{"id":9788,"date":"2023-02-28T18:16:39","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T14:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tehrunclub.com\/?p=9788"},"modified":"2023-10-01T10:32:31","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T07:02:31","slug":"energy-gels-for-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehrunclub.com\/en\/energy-gels-for-running\/","title":{"rendered":"Energy Gels for Running: How They Work and When You Should Take Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

The marathon brings many of those experiences to each and every one of us, but we are told that if we use energy gels<\/a> , running will be much less miserable, and we will feel better in those final few miles of a race.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Is there a best energy gel for running?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"IsToday, we\u2019re going to outline exactly how energy gels and other carbohydrate supplements work, which will help you understand exactly when and how often you should be taking them to help you find the best energy gel for you.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Why Is It Important To Take In Energy Gels During A Race?<\/span><\/h2>\n

It wasn\u2019t long ago that runners relied solely on water, sports drinks, and maybe some flat cola as their primary carbohydrate supplement during marathons and half marathons.
\nDick Beardsley told us about how he would grab a cup from a spectator in a marathon, look to see if it \u201clooked\u201d clean, and if so, drink it\u2026and this is someone who almost won the Boston Marathon and was the feature of Duel in the Sun, one of the greatest Boston marathon finishes of all time.
\n\"Dick
\nYou probably know by now that we like to think of ourselves as Boston marathon central, so we loved that story.
\nLuckily, our understanding of sports nutrition (specifically how glycogen is used during the marathon) has improved to the point that we now have an unlimited number of products to choose from, each designed to speed glycogen to our working muscles.
\nThe problem these days is not in finding a glycogen delivery product, but rather in finding the best energy gel<\/a> for you and then developing a strategic nutrition strategy to make sure you take in enough energy on race day.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Your body needs a lot of energy to run a marathon<\/span><\/h3>\n

Your body uses two primary sources of fuel to feed the muscles when you\u2019re running \u2013 fat and carbohydrates.
\nFat is a largely abundant resource, but is broken down into usable energy slowly, making it an ineffective fuel source when running anything faster than about 60-70% of your VO2max (roughly equivalent to your aerobic threshold or marathon pace).
\nTherefore, your body relies on carbohydrates as its primary fuel source when racing.
\n\"Your
\nHere\u2019s the deal:<\/strong> The faster you run, the greater the percentage of fuel will come from carbohydrates.
\nThe problem with carbohydrates is that we can only store a limited amount in our muscles \u2013 even when you complete the perfect nutrition marathon taper.\n\nTypically, we can store about 90 minutes of muscle glycogen when running at half marathon pace and about 2 hours when running at marathon pace.
\nSo, if you\u2019re not an elite, you\u2019ll be running out of muscle glycogen long before you cross the finish line.<\/p>\n

\r\n
\"Run<\/div>\r\n
\r\n

<\/span>Run Smart<\/span><\/h4>\r\n

<\/span>Tehran Club group and online classes<\/span><\/h4>\r\nMore Info<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

<\/span>What do energy gels do?<\/span><\/h3>\n

They are designed to replenish carbohydrate stores that are depleted when running.
\nSounds like energy gels are a savior, right?
\nUnfortunately, energy gels<\/a> don\u2019t provide a simple one-to-one replacement (something you won\u2019t read on the label of your favorite gel) because the glycogen we ingest from gels doesn\u2019t always make its way to the working muscles.
\n\"What
\nWhy?<\/strong>
\nBecause carbohydrates are stored in both the muscles and the liver and your performance on race day relies on using the glycogen stored in the muscle.
\nFor glycogen to make its way to the muscles, it must first be digested, make it\u2019s way through the intestinal wall, and then absorbed by the muscles.
\nThis process takes time and isn\u2019t very efficient.
\nHowever, gels will often \u201cwake you up\u201d in a very noticeable way because our brain only runs on the glucose stored in the liver.
\n\"\u0698\u0644\u200c\u0647\u0627\u06cc
\nWhat\u2019s the bottom line?<\/strong>
\nenergy gels<\/a> help replenish the glycogen and calories you\u2019re burning when racing hard.
\nEnergy gels aren\u2019t very efficient or a simple one-to-one replacement, so timing and frequency are critical factors to avoiding the bonk.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Should you take an energy gel for running a half marathon or 10k?<\/span><\/h3>\n

We recently looked deep into the research about races half marathon and under, and we had some interesting findings that showed even just swigging a sports drink (without swallowing) is enough to give you a boost in a shorter race.
\nHere\u2019s what we found:\n\nA 5k is definitely too short to need carbs, either before or during your race<\/p>\n

\"ShouldWhen it comes to a 10k, it will depend on how quick you are.\n\nIf you are able to run the 10k under 40 minutes, you do not need to take on any carbs, but if you run between 45-60 minutes, you should take a swig of a sports drink if you feel like you need to.
\nThe benefits of taking on fuel do not make too much of a difference until you are running for 60-75 minutes though, so if you are running under that, there is not really a big need for it, unless you want to take something to wake you up!<\/p>\n

