Spring marathons and half marathons are approaching fast and it’s time to start practising your event day fuelling strategy! Energy gels are one of the most efficient forms of sports nutrition.
During prolonged and/or high-intensity exercise, such as a marathon or half marathon, your body relies on glycogen stored in muscles for fuel. The body uses these stores for energy but over time the level of glycogen lowers and will eventually be depleted. If you completely deplete your stores you will run out of energy and will likely struggle to finish.
To prevent this from happening it is crucial to keep your glycogen stores topped up. One of the most efficient ways of doing this when exercising is through consuming sports nutrition. These portable and convenient snacks provide a concentrated energy boost in the form of quick and easily digestible carbohydrates, electrolytes and protein to fuel muscles and replenish nutrients lost when exercising.
Energy gels are one of the most efficient and convenient ways of restoring glycogen stores. They are easy to carry and provide a concentrated form of energy that is quickly absorbed by the body.
If you have never taken energy gels before then it is time to start practising!
Energy gels take some getting used to both in consuming them and for your stomach to digest. Each brand is slightly different in the composition and consistency so trial various ones and experiment to see if you get on better with one than another. If you are heading out for a long run, take the gel towards the end of your run in case it doesn’t agree with you.
Once you find a brand/gel you get on with, stick with it. Energy gel companies often sponsor races and hand out free gels on the day but it is not a good idea to use these on race day if you have not tried the brand before. Whatever you do, DO NOT try anything new on race day!
You don’t have to consume the whole gel in one go. Gels are conveniently packaged so that you can take half of it and save the rest for later. It is also a good idea to consume gels with water as gels are quite thick liquid and consuming with water makes them more palatable. Additionally, the water will help keep you hydrated. Don’t forget to hydrate in addition to fuelling.
Over time you will learn how quickly your body uses glycogen and when it is time to start topping up your energy stores. As a starting point, aim to consume a gel within the first hour of exercise and then every 30-40 minutes after. Little and often consumption keeps your energy stores topped up for the duration of the race. It takes about 15-20 minutes for your body to utilise the energy from the gel so it is important to start topping up stores before you feel like you need the additional energy.
At Kinisi Run Hub we have a great range of energy gels for you to try. Call in today and we will gladly talk you through the various options and provide you with suitable advice!