Gels, Electrolytes and Race Supplements

By Pat Fitzpatrick

Not that this is worth much, and I don’t attest to be Bill Nye . . . but . . . here is my theory on energy gels, electrolytes and race supplements.

I think gels are useful for some purposes, but there is more to the story. Our events last from one to two hours. It has been my experience that most gels have complex carbs, simple carbs, some electrolytes (maybe) and some caffeine (maybe). The complex carbs take a while to get into the system to become useable by the body. It is my opinion that you can get most of the benefits that the complex carbs provide through pre-race meals or by ingesting the gels before a race. In fact, I would guess that half of a pre race whole wheat bagel is better than a pre race gel.

But, the refined carbs (simple sugars) that are found in gels are generally utilized faster, and thus can give you a quicker hit of energy. So, from this perspective, the gels may be good as a mid race boost.

Caffeine, in my opinion, is very key, as it helps the body utilize some fatty acids as an energy source that you body probably would not utilize without the caffeine. Some gels have caffeine, and some do not.

So, I would suggest that if you use gels, you use them either for the caffeine, just for before or if you can, during the race for a quick shot of energy. I usually use one at the starting line (once I actually choked down four of them at the line because I did not eat properly before the race and needed the calories). I usually don’t use them during a race because I gag on them (breathing too hard, gooey, you get the picture).

Taste? Like my boy has said, none of them taste good, but some of them you can eat.

I think that the key during a race is electrolyte replacement. Electrolytes will keep the muscles working efficiently, and ward off cramping, and to some degree, lactic buildup in the muscles. And the bonus is that most electrolyte supplements are water based, and hydrate you as you ingest them. This helps in mtb races . . . when you are burning through electrolytes, you have to replace them, or your muscles (and your motivation for that matter) will give up on you.

So, for electrolytes, I would suggest that you get a fluid/electrolyte replacement mix. I used to use watered down Gatorade. That worked pretty well, though I always had a stomach ache when I finished. I then tried Exceed, and it seemed to work okay, but was terribly expensive. Last year, I started using the Hammer product called Heed. While it does not taste quite as good as Gatorade, it is still pretty good, and has an excellent amount of electrolytes. I also have also had no stomach problems.

Finally, I would suggest that you try “Sport Legs”. This is a tablet that purports to limit the build up of lactic acid in the muscles. I used it a few times last year, and can honestly say that I noticed that my legs felt better (less burn) and quicker recovery and on some occasions much better, during the races.