Help - Gel

I am racking up a few miles at a time, today for instance I ran 10 miles.
I took in a gel pack at half way. Should I have drunk water and is that always the case?

Please help be fore I may dehydrate completely. :)

Comments

  • Depends what gel.

    SIS gels don't need water. Others do.

    Hot weather like this, advisable to take water with you.
  • I use Lucozade and always take with water as it helps get rid of the stickyness from my mouth.

    I don't think it's a necessity but on a 10 mile run in today's heat, I'd probably take water anyway
  • Go Gel, I think thats SiS
  • I use SIS Go gels and never need water with them. They helped me through the blackpool marathon last Sunday :-)
  • fat facefat face ✭✭✭
    I think for most runs of upto 10 miles in hot weather, water would be better than a gel.
  • Yeah especially in training, deffinately water rather than gel for runs up to 10 mile
  • I use Lucozade Gels, which say take with water.

    Haven't always taken water as well, with no adverse side effects.
  • After arriving home I notice that indeed Go Gel is SiS and doesn't need water. But do you really need to have four an hour? Or do you all think that would at the very least be 4ph after an hour?
  • 4 per hour?

    My stomach feels like a knot for about two minutes after taking just one of those things. I wouldn't take four per hour - even after the first hour.

    These things are down to what you need as an individual. If your body says you need more energy then take four per hour.

  • I did a 15.3 mile run this morning and didn't bother taking on any fluids etc during the run and was fine (usual Innocent smoothie and spoon of peanut butter before leaving the house though).

    Normally, on a 20 mile+ run, I'll drink 1/2 a bottle or so of Lucozade Sport around the 9.5 mile point, and take SIS gels at the 13.1 and 16-17 mile points. Never sure if any of these things help to be honest as getting around could be due to resting the day before and/or what sort of foods I ate as well.
    Always carry a third gel just in case but have never used it even on my longest 22 mile run - don't think it would have helped that much at that point anyway!
  • 4 per hour - jeesus.

    I am convinced sports "fuel" products are 90% marketing BS - try running with and without them - see if it genuinely makes you cover the ground faster. I doubt it.
  • 4 per hour? No chance.

    You need to experiment a bit to find out what works for you, and don't forget that they do take a while to get into your syste, but I find that one gel (SiS) every forty to fifty minutes or so works for me. I generally don't bother with any on training runs of less that about an hour and a half or races shorter than a half marathon - although I have been known to take one before starting if, for whatever reason, I think I may need the energy boost later on. No real substitute for proper hydration and nutrition I know but nobody's perfect.
  • Jason - I definitely feel the effects of the Lucozade cabr gels.

    RW recently did an article comparing gels and whilst Lucozade doesn't provide as many cabrs per 100g as other products, it's a bigger sachet so per sachet provides more carbs.

    Lucozade recommends one gel per 30 mins of exercise - I don't usually use on training runs under 10 miles.

    For rcaes - I take one gel on the start line (inc 10K) and then in half marathons will take another at around 7 miles.
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