Hydration, Electrolytes and energy

[Jonno34]

Has anyone get any preferences on Hydration/electrolyte replacement (High Five, Hydro etc) and on distances over a half marathon I am considering some energy supplements, are the gels the way to go or are jelly babies just as good!

Thanks

[RunWillie Metric Marathon]

Hi Jonno34

I’m still pretty new to long distance running so I’ve only just started experimenting. Think with fuelling it’s so personal. I used to use Nunn Sport for electrolytes but have now switched to a local Aussie brand. I found Tailwind made me feel really sick so I prefer gels. I’ve used Maurten and Sis Gels. Maurten are a very different consistency so less messy but also quite expensive. Sis work really well for me although I struggle to open them sometimes. I like being able just to grab a gel and water if I’m running long. I’m all for ease. I tried jelly babies on my first 10k (slight overkill ) and nearly choked. Hope that helps 👍🏻

[Kalessin Half Marathon]

I prefer the High 5 electrolyte tablets, but the SIS gels. It's such a personal choice though, I think it's essential to try them out. I got a High5 sample pack, possibly from Wiggle? which was quite a good way to start off. The only food I can manage during a long run is Medjool dates, and they are a bit squishy to carry!

I'm currently recovering from Covid and I have also found the High5 electrolytes very helpful for dry mouth and general thirstiness. One good thing about High5 is that they have a slightly wider range of flavours.

[Cmoi Marathon]

I can only suggest you test things out as much as possible Jonno34 . I loathe jellybabies and I've only ever tried one sachet of gel, which I didn't much like.

Plain water was all I ever drank during runs, except for the trail marathon, when I thought I'd better try grown-up runners' drinks so I got a couple of bottles of Decathlon own brand, but I can't remember which!

Remember, though, I just mess around on trails and have no compunction about stopping and eating stuff like dried fruit, cake, sausage, etc. Proper marathon road runners will be able to offer you much better advice!

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

4 jelly babies = 21g of carbs

1 Science in Sport gel = 22g of carbs.

Most gels have around 22g of carbs, equivalent to about 4 jelly babies. The SiS ones are quite big because they contain a lot of liquid, so I think the four jelly babies may be slightly more portable! All the other gels I have tried have been smaller than SiS though. Gels vary in sweetness and can taste a little odd, you need to try a few different brands and see what you like. Jelly babies taste really sweet, as you probably know! Personally I find jelly babies easy to consume on the run, but other people don't - so again you need to test them yourself.

SiS are my current gels of choice, which is why I mentioned them above. I like them because they are so liquid that I figure I get an extra fluid hit from them! I have also tried High 5 (tasty but messy!), Clif (tasty, thick consistency), Torq Energy (some nice flavours, but too messy!), Gu (thick consistency, reeeeeally horrid aftertaste). Gels are the most convenient thing to eat on the run - if you can get them open and not spill them everywhere!!

Electrolytes: gels often contain these. As for my preference, I really like the taste of High 5 Zero Citrus!

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

Just a shout out for Tailwind (link below) - calories, hydration and electrolytes all in one. Comes in a powder form which you just mix with water. Pretty popular with runners.🏃‍♀️🏃🏽 Good luck with finding what works for you.🙂

tailwindnutrition.co.uk/

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

I find tailwind works for me, gels sit like a brick in my stomach and I can't eat before a run. I've also used jelly babies they are easy to chew while running.

[nowster Metric Marathon]

Essentially what you need for a longish run are:

- Fluids. (And maybe some flavour to make it a little more palatable.)

- Easy carbs. This means simple sugars, primarily glucose and sucrose. Maybe some starches for slower release.

- Salt. (To cover losses from sweating.)

How you provide these things is up to your personal preference.

Something to remember is that gels are concentrates and need to be accompanied by lots of fluids so that they don't sit in the stomach, potentially making you feel sick.

I don't need a lot of carbs during a HM run, but my needs vary a lot. On Sunday I only ended up eating two jelly babies, but on previous HM runs I've needed up to eight. I have a gut feeling that when I do take in carbs it benefits my brain more than my muscles.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

It's so lersonal, but fwiw I now use High 5 electolyte tabs (I find the pink grapefruit less nasty than most!). I have also moved to veloforte energy bars (ciocco and avanti being my faves). I prefer chews to gels - gu, clif bloks and veloforte amara all qork well for me (I like the caffeinated ones for an extra boost). On my one and only marathon I also took mini cheddars because all the sugar gets to me!!!Have fun experimenting 😊

[misswobble Marathon]

Gels are so flippin expensive! Yuk too 😝. It’s a textural thing 🤮

I don’t mind Tailwind but only on marathon day. I buy the mixed box as it’s the cheapest option - I think

I don’t mind Haribo’s as a mouth moisturiser but don’t eat too many. I only ever take six 🙂

Marathon day means homemade peanut power bars and two bags of Hula Hoops. I prioritise the eating over the running though ☺️

[Oneta]

Long runs for me, water, glucose jelly beans, enjoying dried apricots, but keen to try raisins, never tried gels yet.

[SkiMonday Ultramarathon]

The best advice seems to be: try different options to find what works for you. It's one reason for doing long training runs.

Personally, I won't take artificial sweeteners which eliminates a lot of what's on the market (why do so many companies put low energy sweeteners in energy drinks?)

I use ElectroLite from Active Root mixed in a 1 litre drinks bottle which I carry on a waist belt. Hydration vests are a popular alternative to this. I've tried their energy mix but that doesn't sit well on my stomach.

For energy, I use a ChiaCharge flapjack. I cut it up into squares and carry it in tin foil because that makes it much easier to access when running (don't want to be faffing around with plastic packaging and it's too easy to drop it that way). Before eating a square, I take a swig of my drink so that my mouth isn't too dry.

[mrrun Ultramarathon]

You’ll have to experiment, no other way. If I put solids in my stomach during a marathon I’d bring them up straight away, I can only tolerate electrolyte drinks. We are all different. Do your own research, spend a few quid on various things based on it and stick with it. I ended up drinking my own stuff. Good luck!