Group Test - Energy Gels

For long and steady days on the hills, you can’t beat regularly snacking on real food. The satisfaction of a hard earned summit sandwich, the turbo-charger effect of a Mars Bar or, my personal favourite, the slow burn energy and stodgy joy of a miniature pork pie. However if you’re moving fast or can’t stomach real food on the go, having a few energy gels to hand can be an easy, effective and convenient way to keep your sugar levels topped up.

Making a palatable but effective gel is a big ask but fortunately manufacturers have made considerable progress since their early efforts. There are still some gag worthy products on the market but also a good number that are almost a pleasure to ingest. A gel should provide a mixture of slow and fast release carbohydrates and not just be packed with simple sugar. Some gels even contain protein or amino acids as these have been shown to be effective during extreme endurance activities. Many offer caffeine to give you a bit of a boost but you should save using these until within the final hour of your event as you might experience a bit of a crash as the effects wear off. It’s also important when using gels, especially for long sessions or races, to take them regularly (every 30 minutes) right from the start of exercising and not to wait until you feel you’re bonking. Most gels require a decent gulp (250ml) of water to wash them down and to aid fast absorption but there are some that have a higher water content and don’t.

We’ve tasted ten of the market leaders to help you decide which to stow in your pack. Use the arrows or thumbnails below to navigate through. Just remember to carry those wrappers off with you!