When you've been running for longer than an hour, your body starts to run out of energy supplies. Just like you have to fill up a car after a long journey, our bodies need refuelling after exercising for a while - otherwise, you might not reach the finish line! This is especially true for long-distance runners who participate in trail running or ultramarathons.
Energy gels are an excellent way to replenish your levels while endurance running, as they're lightweight, easy to store in your belt, and won't leak like a liquid. We're here to help you to track down the best energy gel for your lifestyle, whether it's a natural sugar-based product or an enhanced isotonic formula that you'd prefer. Check out our reviews of top brands like SiS and Dextro Energy, which can be bought online at Amazon, Tesco, Asda, and Waitrose.
Quick List - Top Energy Gels for Running
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Buying an energy gel is all about balancing your personal preferences with the scientific aspects. Things like flavour combinations and the types of ingredients will be up to you, but it's also crucial to have a look at the nutritional value to ensure that you'll be adequately fuelled.
Choosing a flavour doesn't require any calculations or science, it simply comes down to what you think you'll enjoy consuming when you're a few hours into a race and probably not feeling particularly excited about forcing down a gel.
Most flavours are fruity, with orange being particularly popular, but you might stumble across some pretty experimental flavours too - rhubarb and custard anyone?
Many flavourings are artificial and won't affect the nutritional make-up of a gel, but some might feature real fruit concentrates that not only provide flavour but also work as a source of energy - this will make a difference to how a gel fuels you.
The serving size of a gel is measured in millilitres or grams, since they sit somewhere between a liquid and a solid. Most are between 40-60 grams or 40-60 millilitres, which isn't too big - this means they should fit nicely into your belt so you can forget about them until you need them.
How large a gel sachet is will depend on its composition and how concentrated the energy source is. Those that are more diluted will be bigger, whereas those that are very concentrated will come in a smaller size.
It's recommended that one or two energy gels be consumed every hour of running, but it's important not to overdo it as you don't want to overwhelm your stomach halfway through a race. Based on this knowledge, choose a size of energy gel that you'll be able to carry multiple sachets of if you're running a longer distance.
Now it's on to the science bit, but don't worry - it doesn't need to be too complicated! With energy gels, it's pretty clear what you're looking for from their name. It's just about finding the right carbohydrate source to give you the energy you need.
Maltodextrin is one of the most common sources of carbohydrates that you'll find in energy gels. It's a white, starchy powder that works well in gels because, in addition to being an energy source, it acts as a thickener. It can be made from any starchy food, including corn, potato, wheat, tapioca, and rice. These ingredients are processed to create an easy-to-digest gel that can provide energy rapidly.
Other carbohydrates come in the form of sugars from both artificial and natural sources. Glucose, maltodextrin, and dextrose are refined sugars that can be easily digested, while fructose is a natural sugar that's found in honey and fruit such as dates.
If eating naturally is important to you, may prefer to opt for a fructose-based gel. Natural, however, doesn't necessarily mean better. Fructose can cause the drawing in of extra fluid towards your stomach which may lead to bloating - not what you want when midway through your run!
Once you know where your carbohydrates are coming from, have a look at how much of them a single gel sachet provides and think about how many grams you'll need to consume.
There's an easy sum you can do to work out how many carbohydrates you can take on per hour: for every kilogram of your body weight, you can take on 1 gram of carbohydrates. This means that someone who weighs 60kg can consume 60 grams of carbohydrate per hour when doing intense exercise.
Working this out for yourself will make it easy to decide which gels best match your energy needs and how many you need to consume. It is important to note, though, that there is a limit to how many carbohydrates the body can absorb. There is, therefore, no point in over-consuming gels as this will just give you gastric distress.
How much sugar a gel contains will come largely down to which source of carbohydrate it contains. If it's maltodextrin-based, the sugar content will be low, but if it uses glucose and other simple sugars then the content will be very high - in many cases, the entirety of the gel.
The more sugar is there is in a gel, the more water you will need to consume alongside it, as if you don't drink enough then your body won't have enough water to absorb the sugars. This will increase the risk of the gel causing you stomach pain and irritation, which is the last thing you need while out on a run.
Electrolytes are chemicals that conduct electricity when mixed with water. They regulate nerve and muscle function, hydrate the body, balance blood acidity and pressure, and help to rebuild damaged tissue. Exercise is the time when you need electrolytes the most, but it's also when your body loses a lot of them through the salt in your sweat!
The inclusion of electrolytes also helps to make gels isotonic; this means that they have the correct water, carbohydrate, and salt content to be easily absorbed by the body through osmosis without you having to drink lots of additional water.
So, we definitely recommend snapping up a product with added electrolytes if you want to feel your best while running. To find out whether an energy gel contains electrolytes, look for sodium, potassium and calcium on the ingredients list - these salts replace the minerals you sweat out.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | SiS Go Isotonic Energy Gel|Pack of 6 | ![]() | Backed by Years of Sports Science Research | |
2 | One Pro Nutrition Energy Gels|Pack of 20 | ![]() | A Fast-Acting Fuel With a Fruity Flavour | |
3 | GU Mixed Energy Gels|Pack of 24 | ![]() | Efficient Energy in a Range of Yummy Flavours | |
4 | Vow Kick Off Energy Gel | ![]() | Pre-Exercise Caffeine Gel to Improve Performance | |
5 | TORQ Energy Gels|Pack of 16 | ![]() | A Mind-Blowing Array of Flavours to Choose From | |
6 | HIGH5 Quick Release Energy Gel|Pack of 20 | ![]() | Convenient Sachets That Allow You to Focus on Running | |
7 | Dextro Energy Energy Gel|Pack of 12 | ![]() | Combines a Sports Gel and Drink | |
8 | Veloforte Mixed Energy Gel Pack|Pack of 15 | ![]() | A Blend of Tasty, Unprocessed Ingredients | |
9 | MelliGel Organic Honey Sport Gel|Pack of 12 | ![]() | An Intriguing Flavour Combination With Natural Sugars | |
10 | GlucoGel Fast-Acting Glucose Energy Gel|Pack of 3 | ![]() | Small Gels That Will Give You a Big Boost |
SiS is the leader of the pack when it comes to reliable, scientifically proven sports supplements. They know exactly what your body needs when it runs, and have created this gel to provide you with a speedy solution. The formula is isotonic, so while the carbohydrate content per serving might not be as high as other gels, it has been diluted down to just the right amount - this makes it incredibly easy to absorb!
