Should Athletes Take Gel or Real Food when racing?

As a dietitian I get asked all manner of nutrition questions, but one that pops up frequently is whether an athlete should have gels or real food.

To be clear, this is a personal decision, and one that no sports dietitian can answer for you. This article does not seek to give you a right answer, but will help you decide whether choosing gels or food during exercise is right for you.

The question you have to answer is: “is my choice going to promote optimal carbohydrate consumption during exercise?”

First and foremost, you must enjoy your fuel. If you don’t tolerate gels, you won’t use them during exercise, and no matter how shiny the packet, they are no use sitting in your back pocket. This is where food has its major, and often insurmountable, advantage. Food offers a much larger and more familiar range of tastes and textures, and are therefore more palatable during exercise.

If performance is a factor in your decision, consider this: the more carbohydrates consumed, the better performance. We can absorb more carbohydrates when there are certain types in a certain ratio (70% maltodextrin, 30% fructose). Gels are manufactured this way, food is a much trickier balancing act you will need to work out depending on your preferences. Again, this ratio doesn’t work if you don’t actually consume the fuel.

Practicalities are also very important and impact our consumption.

What is more readily available? There is always food around, and with a bit of organisation you can bake some flapjacks in bulk and have them ready to go. However, with the internet, buying a couple of months worth of gels and having them delivered is super easy. They are pre-packaged, and you can store them with your running gear.

What is easier to carry? Gels are more energy dense, smaller, come pre-packed and can be squashed into your pocket. Food is not quite so convenient.

What is easier to consume? Gels are packaged in a way that are easy to open and easy to consume. You can manage this with some food, but not all, and this packaging process does take time and effort.

Oral health – consuming carbohydrates during exercise is bad for your teeth whether you use gels or real food – brush your teeth afterwards.

You can see that different people will have different priorities, and therefore different choices. Make sure you consider what works best for you, and always reflect on whether your choice is promoting optimal consumption.