The season of endurance races on roads (10km, 20km, half-marathon and marathon) or in the mountains is starting again. Nutrition during the race is really crucial during physical effort, especially if it lasts a long time. As it is very complicated to chew while running, the consumption of energy bars is limited to before the race, 30 minutes before the start and after the race in case of hunger or for recovery with a protein bar. During the race, the flagship product remains the liquid energy gel, easier to absorb. Here are some tips for choosing and consuming your energy gel for sport, running and during a marathon in particular.
What is an energy gel?
An energy gel is a blend of carbohydrates, sodium and vitamins designed to replenish glycogen stores and provide a quick source of energy during exercise. Some brands call it a "boost" or "whip-shot". It usually contains a blend of carbohydrates with more or less rapid energy releases and electrolytes to help maintain energy, water and electrolyte balance in the body as you go.
This is the sports nutrition product that allows you to lose the least possible time during a race. It generally comes in the form of a tube or flexible sachet of a few dozen grams that you just have to open to take your necessary dose of energy. We use the term gel because depending on the brand, its texture is more or less thick.
How to choose an energy gel?
It is important to read labels carefully to understand the carbohydrate and electrolyte content. It is recommended to choose gels with an average carbohydrate content of between 20 and 30 grams and Sodium of 50mg per serving. This is enough to provide a quick source of energy during exercise and to replenish the mineral salts lost through sweat. Look at the list of ingredients and avoid those that are not natural, that contain preservatives or artificial flavors. Your stomach, put to the test during the race, will thank you. Gastric problems are the bane of runners in full effort. If you are concerned about intestinal problems during exercise, try Gut training.
The type of sugars is essential:
Not all sugars are equal. So you have to be very careful about the quality of these carbohydrates. Let’s review a few of them:
- The worst by far is sucrose (50% glucose, 50% fructose) from sugar cane or beet. It loses all its useful calories during refining. It also overloads the pancreatic system to create insulin.
- Glucose is the body's main fuel. It is naturally present. It can have serious consequences on health if consumed in excess, in particular increasing the risk of diabetes. With a Glycemic Index of 100, it is the sugar that has the fastest release of energy but which will not last over time.
- Fructose is a good sugar, with a low GI, if consumed through fruits and vegetables in its natural state. On the other hand, synthetic fructose made from corn is a disaster. Our cells do not have fructose receptors. They therefore do not know how to store it or use it as a nutrient. It will then pass through the liver to be neutralized. In the liver, it will then activate an enzymatic process that will produce fat.
Also be careful with health claims in sport. The law prohibits sports nutrition and dietetic brands from communicating (but many do it anyway) on the benefits of an active ingredient whose Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) are less than 15%! Some speak for 100g of product and not for 1 gel because with 100g, they are pretty sure to be in the plate (an average gel is between 25g and 40g).
The composition of Mulebar energy gel
For our Mulebar energy gel recipe, we only use quality ingredients that are 100% natural.
- For carbohydrates, it is a mixture of 27g of brown rice syrup with very rapid energy release and agave syrup with a more gradual release. We are talking about the glycemic index (GI). The higher it is, the faster the energy release will be.
- The flavors come from fruit juice concentrate (cherry, lemon or apple), coffee or salted caramel.
- The mineral salts are provided by 200mg of pink Himalayan salt (sodium). This mining salt is in fact the richest in the world in trace elements, much more than sea salt.
The list of ingredients is very short because it is more than enough as an energy intake despite the absence of added vitamins, magnesium or BCAA which are taken more as a treatment and not at a specific time. The very positive opinions of our sports customers have been unanimous since 2008. Most consider them to be the best energy gels for running on the market.
It is also important to consider your personal preferences in terms of flavor and texture. Mulebar energy gels are available in 5 flavors: cherry, apple, salted caramel, lemon ginger and coffee and their texture is very fluid to facilitate absorption without having to drink too much afterwards. Drinking too much while running can be annoying due to bloating, it is better to drink often and in small quantities such as a sip every 1/4 hour.
