Taste, gesture, content, brand, amount, such a few things which divide people when speaking of energy gels. New runners hearing about them and how they should use them during marathon. I often heard asked; which I should use and how many, should I take?
There are two simple rules:
- Try – Try which brand and flavor you like. Don’t blindly listen what others say, something might work with them, but not for you. Don’t go to run your first marathon expecting that organizer will offer gels during the route. Start testing different types of gels early beforehand, take some gels with you when heading out for long runs. By doing this, you might avoid unpleasant stomach issues and sickness during the race.
- Study – Read and research. There are a lot variety details how often you should take gels. There is not one golden rule. Again something might work for others and something not. Also your speed and training background affect the intake, if you are slower runner you might need more than faster runners. But that still doesn’t mean you have to consume one gels every water station or every 30 minutes. Take account all other intakes such as sport drinks, jelly beans, bananas, etc. Study yourself, learn the listen your body how much you need.
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