Glucose Tablets

I have seen some lucozade glucose tablets in Tescos. How do you take/use these. I have looked at gels but only want to carry one thing, my water bottle

I am just starting to get some long(ish) runs in and am looking for that extra boost.

Cheers

Comments

  • Unwrap tablet.
    Open Mouth.
    Put tablet in mouth.
    Let it dissolve or munch it.


    If you have a water bottle - why not use orange lucozade sport ? Thats what you will get at the FLM - so you want to be sure that you can cope with it - so kill two birds with one stone ?

    Gels are easy to carry - use a gel belt.
  • Thanks for that nice sarcastic answer. I hope all the people on here are as helpful as you.
  • I don't think that answer was sarcastic, Adam. I think it was helpful (if a little obvious, but hey, you asked).
  • Oh - I thought so too!  Good advice re lucozade sport.  Didn't think Cougie was being unhelpful!
  • Yup, I've just started stopping at my conveniently placed local Texaco for a bottle of lucozade on my longer runs. Not quite like running through a water station but it'll have to do for training!
  • Apologies if it wasn't sarcastic. i'm very new to this running thing and really want to get this right.
  • I do that too sometimes - I run up to a shop and if it's busy go to the next one that is quiet.  Then quickly run in, grab lucozade, pay for it and put any loose change in charity box to save me carrying it and do my bit for charity!  And then carry on with the run!
  • Hi Adam Lloyd 3.

    Good question you asked. Shows you take your running serious. I have used "Lucozade Glucose Tablets"  and found them quite good actually. My advice is though be careful not to inhale through your mouth whilst chewing & running. These tablets are very very powdery when chewed. I have nearly chocked myself several timesimage. Always wash them down with a small amount of water too.

  • I was only being a weee bit cheeky.

    I would go with gels rather than the tablets. Gels are dead easy to carry on a gel belt round your waist and you dont notice them. Typically I'll take one every 5 miles (possibly overkill, but its easy to remember the interval).

    If you have tablets and you fumble them and drop them - you'll have lost them underfoot. With a gel - you'd only lose that one gel, and its easy to carry a couple more.
  • Darrell's right - you'll get your lungs and nasal passages coated in sickly-sweet powder. Not worth the bother, not designed for the activity.
  • I have tried both and I personaqlly found that the dextrose / glucose tablets fine with no problems.

    I would keep them  loose in a pocket thats not going to get wet ar damp, you can just pick them out and pop them in easy peasey . They are a bit chalky but in a wierd sort of way they also create a burst of saliva, not quiet opal fruits (or whatever they are call these days) but a little refreshing. No need to carry bottles around with you which I find a pain.

    When I ran my first half marathon I carried two gel's with me in my hands, I am a bit of a tight arse and wont spend on gel belts etc however at about the five mile stage my hands became sweaty and one gel slipped away and i didn't stop to pick it because it was still very busy with runners !!!

     If I was you try both on different long runs and see which one you feel works for you then stick with it on race day. good luck

  • I tried a gel once that I got cheap once and found it sickly sweet and difficult to get down. I got the summer berries flavour I think and it was something like hi5 but I can't be sure. I just don't get on with them. plus you end up with a sticky packages with remnants of the gel. I don't like them but understand they are probably the best for longer runs. I used to carry glucose tablets. They do benefit from a drink with them and I think you get a big sugar high. I am not sure I like them neither. Not sure what that leaves.
  • Talking of glucose tablets - has anyone tried glucose powder ?

     I have just started to use it on the days when I go for a run, just mix it with either water or fruit juice,  for that exra burst of energy levels.  Yesterday I ran 7.4 miles to work and 5 miles home from work and felt great on both runs without any loss of stamina, in fact the run home was very quick.  I think that the glucose powder really does make a difference. It was a friend who suggested it, he competes at triathalons / iron man etc It is also cheap less than £1 in holland and barratt, for a box.

    If you have tried it are there any pitfalls or side effects that i should be carefull with ?

  • When we used to go on long MTB rides (I know it's not running) we used to use powdered glucose, can't remember the name name but we used to call it blue wizard because of the box. Be careful with these because they do work very well and quickly but they also wear off quickly and the resulting crash leaves you with less energy than you had before you take it. I would only use them in conjunction with carb gels and only at the end of the run in the torturous last few miles.
  • In addition to my other post and I'm by no means an expert but it is easy to overkill on your run feed strategy. For typical 15 miler I would eat a banana 30 mins before the run a carb gel at the halfway point (usually GU but hey are all much the same)and I take a couple of Gluco Tabs wrapped in cling film in my pocket. I take these between 10 and 12 miles. For the marathon (I'm training for the Loch Ness Marathon) I'm planing another gel at 20 and maybe a couple of Gluco Tabs at 2223 and that's it.
  • I tried taking those glucose tablets while doing a long run recently, didnt work well, had some kind of sugar-related crash i think. felt awful lightheaded etc. . havent taken them before, and have done the same run  before without feeling bad. would carb gels be better for lasting energy or would bananas do the trick? training for my first marathon, ive read that these things are almost essential once muscle glycogen runs out, so I am wanting to replenish my energy but dont think lucosade pills work for me. any advice ye marathoners?

  • I forgot I'd posted on this. I run ultra distance now and I now realise I used to carry way too much on my runs.  Now I don't anything for 10 miles or less.  I take 1 small choclate biscuit (Club, Penguin etc).  If it's race I will take a gel.  For 13 to 20 i'll take 2. My advice: Eat a good breakfast and for training runs try to run through the loss off energy.  This will train your body to metabolise fat better.  Take some gels just in case though, they work really quick.  Good luck.

  • more fun that glucose tablets is to pop a Berocca in your cake hole around mile 20, it'll certainly liven you up.

  • only if you use a Berocca Boost image

  • Mountaingoat - The best advice I can give is listen to your body.  If its a training run I only eat if I have too.  That way you are training your body to use fuel more effciently.  I read all the books while training for my first marathon and most of it is too generic.  As I said before, 10 miles is my comfort limit without more fuel but I can run 15 before it really starts to impact on performance.  When I think back back to my first marathon i'm almost embaressed to say I had a bum bag with gels and flapjack in.  You live and learn. I ran a 100k race last year and I met a guy after who had run the whole 62 miles on a bag of crisps and a banana! to me that is insane but it worked for him.   

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭
    Swerve wrote (see)
    Darrell's right - you'll get your lungs and nasal passages coated in sickly-sweet powder. Not worth the bother, not designed for the activity.

    I have no trouble with the glucose tablets.  I just follow Cougie's procedure for taking them, maybe one a mile for the last few miles of long runs.

  • thanks for the advice Loxley Crawshaw, much appreciated. It amazes me that the human body can adapt to running such long distances- I bet that when you did your first marathon you never invisaged running 62 miles!  I have been reading all the books etc, but I'll just see what works best. Not going to eat them glucose things again in a hurry thats for sure- packet of cheese and onion will do!

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