Gu Gels
There are so many flavors of Gu Gels, that there has to be at least one flavor that everyone would like. Each Gu is 100 calories. Each package “contains a balance of complex carbohydrates (maltodextrin), & simple carbohydrates, as the basis for delivering fast usable energy”. It is recommended that you take one 15 minutes before your race, & then every 30-45 minutes during the race. You need to take them with a little bit of water. The key is to get these into your system before you really think that you need them. That way you don’t have the big drop in energy, before the gel gets into your system. These packages are easy to open & so easy to take. The packs are small, so they are easy to carry in a pocket or pouch or ever your hand. There are 2 flavors without caffeine: lemon sublime, & strawberry banana. The following flavors have 20mg caffeine: vanilla bean, chocolate outrage, just plain, mandarin orange, tri berry, mint chocolate. Espresso love, & jet blackberry have 2x the caffeine, so 40mg. Jet Blackberry is my new favorite flavor! I fell in love with it, after the freebie given out at the Team Running Free meeting. I find that the flavors of Gu are not overpowering, like some other gels. So, if you are looking for a new gel to try, I would highly recommend Gu Gels!
Gu Chomps
In each package of chomps there are 2 servings. So you eat 4 chomps for each serving. The price looks a little expensive until you realize that you are getting 2 servings with each package. The chomps are soft & chewy as long as you keep the bag closed until you need them. I prefer to take these while cycling & not running. When I run I breathe through my mouth, so running & chewing don’t work very well for me. On the bike though, I love the chomps. I think because I am chewing, my mind believes that I am eating, so they are great for long bike rides. There are lots of great flavors here too. They are easy to tuck into your pocket or bento box on the bike. It is recommended to have the chomps 15 minutes before your race, & then every 30-45 minutes during your race. Again, you want to take these before you really think that you need them, so you don’t have the big drop in energy waiting for them to take effect. Again you have the choice of caffeine or no caffeine.
If you are looking for any product to keep your energy levels up, I would recommend either the Gu Gels or Gu Chomps! You will not be sorry!
