Summer time is nearly over, and temperatures are starting to drop. Have you learnt what which means? It’s marathon season, child! Can I get a HELLS YEAH!! Lots of you have got already kicked off your coaching block. That’s nice, but it surely’s additionally not too early to start out enthusiastic about and working towards your power gel sport plan.
At the moment, I’ll share Runivore’s picks for the very best power gels for marathons and some tried-and-true ideas for fueling your aim race.
At the start, do not forget that race-day fueling begins method WAY earlier than you toe the road and begins with what you eat every day to gas and get well from exercises. Here’s a full information to fueling, from way of life to restoration to race day.
In contrast with choosing power gels for ultramarathons, operating at PB (private greatest) marathon tempo requires you to maneuver at a better depth. Glycogen depletion will occur quicker, that means you could take power gels extra regularly.
The three essential standards for good marathon power gels are:
1. Ample sugar
When operating at marathon tempo, three mechanisms – muscle mass, cooling, and digestion – persistently battle to your blood (oxygen). If you happen to can decrease the quantity of gels and fluids the gastrointestinal system has to course of, that leaves extra sources to energy your legs and preserve physique temperature. A great power gel for marathons ought to weigh round 30g and delivers 100 energy and 20g of carbohydrates.
2. Simple to open
You may be going fairly quick. You may be drained. You’ll have to battle via powerful spots, particularly after the 30km mark. Be sure to’re not including pointless stress to the expertise with packaging that doesn’t correctly tear open.
3. Style
To gas a marathon PB try, you may have to eat upwards of six power gels or extra. That’s loads of concentrated sugar water. You should definitely maintain your style buds.
Listed here are our favorites for operating 42.195km in descending order.
Maurten Gel100 and Caf100 power gels
GOATS like Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge (sub-2 marathon), trailrunner Kilian Jornet (sub-20 UTMB), and triathlete Kristian Blummenfelt (sub-7 ironman) selected Maurten for his or her record-breaking performances, and for good causes. (It’s not simply due to sponsorships)
Maurten leverages hydrogel know-how to encapsulate carbohydrates, permitting the power gel to bypass the abdomen to the intestines, the place it may be absorbed quicker and with out inflicting gastrointestinal misery.
Maurten additionally made its power gels “extra tasteless” as a substitute of including extra flavoring to unravel the unsolvable gel taste challenge. In a roundabout method, the corporate did present answer. Our one nitpick is the value tag, positively on the very excessive finish.
It gives 100 energy and 25g of carbohydrates per sachet. Ripping open the packaging is straightforward breezy. It tastes “good” and sits nicely. It’s our prime choose. See full evaluate right here.
Hammer Peanut Butter
This maltodextrin-based power gel gives 100 energy and 20g of carbohydrates per pack. It additionally comprises branded chain amino acids (BCAA), which assist stop muscle tissue breakdown and fatigue throughout train.
Whereas BCAA’s advantages could be too refined so that you can discover mid-race, I do suppose there’s a psychological increase in realizing that your legs will fatigue rather less. Your thoughts is a strong factor. Something that provides you added confidence is a bonus.
Hammer makes use of pure dry roasted peanut butter, which contributes to the nice taste. I generally unfold the gel over toast for a carbohydrate-dense pre-workout snack. Concerning the feel, it’s a syrup, the identical as different Hammer power gels. No surprises. See full evaluate right here.
Honey Stinger Gold
At 30g, Honey Stinger Gold gives 90 energy and 24g of carbohydrates. It’s 95% natural honey, so it additionally gives an array of micro-nutrients, notably vitamin B complicated. This power gel has one of many quickest mouth-to-muscle instances we’ve ever examined. That feeling of a sugar increase got here on quick (lower than a minute) and was very noticeable.
The magic, maybe, lies in honey, which is 80% sugar (primarily glucose and fructose), 18% water, and a couple of% nutritional vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s a wealthy supply of a vitamin B complicated, which is answerable for changing meals into power and metabolizing carbohydrates, proteins, and fat.
The style and consistency of Honey Stinger Gold are clearly honey-like. The flavour is okay, but it surely’s simple to get candy fatigue from overeating honey (subjective opinion). See full evaluate right here.
Beet It Sport Nitrate 400
Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 is technically not an power gel, extra like a pre-race complement. Beets are jokingly known as “nature’s performance-enhancing drug” as a result of their excessive nitrate content material. As soon as absorbed into the human physique, nitrate is transformed to nitrite after which nitric oxide, which helps widen blood vessels and enhance mitochondria effectivity. The first profit is lowering oxygen demand throughout train.
The model markets the Nitrate 400 as a pre-race gas. Drink one or two pictures one to a few hours earlier than a run and as much as six days earlier than a contest. See full evaluate right here.
My fueling and power gel technique for operating a marathon PB
- 2022 aim: underneath 2:55
- Private greatest: 2:58:31 (Dec 2021)
- Ideally suited racing weight: 64-66kg (Normal guideline: 1g of carbohydrates per kg of physique weight per hour. For instance, a 60kg athlete ought to soak up 60g of carbohydrates every hour, about 2-3 power gels. Extra doesn’t all the time imply higher, and unfold out your consumption.)
- My intestine: After many trials and errors, I do know that I can abdomen two power gels per hour. Any greater than that, I’d get noxious. I do know my physique. It’s best to know yours.
Race-day rundown:
- A lightweight breakfast of oatmeal, banana, espresso, and a shot of Beet It Sport Nitrate 400 two hours earlier than begin time. Let your abdomen fully digest this carbohydrate-dense meal.
- I’ll take the primary power gel (Honey Stinger Gold) combined with water in a 300 ml flask, which can slot in my operating belt. I plan to slowly sip this for the primary half hour of the race. This also needs to let me bypass the primary two water stations, that are normally mad homes as a result of contributors have but to string out.
- Be sure to drink water. Each 20g of carbohydrates must be chased with 250-300 ml of water. This helps your physique course of the power gel. A well-organized marathon ought to have a water station each 2.5km. I’ll eat a gel earlier than a water station after which seize 1-2 cups of water.
- I’ll take the second power gel (Hammer Peanut Butter) on the 45-50-minute mark.
- After which I’ll go along with Maurten the remainder of the way in which and take one each 25-Half-hour.
- After I attain 28km (normally when issues get attention-grabbing), I’ll take a Maurten Caf100 to get an additional caffeine kick.
- If all goes in accordance with plan, I’ll want 6-7 power gels.
- I want to have 2-3 totally different manufacturers to provide my palate a change of tempo. Bear in mind to check drive all the pieces beforehand.
- All the time hearken to your physique and improvise accordingly. If you happen to really feel “vacancy” creeping on earlier than a scheduled gel consumption, take it early. In case your abdomen isn’t responding nicely to power gels that day, decelerate and regroup. Attempt to gas the remainder of the run with sports activities drinks or fruits supplied by the water stations.
