Consuming Gels while training
Hello there! It’s great to be back and sharing with you some insights about consuming gels during training. In this blog, I’ll be sharing my personal experience with Precision Fuel & Hydration (PF&H) gels and how I found the best way to take them during races or long training sessions.
Taking a complete 30g gel before a race
Let’s start with the recommended dosage of PF&H gels. They suggest taking a complete 30g gel a few minutes before a race or exertive event. However, I discovered that taking small amounts of gel at a time works better for me.
Allow me to give you an example of what happened to me during a 10km running race after taking a 30g gel five minutes before the race. My energy levels were very high at the beginning, and I was able to maintain an incredibly fast pace. I even achieved my PR for the 10km race. However, after reaching km 5, I started to feel a sudden drop in energy levels. I was hydrating with the 1000 PH electrolyte drink from PF&H, but it seemed that nothing was going to improve my energy levels. After checking my glucose levels, I found out that right before km 5, my glucose levels started to drop, almost reaching the Non-Performance Glucose Zone at the end of the race.
I repeated the same situation several times and found out that I cannot take an entire 30g gel at once or I will always experience a drop in my glucose levels after approximately 20 minutes. To resolve this issue, I started taking small amounts of gel every 10 minutes, which helped me maintain my glucose levels and energy throughout the race.
I understand that taking small amounts of gel from a complete 30g gel can be inconvenient, especially if it explodes in your pocket. But, I have good news! PF&H offers a 90g gel presentation with a reusable cap that ensures no gel will leak out. I tried it, and the results were amazing! Check out the results of my 7km swim where I took small amounts of gel every 30 minutes, obtaining my highest glucose score ever (94 over 100):
Lastly, I want to share my love for caffeine gels. They provide me with an extra boost of energy during training. But be careful with the amount of caffeine you’re taking. One time, I forgot that I drank an espresso before a training, then I took the 30g caffeine gel, and I felt kind of dizzy during the training.
I hope that sharing my experience will help some of you that may be experiencing the same while consuming gels.
Until next time, happy training!
Maria
