Rant On Energy Gels

All energy gels taste like crap!! Well, that's my opinion anyway, and I'm sticking to it. I hate them with a passion.

The first time I opened and swallowed an energy gel I thought "this can't be right - I can't even swallow it properly". Never mind the taste, that unfortunately kept repeating on me for at least an hour. I thought to myself, "maybe it's just this brand - I'll try another one".

Unfortunately, the next gel (different brand) was even worse, leaving such a foul taste in my mouth, that every second gulp of water I took from my CamelBak, I spat out.

I read recently about some guy who was trying to make his own gels out of rice syrup, fruit juice and salt, but the amount of salt that he was suggesting made me think twice about trying the recipe. I'm certain the quantity of salt he was suggesting was either wrong, or if it wasn't, then you would be doing your body a serious dis-service.

I'm certain that there are better ways for the "average" rider to fuel their escapades. Personally, I've found that breakfast drinks and baby food are great. Yes, I know, I said baby food!! But hear me out - there are now "squeezy packs" of blended fruit on the supermarket shelves, some with ~ 1000kj per serve. They claim to be 100% fruit, and they taste INFINITELY better than an energy gel.

The breakfast drinks are pretty good too, some claiming to be equivalent to a decent bowl of cereal. Plus, if they are chilled, the taste like a shop-bought milkshake, which is really nice out on the track.

The best thing about both these options is they are liquid, and you body will digest them easily. This means you don't have to eat the equivalent of half a loaf of bread to get the energy to keep riding. By the way, I've tried eating lots of solid food before riding, but if you are pushing yourself, the urge to spew can be a bit off-putting. Liquids don't make you feel so crook.

Of course, transportation of breakfast drinks and baby food while you are riding is always going to be a problem, and I have found that these "fuels" work best when you are carrying a backpack (the CamelBak is great because of the multi-purpose role it serves). These are also great if you are doing a multi-loop ride where you have the opportunity to stop and grab one from the esky when you feel like it (eg, shuttles or multi-lap endurance racing).

Don't get me wrong, energy gels have their purpose, and I appreciate the racing fraternity love them for being so light, convenient and energy-laden. I still carry at least one energy gel with me on long rides, just in case (like I carry a snake bite bandage, just in case). But my preference is to leave the energy gel slowly go out-of-date in my backpack, and consume something a little more natural and palatable.