Gels which one

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2009-07-31 9:40 AM


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Subject: Gels which one
I'm off to the health food stop to pich up some gels for my race..  Why kind is good?  I guess that are all pretty much the same???

2009-07-31 9:43 AM
in reply to: #2319258

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2009-07-31 9:45 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Elite
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Subject: RE: Gels which one
apple cinammon - hammergel......mmmm mmmm mmmm yummy
2009-07-31 9:52 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Subject: RE: Gels which one
Try them all.

After you find one or two you really like, still buy all the other ones, you'll find in the middle of a ride that you just cannot stand another taste of the one you thought you loved and if that's all you have, you may very well not be able to use them.

Change up flavours regularly during training and make sure you can deal with shifting of flavours.
2009-07-31 9:54 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Elite
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Subject: RE: Gels which one

x2 on trying out several and picking what tastes best!  The prefer the Gu brand because, to me, they taste great and go down smooth.  Others hate Gu and prefer something like the Hammer products, which I couldn't swallow to save my life. 

2009-07-31 10:15 AM
in reply to: #2319258

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Subject: RE: Gels which one
Gels are very much a personal preference as the different brands have different textures and flavor combinations. Try them all out till you find 3-4 that you like and then mix them all up during training so you can do that during a race as well. If your first time using a gel would be during a race...I would not recommend it in case of serious GI issues that you do not expect (IE Nothing new on race day!)

2009-07-31 10:56 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Pro
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Subject: RE: Gels which one
Look at the nutritional value in each gel before picking ...

I personally like normal Gu because it provides an 80:20 ratio of complex vs. simply sugars.  It also has branch chain amino acids (think broken down protein) designed to help maintain glycogen levels in the muscles (See: http://www.evitamins.com/healthnotes.asp?ContentID=2815001). Some like the new Gu Sports Rocktane ... but personally I do not care for it.

Another decision point is whether to have caffeine in your gels.  There are a number of studies that recommend it ... but I find doing that after 5:00 pm on any given days has me staring at the ceiling at night. (That is why I use Lemon-Lime or Strawberry-Banana for afternoon or evening workouts.)

That said, I am not exactly impartial ... (see signature line )
2009-07-31 11:10 AM
in reply to: #2319258

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Subject: RE: Gels which one

It depends what you want.  Main choices are caffine and protein.  Someone else mentioned simple vs. complex carbs, but I never really looked at that before. 

I know there are legit reasons for caffine, but I have a hard time subscribing to that.  My thought is, aren't I hurting my hydration by eating caffine?  Except I think the chocolate flavors mostly come with caffine. 

I discovered the Accel Gels (from the makers of Accelerade) and have been moving through their flavors.  They seem to go down well and don't give me heartburn, which is my main GI issue.  They have protein and carbs, and no caffine (except Chocolate flavor).

Go and buy one of each brand available at the store, see what works (or what your stomach can tolerate), and then experiment with flavors from there.  You'll find a few.

2009-07-31 11:13 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Extreme Veteran
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Subject: RE: Gels which one
I'm a big fan of the Hammer gels.  One thing to keep in mind is if it will interact well with your liquid calories.  For example, if you take a Hammer gel and drink Accelerade (which is my combo), it's made of the same complex carbohydrates so they play well together.  If you have a battle of simple sugars vs. complex carbohydrates, your stomach may not react well.  Again, as said above, test them out and see how well they work with each other.
2009-07-31 11:14 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Veteran
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Subject: RE: Gels which one
I use mostly GU, but also like Hammer Gel as well. The GU packets are a bit smaller, so that's nice...

At the end of the day, I could care less what gel I used (outside of the caloric and caffeine content)-they basically all taste like garbage to me anyways.
2009-07-31 11:24 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Expert
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Subject: RE: Gels which one
Big fan of eGel. Has electrolytes in them and for me a carb mix that is easy on the belly.


2009-07-31 11:32 AM
in reply to: #2319258

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Gold member
Subject: RE: Gels which one
Thaitri - 2009-07-31 10:40 AM I'm off to the health food stop to pich up some gels for my race..  Why kind is good?  I guess that are all pretty much the same???

Your doing a sprint correct?  I only take one for a sprint race.  Before the swim or after on the bike, I use cranksports e-gels as they're sized at 150 cal.

Never had an issue with e-gels or Hammer gels.  GU for some have been bothering me.
2009-07-31 11:35 AM
in reply to: #2319258

Master
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Central Indiana
Subject: RE: Gels which one
I'm a fan of Powerbar gels.  Only gel I've found with enough electrolytes to let me drink mostly water & still supply my sodium needs during endurance events.  Variety of flavors (I like caramel & vanilla), & available with or without caffeine.

For ultra-events (over 6-8hrs) I prefer to get my protein from solid food (e.g. Cliff bars).  Hard to describe but I really don't like the "empty" feeling I get from long hours on pure liquid diet.

As was mentioned- try specific product DURING TRAINING before committing to use it in an event.  Gut does not function the same at rest vs heavy exertion.  Certain sugars are not well digested by some people (GI upset), and its common for some to get abd cramps from ingesting protein during heavy exertion. 
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