The practicality of the energy gel packaging also counts
The practicality of the packaging is also very important. Mulebar is the only brand that offers tubes of energy gels that are truly resealable, easily, with a real flip cap like on your toothpaste. Sports nutrition brands that advertise that the small end to break off can be put in backwards to close the tube are misleading you. It is very impractical and impossible to do while running because the part and the hole are so small.
What is the point of having a resealable cap ?
Consume your tube of gel in several times without the product running into your pocket or running belt. This avoids the "yoyo" effect which consists of absorbing a lot of sugar at once and its side effect of reactive hypoglyceamia or "cotton legs". It is better to take 1/3 of a tube every ¼ hour to maintain a stable blood sugar level. The human body hates excess because it must work and expend energy to assimilate it.
When the tube or sachet is finished, there is always a little gel left in it. If the packaging is not resealable, the tube will leak in your pocket or belt and it is very sticky because of the sugar. This is the reason why we find so many empty tubes thrown everywhere on the side of the road. Mulebar resealable gels do not leak, you can take them home to reuse them and avoid these distressing scenes seen on the last Paris marathon as on all the other races.
Each tube of Mulebar energy gel has been reusable since 2016 and it's a world first! Once empty, simply rinse them with hot water and refill them using our energy gel eco-refill bottles. At 20 euros including tax each, you save more than 11 euros. They are in fact 36% cheaper than 12 tubes purchased individually at a price of 2.6€ including tax each. This also uses less plastic, so it's more environmentally friendly.
Finally, Mulebar gels are the only ones that are packaged in rigid tubes with rounded edges. Why rounded? Simply because sharp corners tend to pull the mesh of technical textiles or running belts and when you see the price of these sports items, you avoid damaging them so stupidly.
Very different prices
The price of energy gels varies enormously from one brand to another. According to the scale of dietician nutritionist Nicolas Aubineau, the cheapest is the hydraminov gel + from Effinov with 42€/kg to the antioxidant or endurance gels from Meltonic at 145€/Kg. With a price of 70€/Kg, the Mulebar gel tubes are in the lower average of the market. Nicolas Aubineau unfortunately does not take into account in his analysis our Mulebar eco-refills, on the podium of the cheapest gels on the market with 45€/Kg.
How many energy gels for a marathon?
To maintain maximum energy, the recommended carbohydrate intake during the race varies from 30g to 60g per hour depending on your body type and the intensity of your stride.
On a half marathon or marathon, it is recommended to consume an energy gel on average every 45 minutes to 1 hour during the race. Depending on the intensity of the effort and your own energy needs, the frequency can be every 30 minutes. It is also important to drink water or an isotonic drink after consuming an energy gel to facilitate the absorption of nutrients and remove sugar from the mouth. It can quickly become sickening.
Some brands like Overstims offer their marathon pack containing several products: energy cake, pre-drink, pre-drink and post-drink and up to 8 tubes of energy gels. It's way too much... But it pays off!
Do not take gel on a race without having tried it first in training. You must evaluate during these tests, the quantity that suits you best and at what intervals. To test and form your own opinion on our Mulebar gels, we have created the discovery pack of gels with 2 tubes of 37g of each flavor.
There are several types of energy gels.
Antioxidant gels
The athlete's body undergoes many stresses during sustained training or racing: repeated muscle contractions, inflammation of tendons, tissues and joints, production of CO2 and lactic acid... This results in poor recovery, greater fatigue and even a risk of injury. Antioxidants are the solution.
Muscular effort leads to the production of free radicals by degradation of oxygen. These radicals attack and destroy our cells, we speak of " oxidative stress ". This is why the body organizes its defense by producing antioxidants. The intake of antioxidants is necessary when the effort is intense because the consumption of oxygen increases. This is the case for endurance sports in general and the marathon in particular.
Antioxidants are found in fresh fruits and vegetables through vitamins C, E, A, omega 3, zinc, potassium, magnesium, BCAAs and many others. Hence the famous “5 fruits and vegetables per day” program of the PNNS.