As a result, you can get away with consuming several of these gels without having to drink gallons of water like you would with other brands. This means you can avoid the bloated feeling that often comes with taking in lots of fluids quickly. When it comes to a quick burst of running energy, in SiS Go Isotonic Energy Gel we trust!
These gels are the perfect size for keeping you going during a run, without slowing you down. The raspberry and watermelon flavouring works beautifully as these two fruits are naturally hydrating.
The combination of maltodextrin and natural fruit gives you two energy sources, which means the kick you'll get from these sachets will last for longer. You don't have to worry about the mixture being sticky either (as gels so often are) thanks to the inclusion of fruit concentrates that firm up the formula.
Another selection pack offering a wide range of exciting flavours, these gels from GU include yummy options like watermelon and salted caramel as part of their line-up. Using maltodextrin as the main ingredient means you get the carbohydrate kick you need without the gel being packed full of sugar.
To help replenish your body during a hard session, electrolytes are included in the ingredients - these not only provide nourishment but they also give a lovely salty quality to these sweet-tasting gels.
Getting focused for a run can be half the battle when it comes to race day preparations. This gel, with its caffeine-infused formula, will help you do just that. This particular gel from Vow is designed to be consumed pre-exercise, but they also have other products that will take you halfway through and help you to recover afterwards.
Caffeine has been shown to enhance sporting performance, so injecting some into your bloodstream before the starting gun is fired could be just the boost you need to win that gold medal!
What a dazzling choice of delicious flavours these gels have to offer! From rhubarb and custard and raspberry ripple to cherry bakewell, TORQ steers clear of the usual plain citrus flavouring that most other brands stick to.
With 30g of carbohydrates per sachet, you'll get the serious hit of energy that your body so desperately needs mid-marathon. As an added bonus, this pack of 16 sachets also comes with some no-tie elastic laces - so you'll be well and truly ready to run!
These compact gels are perfect for slipping into a running belt or clipping onto your kit. The top part of the packet is super easy to rip off while you're on the move, so you don't need to lose precious minutes having to fiddle around to get your fix.
The natural fruit juices give this gel a lovely citrus flavour, but the high level of glucose means you'll need to keep topping up your water levels while taking it. Still, we love that the glucose syrup is combined with maltodextrin to give you two sources of energy-boosting carbohydrates.
The product has been tested by athletes specifically, so you know these energy boosters have been given the thumbs-up by the best! The consistency is somewhere between that of a gel and a sports drink, which some people might find easier to swallow.
This product is based largely on simple sugars like dextrose, and while these are a good way of getting energy into you quickly, you will need to make sure you drink enough water when you take it. The liquid-style formula should help with that, though.
This product is about as natural as energy gels get. The ingredients are a combination of high-sugar syrups and fruits that have been blended together to give you a healthy source of fuel. Plus, this gel has added electrolytes too!
If you're going to use a gel like this (where the energy comes largely from fructose), it's worth testing it out a few times before a big event so you can get your stomach used to it, as the sugars can be harder for your body to digest. It might take a bit more time for the energy to hit and you'll have to make sure you drink a lot of water too.
This natural option by MelliGel uses honey and freeze-dried sour cherries as a way of fuelling your workouts, mixing it with Himalayan salt to replace all the minerals you lose through sweat when running.
The flavour combination of ginger and cherry is certainly an interesting one - some people might love to have it tickling their tastebuds as they stride along, while others might find it a bit overwhelming and may prefer to stick to something simpler.
These gels look like medicine you'd be prescribed - a good sign of the science that has gone into them behind the scenes! As they're made from fast-acting dextrose, they can also be used for low blood sugar levels in addition to sports.
These aren't the biggest gels and, with the carbohydrates only totalling 10g, they're not going to get you very far - especially if you're large and need more energy. They also don't contain any electrolytes so won't be much good for seasoned runners.
This can depend on how fast your body processes carbohydrates, but it has been suggested that energy gels taken at one-hour intervals is the most appropriate timing. This way you won’t be piling too much sugar into your system and ultimately having a sugar crash before the finish line.
You can freeze your energy gels which are especially good when running in warmer climates, but always check the label just in case! Be careful not to leave it in the freezer too long or else it’ll be solid and you’ll have to wait till it thaws to drink it.
This will vary depending on the runner, but rule of thumb is that you should take your energy gels at evenly spaced intervals. This could mean every 30 minutes for shorter marathons or every 45-60 minutes for longer runs. Try to gauge how many energy gels your body needs so that you don't overload your system.
Author: Emma Cramp
No. 1: SiS|Go Isotonic Energy Gel|Pack of 6
No. 2: One Pro|Nutrition Energy Gels|Pack of 20
No. 3: GU|Mixed Energy Gels|Pack of 24
No. 4: Vow|Kick Off Energy Gel
No. 5: TORQ|Energy Gels|Pack of 16
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