<\/span>When Should You Take Energy Gels For Running?<\/span><\/h2>\n

If only there was a simple answer to this, but:
\nJust like almost every facet of running, the timing of when you should take your gels is individual.
\nEach runner absorbs and processes carbohydrates at a different rate \u2013 some can feel the effect within three minutes while others might take up to 15 minutes.\n\nThis variation in absorption rate has to do with how efficient your stomach is at digesting carbohydrate and the type of carbohydrate you\u2019re consuming (which we cover in this article).
\n\"\"
\nThis is important:<\/strong> When running hard, your body often diverts blood away from the digestive track to help give your legs more blood (and therefore oxygen).
\nSometimes, your body shuts the stomach down completely while other times it just slows down.
\nThis is why it isn\u2019t uncommon to see runners throw up fluids or gels right after ingesting them late into the race. Therefore, you want to begin taking gels relatively early into the race.
\nBy taking the gels early, your body shouldn\u2019t be under great duress and you have a better chance of processing the sugars faster and without stomach issues.<\/p>\n

<\/span>When should I start taking gels?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Somewhere between 45-60 minutes, depending on how well you generally react to gels in training.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Should I take a gel before the race?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Some runners like to take a gel right before the gun goes off.
\nWhile there is no problem with this from a physiological standpoint, I find it better to consume a more substantial breakfast, with less simple sugars.
\nThis helps you avoid eating nothing but simple sugar for 3-4 hours.
\n\"
\nWhat\u2019s the bottom line?<\/strong>
\nMy suggestion for breakfast would be a bagel with peanut butter, an energy bar, or oatmeal. Read this article for a full breakdown of pre marathon nutrition guidelines.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/span>How Often Should You Take Energy Gels For Running?<\/span><\/h2>\n

As we\u2019ve already discussed, the speed at which you\u2019re able to digest and process energy gels<\/a> plays an important roll in how often you want to take them.
\nBecause the digestion process will be slowed or halted the further you get into the race, you need to be careful not to overload your stomach.
\nTherefore, I suggest waiting about 45-60 minutes between gels before taking another one. Most runners should be closer to the 60 minute mark, especially if they have sensitive stomachs.
\n\"HowThe second reason to wait 45-60 minutes between taking gels is that you don\u2019t want to speed too much simple sugar into your blood stream at once.
\nRemember, the simple sugars from the energy gels<\/a> will first be absorbed into your blood stream as glucose.
\nThe sugar will stay in the blood stream until absorbed by the working muscles or other organs. If you continue to pump sugar into the blood stream, you\u2019ll suffer the same fate as your children if left alone on Halloween \u2013 sick from too much sugar.
\nThe other aspect to keep in mind is that your digestive track is trainable like most every other part of your body.
\nSo<\/strong>
\nf you eat gels in training, particularly if you do it at set intervals that correlate to when you will take them during the race, your body will learn to keep the digestive track running and you will digest the gel more readily.
\nThis is why it\u2019s critical you practice your exact fueling strategy as often as possible in training.<\/p>\n

<\/span>What Else Do You Need To Know About Energy Gels?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered some of the basics of how energy gels<\/a> work and how to properly strategize a marathon nutrition plan or half marathon nutrition plan, we\u2019ll cover some practical tips that can help you execute on race day.<\/p>\n

<\/span>How to take energy gels if your stomach is upset<\/span><\/h3>\n

Like we\u2019ve discussed, it\u2019s possible that your stomach might shutdown during the latter half of the race.
\nIf this happens to you and you\u2019ve been unable to take energy gels<\/a> late in the race, try eating only a small portion of the gel, but in closer intervals.
\n\"HowFor example, eat 1\/4 of the packet every 20 minutes.
\nYou\u2019ll still consume the energy you need, but you\u2019ll give your stomach a better chance to properly digest without getting sick.<\/p>\n

<\/span>ALWAYS take with water<\/span><\/h3>\n

Always take energy gels<\/a> with water, never alone and NEVER with Gatorade.
\nWithout water, energy gels<\/a> will take longer to digest and enter the blood stream. If you take an energy gel with a sports drink, you run the risk of ingesting too much simple sugar at once.
\nTaken together, a gel and sports drink could be delivering close to 60 grams of pure sugar \u2013 yack.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Test out flavors and brands to see which energy gel is best for you<\/span><\/h3>\n

Not all energy gels<\/a> are the same. Some are more viscous, some taste better, and each flavor can be delicious or wretched to another runner.
\nThe important thing is that you have to experiment and find something that works.
\n\"\u06a9\u062f\u0627\u0645At the 2008 Olympic Trials, Desi Linden (Davila) had trouble keeping down her fluids and gels.\n\nEverything she took in came back up. So, after fading to the finish, Desi implemented gels in practice, but even that process wasn\u2019t smooth.
\nDuring long workouts, Linden would force herself to drink and eat gels, but her system still rejected it.
\nIn her own words: \u201cIt was actually kind of disgusting\u201d. However, knowing she could never make the podium if she didn\u2019t figure out the issue, Desi continued to force her body to adapt.
\nEventually she found the right combination of gels and fluids to train her stomach to handle the sugars and she went on to run 2:22 in Boston.
\nNext time you think \u201cI just can\u2019t do it\u201d, imagine what an Olympian would say to that.<\/p>\n

<\/span>How To Make A Marathon Nutrition Plan That Works For You<\/span><\/h2>\n

As I\u2019ve mentioned in this article, there are a lot of factors that come into play when it comes to when and how often you should be consuming energy gels<\/a> .<\/p>\n