Our Mulebar vegan energy gels with cherry and apple contain antioxidants because these two fruits are full of them. They are rather recommended for the start of the race.
Caffeine gels
Caffeine is a natural stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It has a stimulating effect on the brain, which can improve alertness, concentration, and the ability to react quickly. Caffeine can also increase the production of adrenaline, a hormone that increases heart rate and blood pressure.
Additionally, caffeine may help improve physical performance by reducing the perception of pain and increasing the body's ability to mobilize fat for energy. It may also help reduce mental and physical fatigue, and improve the ability to resist it.
Caffeinated energy gels can be particularly helpful for marathon runners who need an extra boost in the middle/end of the race when fatigue starts to set in, the so-called “marathon wall.” Caffeine can also help reduce the perception of pain during exercise, which can help runners maintain a steady pace.
Our energy gel Mulebar lemon ginger contains 50mg of natural caffeine from Guarana. It is the equivalent of a strong espresso. No risk of acidity with lemon. Blind, you would almost think it was honey. It is the ideal gel for the middle of the race when the effort becomes intense.
For coffee lovers or those who really need a "good pick-me-up" on the last few kilometers, our coffee energy gel is the ultimate weapon. With 100mg of caffeine, it is the highest-dosed gel on the market, equivalent to two strong espressos. Also ideal for night races where sleeping is not an option.
Not everyone reacts the same way to caffeine, so it's recommended that you experiment before your race to determine the dose of caffeine that best suits your needs during exercise and your preferences.
Finally, caffeine can have unwanted side effects if consumed incorrectly or in excess, including sleep disturbances, anxiety, irritability, tremors, palpitations and increased diuresis. People who regularly consume large amounts of caffeine can also develop addiction. It is not suitable for people with heart problems, pregnant women and children.
Hydrogels
They are simply more liquid gels, therefore diluted. Generally the price per kg/carbohydrates provided ratio is disastrous!
The trick if you prefer more fluid gels is to use a small, resealable, reusable silicone vial . Pour the equivalent of one or two tubes of gel into it and top up with water. The consistency will be close to a very lightly diluted syrup at a low price.
Also note that our Mulebar gels are dilutable at a rate of one 37g tube for one 500ml bottle of water. You can therefore consume them pure, slightly diluted or in the form of a sports drink.
There you have it, you know everything about how to choose a gel for sports and its use during a race. If this format or texture does not suit you, at Mulebar we have created a range of vegan energy compotes, two of which are also organic. They are slightly more nourishing than a gel, but so much fruitier. A discovery pack of 7 compotes exists to help you make your choice. A real comfort during sports. Do not hesitate to give us your opinion, especially on the one with red fruits and beetroot and very soon with chestnut.
Homemade energy power gel recipe idea:
With this homemade sports gel recipe, you save money and single-use plastic packaging. It is very easy to prepare for 8 quality 25g gels.
- 60g of acacia honey (GI 55) or coconut syrup (GI 50) for carbohydrate intake
- 60g agave syrup (GI also for the intake of slow energy release carbohydrates)
- 70ml of freshly squeezed fruit juice (orange, lemon, apple, etc.) according to your taste for fluidity
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (sunflower, rapeseed, etc.) for lipid intake
- 1/2 teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or fleur de sel for sodium and mineral salts
- 5g spirulina flakes for BCAAs and protein
- A few pinches of spices (ginger, curry, turmeric, etc.) for antioxidants
To be packaged in a silicone bottle or soft flask and kept cool before the race.
Mulebar Sports Nutrition Product Information:
Price: €2.60 incl. VAT for a 37g energy gel
Available in packs of 5 or boxes of 24 with a 10% discount
Subscribe to the Mulebar newsletter to receive a promo code
Delivery within 4 to 5 working days and free delivery costs from 100€ of purchase in Europe.
No preservatives, no colouring, no palm oil and vegan (except the caramel gel). Our energy gels are not organic. They do not contain gluten except the coffee gel.
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