If you are a marathon runner, cyclist, triathlete, hiker or other
endurance athlete, you're probably familiar with
energy gels. Energy gels provide quick-acting, easily digestible carbohydrates, making them one of the most popular fueling options during races and long workouts.
There are a variety of energy gels and energy chews on the market, so if you're new to the world of endurance sports or are looking to change up your fueling strategy, choosing the best energy gels can feel like an overwhelming task.
As a marathon runner and certified running coach myself, I have tested tons of energy gels, energy chews and sports beans over the years. Below, we've rounded up some of the best energy gels based on our experience as well as the quality of ingredients, taste, convenience and user reviews from other real-life customers.
5 Best Energy Gels for Running
Some things remain classics for a reason. After all, vanilla ice cream is still the most popular flavor despite the dozens of options filling the freezer section at any grocery store.
The Honey Stinger Energy Gel Gold is the original formulation from the brand and a long-standing favorite of endurance athletes. What's great about this energy gel is that it is basically pure honey, nature's natural sugar with electrolytes and B vitamins added to aid hydration and performance. Honey provides almost an equal mix of glucose and fructose, which can increase absorption without causing digestive distress.
It is very sweet but the flavor is distinctly recognizable as honey rather than some artificial sugary taste you can't place. This energy gel is also gluten-free, dairy-free and non-GMO.
I love the smooth texture and one thing that I like best about the Honey Stinger Gold gels is that you can basically treat the product like actual honey. During cold weather workouts, you can mix it into warm
tea in an insulated water bottle and get your carbs and hydration while warming your body from the inside out.
2. Best Energy Gel for Competitive Athletes: BPN Go Gel
If you are a competitive athlete and particularly concerned about what you are putting in your body, you will love the BPN Go Gels. These energy gels are not only free from artificial ingredients, preservatives and artificial flavoring, but they are also third-party tested by Informed Sport for Banned Substances.
Like most energy gels, Go Gel provides 100 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrates per gel. However, it is unique in that it is a whole-food energy gel made from fruit purees and blends.
When you are looking for an extra boost of energy, a caffeinated energy gel can be a great solution.
Studies have found that caffeine can increase endurance by reducing perceived exertion, decreasing feelings of fatigue, increasing focus and increasing time to exhaustion.
My pick for the best caffeinated energy gel for runners and endurance athletes is the Honey Stinger Caffeinated Energy Gels.
Each energy gel provides 100 calories and 24 grams of carbohydrates from natural honey and tapioca syrup. For an added boost of energy, you’ll also get 32 mg of caffeine, which is sourced from green tea extract.
What I like about these energy gels is that they are gluten-free, dairy-free and non-GMO. They tend to settle well in the stomach because the list of ingredients is limited, with the primary sources of carbohydrates coming from honey and tapioca.
The texture is smooth and the convenient packets are easy to store in the little pocket of your running shorts or cycling bib. The concentrated formula can be consumed as-is, with water or you can mix it into a sports bottle with water and sip as you exercise.
Another great option for energy chews is the PROBAR Bolt Organic Energy Chews. These gluten-free energy chews provide 90 calories per serving with five chews per serving. There are two servings per convenient little pack, which is good for longer runs and rides.
A unique perk of the PROBAR Bolt Organic Energy Chews is that they offer 100% of the DV of three key B vitamins: niacin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. These vitamins play a key role in
supporting energy production as well as muscle and nerve function. There is also 50% of the DV of vitamin C per serving.
Like most energy gels, you can choose from a variety of flavors such as Orange, Berry Blast, Strawberry and Raspberry. The Berry Blast is my personal favorite; it has a nice blueberry taste that feels more authentic than most fruit-flavored sports performance supplements.
There are also some electrolytes and the formulation is gluten-free, non-GMO Project Verified and certified USDA Organic.
Like most competitive athletes, I prefer to put clean foods into my body, and I feel good about choosing these organic energy chews over many of the energy gels, sports beans and sports drinks that are loaded with artificial colors and flavors.
When I first started distance running many years ago, energy gels were the primary running fuel for marathon runners and endurance athletes. While energy gels are still popular and certainly a viable form for quick carbs during exercise, energy chews are a newer endurance fueling product that is often better tolerated by runners, cyclists, triathletes, hikers and other endurance athletes.
The consistency of energy chews is more palatable, and energy chews are not as sticky. Plus, it is easier to dole out your carb intake with energy chews without making a mess. You can have one or two energy chews and then fold over the packet until later in your workout without worrying that you're going to end up with a mess.
My favorite energy chews for marathon runners and endurance athletes are the Clif Bar BLOKS energy chews. These energy chews come in a variety of flavors such as Mountain Berry, Orange and Black Cherry. The texture is pleasant; it is sort of like a cross between Starburst candies and fruit snacks.
Each packet provides two servings, with each three-chew serving providing 100 calories and 24 grams of carbs. This means that each energy chew has about 33 calories, which gives you total control over your energy intake during your race or workout.
One thing I love about the Clif Bar BLOKS is that they are made from 95% USDA-certified organic ingredients; even the colors are derived from plant sources such as carrot and blueberry juice. They are also less cloyingly sweet because maltodextrin is used along with the sweeter cane syrup and tapioca syrup.
Overall, remember that all energy gels and energy chews should be consumed with water or other fluids to aid digestion and absorption. Consider experimenting with different energy gel products to find what works best for you.
