t already, check out the first gel experiment.
In this experiment, the dynamic duo of running coach and physician assistant Nicole Hamilton, along with registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Kathy Brown aim to identify the best caffeinated sports gels.
Methods and Procedures:
Like any quality scientific study, we tried to standardize our process and developed standard procedures and evaluation criteria so that we could best assess the quality of these caffeinated sports gels. The details are included below:
1. Each gel was rated on a scale of 1-10 based on five criteria:
a. Perceived energy gain
b. Consistency
c. Flavor
d. Intestinal satisfaction
e. Overall performance.
2. Six caffeinated gels that were fruit-flavored and ranged in caffeine content from 20-50 mg were selected for the study:
a. Clif Shot Citrus (25 mg of caffeine)
b. Gu Mandarin Orange (20 mg of caffeine)
c. Hammer Tropical (25 mg of caffeine)
d. Honey Stinger Kiwi Strawberry (32 mg of caffeine)
e. Huma Lemonade (25 mg of caffeine)
f. PowerGel Mojito (50 mg of caffeine)
* It was hard to identify a standard flavor among the brands. This is why we settled on “fruit flavors.”
3. Each gel was consumed 15 minutes prior to departing for a hard running workout (either speed or tempo efforts that lasted 45-60+ minutes, including warm up and cool down). No additional carb was consumed.
Results:
Clif Shot Citrus (25 mg of caffeine)
Kathy’s Responses and Ratings – Very, very thick. While the flavor was a bit tart for my taste, I think I could get used to it, so that wasn’t the nail in the coffin. Like I said in our last gel review, though, I simply don’t have the ability to walk and chew gum…or run and chew gels in this case. On the plus side, I didn’t notice any intestinal issues with this gel. I also didn’t feel an energy boost from the caffeine, either. That said, I was able to get through 3/4 of my workout without losing steam after a long day at work, so perhaps the caffeine did its thing under the radar. That’s probably a good thing.
a. Perceived energy gain – 7/10
b. Consistency – 3/10
c. Flavor – 8/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction 10/10
e. Overall performance – 7/10
Nicole’s Responses and Ratings –
This one was THICK. I had to consume a whopping four gulps of water just to get this down. YIKES! Chewing and running are not my forte, so this was certainly a drawback. I absolutely loved the citrus flavor as it tasted like a combination of sugar and… citrus. Mind blowing, I know. Being a person that will suck on lemons at the restaurant, that flavor is right up my alley. Also, I did feel that this gel really helped to make me even more energetic as my workout started. I woke up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, but I felt even more so as the workout was due to start. One downside to this flavor sensation and blast of energy was some mild stomach burning, but that didn’t bring me down too much.
a. Perceived energy gain – 8/10
b. Consistency – 2/10
c. Flavor – 10/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction 8/10
e. Overall performance – 7/10
Gu Mandarin Orange (20 mg of caffeine)
Kathy’s Responses and Ratings –
For me, this gel was just a gel. I don’t know what to say about it other than the fact that it provided me the carbs I needed without being noteworthy in any other way. The orange flavor was pleasant. The consistency is what I’ve come to expect from Gu – easy to swallow without being watery. Gu generally tends to work well for my sensitive intestines, so no complaints there. I also didn’t notice any significant energy boost, though it got me through the workout without feeling dead tired. Overall, a solid option if you’re just looking to fuel.
a. Perceived energy gain – 6/10
b. Consistency – 10/10
c. Flavor – 7/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 8/10
Nicole’s Responses and Ratings –
This gel certainly didn’t wow me. It performed well in intestinal satisfaction, but as long as a gel wasn’t associated with GI upset, it got a 10/10 so that’s not saying too much. Otherwise, this gel had a granular consistency. It went down okay, but there was more texture there than I’m used to. I felt that the orange flavor was muted, making the gel merely tolerable. I really felt like this gel did nothing for me energy-wise, except the tiniest pick-up at the end, which I attributed more to my excitement of being done with a hard day as that is typical for me.
a. Perceived energy gain – 3/10
b. Consistency – 6/10
c. Flavor – 4/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 5/10
Hammer Tropical (25 mg of caffeine)
Kathy’s Responses and Ratings –
I was excited for this flavor. I expected it to taste like Hawaiian Punch which, while on the sweet side, was always a fun treat when I was a kid. Sadly, I didn’t like it at all. It has a strong guava flavor. I like guava usually, but I found it really hard to force myself to swallow this gel. Consistency was fine, but the flavor seemed to cling to my tongue. I had some mild nausea for a few minutes, probably because of the flavor issue, but after that I didn’t have any intestinal issues. It got me through the workout fine, but no noticeable energy boost from the caffeine.
a. Perceived energy gain – 5/10
b. Consistency – 8/10
c. Flavor – 2/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 6/10
e. Overall performance – 4/10
Nicole’s Responses and Ratings –
Hammer gel is another one that was not my favorite. Its fruit flavor was mild, but palatable. I did have some mild intestinal cramping, but nothing that held me back from the workout. Also, I needed to consume a couple swigs of water to get this gel down so the consistency has some room for improvement. And honestly, I felt like this gel gave me only mild energy gains.
