Power in your pouch

Power in your pouch: How innovation in energy gels fuels endurance performance

 

Energy gels have revolutionised the performance nutrition game when it comes to fuelling endurance efforts out on the bike, trails or on the road. 

Energy gels first appeared in pouches and pockets in the 1980s as endurance sports were becoming more mainstream and athletes looked for a concentrated carbohydrate source that was easier to carry, consume and digest than whole foods.

Compact convenient

Modern energy gels have come a long since then, providing athletes with a convenient and fast-absorbing source of carbohydrates to maintain energy levels during prolonged exercise. 

These compact, portable sachets of concentrated carbohydrate solutions help prevent glycogen depletion, which can lead to fatigue and negatively impact performance.

Today, an explosion of brands develop a range of gels boasting different formulations.

Energy gels either contain a mix of carbohydrates or are exclusively glucose-based. 

These options also come in an ever-expanding range of interesting flavours and textures to suit different preferences. 

More advanced formulations can also include a mix of electrolytes, caffeine, and amino acids for enhanced performance and recovery.

Squeezing out gains

Endurance athletes should aim to ingest around 60-90g or more of carbs per hour, based on factors such as effort, digestibility, palatability and tolerance. 

Athletes who aren’t racing flat out typically tolerate 60-70g well while those working near their aerobic threshold should aim for 90g or more per hour. 

Some elite athletes now manage to get up to 120g/hour thanks to innovations in supplement technology that provides 40-55g per serving from gels and drinks. 

Dis-Chem stocks a range of gels from the best brands in endurance sport, including:

Biogen Real Fruit Energy Gel

https://www.dischem.co.za/biogen-real-fruit-energy-gel-36g-027 

Myprotein Pro X Energy Gel

https://www.dischem.co.za/myprotein-pro-x-energy-gel-70g-raspberry-lemonade-458 

USN Iso Gel

https://www.dischem.co.za/usn-cramp-block-iso-gel-60ml-515 

Biogen Liquid Energy Gel

https://www.dischem.co.za/biogen-gel-60ml-721 

The magic 1:0.8

The latest innovation helping athletes push the boundaries with the amount of carbs they can tolerate during sustained race efforts is the 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio. 

This ratio is gaining popularity because it enables a higher carbohydrate intake with less risk of gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort, which is beneficial because the ability to tolerate carb intakes of 90g per hour or more improves endurance performance.

Studies¹ also suggest that a 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio can support higher carbohydrate oxidation rates, which means athletes can convert more of what they consume into usable energy. 

The ratio works because glucose and fructose use separate transport mechanisms in the gut.

·       Glucose is transported via the sodium-glucose-linked transporter 1 (SGLT1) pathway.

·       Fructose is absorbed through the GLUT5 transmembrane protein transporter.

This means that, while the human body can absorb and oxidise glucose at a rate of approximately 60g/hour² when glucose is combined with fructose, total carbohydrate absorption can increase to 90-120 g/hour.

Athletes can tolerate intakes of up to 90g/hour from products with a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio. However, fructose is very sweet, which makes larger doses less tolerable from a taste and stickiness perspective³. 

It is only since ‘super gels’ were developed with the 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio that more athletes have been able to tolerate up to 120g of carbs per hour.

A 2011 study¹ confirmed that ingesting 110g of carbohydrates per hour in the form of glucose and fructose in a 1:0.8 ratio led to a higher use in the muscle than the same intake in a 2:1 ratio. Moreover, the 1:0.8 ratio group performed better than the 2:1 group.

Super gels coming to Dis-Chem include:

·       Biogen Elite Gels

·       226ers High Energy Gels

·       226ers High Fructose Gels

Train your gut

While these products boost absorption, your ability to tolerate higher carb intakes during races is highly individualised. 

However, athletes can train their guts to handle more and develop a greater tolerance to high energy intakes at higher intensities. 

Additional tips to train your gut for performance fuelling include

• Start early in training: Begin practicing your race-day nutrition strategy weeks or months in advance to allow gradual gut adaptation.

• Mimic race conditions: Train at race pace and intensity while consuming your planned nutrition to simulate race-day stress on the digestive system.

• Increase carb intake gradually: Start with smaller amounts (e.g. 30g/hour) and slowly increase to target levels (60–90g/hour or more, depending on tolerance and race length).

• Try multiple carb sources: Use blends of glucose and fructose (found in many gels and sports drinks) to increase total absorption rates without overloading one transporter pathway.

• Stick to a schedule: Consume carbs at regular intervals (e.g. every 15–30 minutes) rather than waiting for hunger or fatigue to set in.

• Hydrate: Ensure sufficient fluid intake alongside gels or concentrated carbs to aid digestion and prevent GI distress.

• Test different products: Experiment with various gels, drinks, and formats to find what works best with your stomach under stress.

• Perform gut-training sessions: Intentionally do “gut training” sessions where you take in a high volume of carbs to teach the gut to adapt.

References:

1.       O’Brien WJ, Rowlands DS. Fructose-maltodextrin ratio in a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution differentially affects exogenous carbohydrate oxidation rate, gut comfort, and performance. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 300(1): 181-9, 2011.