What does it look like?
- A sachet of a typical sports gel provides:
- 20-30 g carbohydrate
- ~350-500 kJ (80-120 kcal)
- While sodium content is typically low (< 100 mg per gel), some brands contain higher amounts (up to 300 mg).
- Some gels contain caffeine (25-100 mg) and as such, may be strategically used to simultaneously achieve specified carbohydrate & caffeine intake goals (see Caffeine fact sheet for details).
- Some gets contain menthol (0.01-0.7%) and as such, may be strategically used to simultaneously achieve specified carbohydrate & menthol intake goals (see Menthol fact sheet for details).
- The type and quantity of carbohydrates provided in gels varies according to the brand.
- Some gels contain “multiple transportable carbohydrates” — a blend of carbohydrates such as glucose and fructose which are absorbed from the intestine via different transporter molecules (see below).
- Gels are substantially more concentrated in carbohydrate than sports drinks to provide a large fuel boost in a single serve. The majority should be consumed with water or other dilute fluids, which can separately address hydration needs for the activity and reduce the net carbohydrate concentration to reduce risk of gut upsets. A small number of specifically labelled “isotonic” gels are formulated to be consumed without water.
- Despite recommendations in early sports nutrition guidelines against consuming concentrated forms of carbohydrate during exercise, recent studies have shown that sports gels consumed with water during moderate intensity exercise provide a similar pattern of carbohydrate delivery and oxidation by the muscle as sports drinks and are well tolerated by most athletes.3,4
- Although each gel provides ~ 20–30 g of carbohydrate, decanting into custom made flasks allows the gel to be consumed in more variable volumes. In some sports, a gel can also be added to a drink bottle of water during the event to create a more dilute “sports drink”.
- The consistency of sports gels is likely to increase the amount of time and mouth contact associated with the intake of carbohydrate compared with sports drinks. This may increase the ability of gels to provide a performance benefit via the stimulatory effect of carbohydrate sensing mouth receptors on the brain and central nervous system.