a. Perceived energy gain – 5/10
b. Consistency – 7/10
c. Flavor – 8/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 8/10
e. Overall performance – 6/10
Honey Stinger Kiwi Strawberry (32 mg of caffeine)
Kathy’s Responses and Ratings –
This is my favorite gel that we tested. The fruit flavor is sweet but not too sweet, and it doesn’t taste artificial to me. It’s made from honey (hence the name), but the consistency is slightly thicker than honey, so it goes down easily without being a runny, sticky mess. I didn’t notice any intestinal issues beyond my normal bloated feeling, so I’m not sure if that can be blamed on the gel. I did notice a slight energy increase by the end of my warm-up, and I was able to push through the entire workout after a long day at work.
a. Perceived energy gain – 9/10
b. Consistency – 10/10
c. Flavor – 10/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 9/10
e. Overall performance – 9/10
Nicole’s Responses and Ratings –
I gave this gel the Goldy Locks Award for consistency. I didn’t even have to take this one with water! That’s big news. It’s not as watery as some gels like SIS (which isn’t a problem for me), but it wasn’t so thick that I needed anything. That’s good work, Honey Stinger. Otherwise, a mild energy gain for this workout, which felt nice, but nothing through the roof. The flavor was fantastic! I tasted more kiwi than strawberry, personally. Otherwise, I noticed more gas on the return trip home, but is that really the gel’s fault or last night’s dinner? Not sure, but I’m putting some blame on the gel.
a. Perceived energy gain – 6/10
b. Consistency – 10/10
c. Flavor – 10/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 8/10
e. Overall performance – 9/10
Huma Lemonade (25 mg of caffeine)
Kathy’s Responses and Ratings –
I thought this gel was very salty and a bit lumpy. As a texture person, the lumpiness from the chia seeds took a bit of getting-used-to. Once I got it down and chugged some water to wash away the salt flavor, though, it was smooth sailing. I should note that, if you like salt, I thought the flavor was otherwise nice. I didn’t have any intestinal issues with this gel and actually noticed a more sustained energy level than with other gels. I’d give it another go.
a. Perceived energy gain – 9/10
b. Consistency – 6/10
c. Flavor – 7/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 7/10
Nicole’s Responses and Ratings –
Starting off to the bright sides with this gel, we have consistency and intestinal satisfaction. It wasn’t super watery and didn’t require water to swallow. This gel also got the Goldy Locks Award for consistency. In addition, my stomach handled the gel like a champ without any burning or cramping. Now, I mentioned that I like to eat lemons, but this gel was SO SOUR!!! War Heads (those old sour candys from the 90s and early 2000s) are on this level of sourness. You’ve been warned. Otherwise, I felt pretty ambivalent about the level of energy gain – I didn’t feel like it helped much, but it didn’t hurt me.
a. Perceived energy gain – 5/10
b. Consistency – 10/10
c. Flavor – 3/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 10/10
e. Overall performance – 6/10
PowerGel Mojito (50 mg of caffeine)
Kathy’s Responses and Ratings –
I’m not gonna lie, this gel kind of reminded me of my younger days, sucking down mojitos at the bar…don’t judge. Once I got past the questionable nostalgia, though, the minty lime flavor was quite refreshing despite being a little on the sweet side. I also didn’t mind the fact that it contains fluid, so I don’t need to wash it down with water. I noticed my energy levels picked up a bit by the end of my warm-up. In our last gel experiment, we tested another isotonic gel and I had uncomfortable gas and burpiness after sucking it down. This time, I drank it more slowly to avoid that issue. I still had some burps, though not quite as bad.
a. Perceived energy gain – 8/10
b. Consistency – 10/10
c. Flavor – 8/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 7/10
e. Overall performance – 8/10
Nicole’s Responses and Ratings –
This gel was super easy to get down. It was very watery so that’s something to consider if you don’t like that, but I don’t mind the watery nature of gels. It gives me extra hydration in the race, so I’m not complaining. I’m pretty ambivalent about the energy gain here – sure, it helped, but I’m not sure how much. And good golly, that flavor! PURE SUGAR RUSH! I got used to it, and thankfully it wasn’t flavorless, but woof! That’s sugar. Lastly, I will add a disclaimer regarding my rating for intestinal satisfaction. I had some mild cramping throughout the whole workout, but I did eat ice cream the night before. It’s a coin toss for which one was the real culprit, but I’m inclined to say it was the Mojito.
a. Perceived energy gain – 5/10
b. Consistency – 10/10
c. Flavor – 5/10
d. Intestinal satisfaction – 5/10
e. Overall performance – 6/10
Conclusions:
As with our previous gel experiment, it’s clear that the perfect gel for one person might not work for another. However, it does appear that we both agreed that Honey Stinger Kiwi Strawberry is a solid choice. Depending on the race distance and conditions, other gels may be preferred for other reasons: flavor, consistency, and water content, among others. Our recommendation is to do your research. There are so many new brands, flavors, and formulas for sports gels on the market these days, so it can be a bit overwhelming. If gels are your preferred source of energy mid-workout, it’s important to try them and test them out during training. And don’t forget to stay fueled and have fun!