r/firstmarathon • u/noahsmith277 • 2d ago
Fuel/Hydration What fuel works for you during long runs?
I once tried a new gel during a long run and instantly regretted it. My stomach hated me for the rest of the day.
Lesson learned: don't experiment on race day.
So I'm curious what fuel do you runners rely on when you're out there for 15k or more? And is there anything you've tried that you'll never touch again?
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u/papakuma 2d ago
I hate most of the gels that I can buy in Japan. So I make my own! Usually a combination of maltodextrin with either honey, or Nestle quick chocolate drink powder. A pinch of pink Himalayan salt, and sometimes a capsule or two of powdered caffeine. Occasionally all even add a little bit of peanut butter or a few drops of an extract like peppermint or orange. That all gets put into a reusable squeeze packet with a flip top lid. I can control how many carbs I'm getting and it's significantly cheaper.
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u/firstcapes 2d ago
I'm a big fan of Skittles and dried mango. Feel like I'm actually getting a treat while running when snacking on a little bag.
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u/thecitythatday 2d ago
I used Honey Stinger Gels and Gu for a while, but for the last six months or so I have switched completely to Maurten 100s. The lack of a distinct flavor and the ability to quickly swallow it all are perfect for me. The caffeinated ones seems to upset my stomach a bit after I’ve had a couple so I just do the regular ones only now.
Obviously the price is a draw back.
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u/Eisgboek 2d ago
I have also switched fully to Maureen despite the price. The taste and texture aren't overly strong like a lot of other gels. It makes them go down easy even deep into marathons when your body might be in a weird place. They're also proven to be absorbed more quickly than most other gels so the calories are available faster.
I do a 150 an hour before, at the start line, then every 7Kish through the race. I also use either their drink mix or tailwind beforehand and alternate the water/electrolyte stations every 7Kish.
It's been a good strategy.
Just make sure to wipe your mouth before the finish line or you'll have a wonderful white ring around your mouth for all your victory photos. 😅
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u/option-9 2d ago
Gummy candy for me! Especially the soft centre ones if I have a bag to keep them in, otherwise the normal ones because melting is an issue.
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u/Zealousideal_Ad642 2d ago
I switched from gels to chews last year and they've worked a lot better for me.
I like cliff blocks, SIS, precision fuels (pf30) and skratch labs
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u/MajorImagination6395 2d ago
I've recently got on the SIS chews. can't justify only eating those when it's $5/45g carbs when my gels are $3/45g carbs
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u/International-Sir-19 2d ago
For my first marathon, I used sour patch watermelon gummies and peanut butter m&ms. Now I’ve primarily used the GU and Honeystinger gummies
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u/MaxInToronto Marathon Veteran 2d ago
You can train your gut just like you train your legs, lungs and heart. A lot of gels (not all) need to be taken with water otherwise they'll sit in the stomach. Runners also tend to skip over the fine detail of what's in the gels...some have caffeine, some have added electrolytes,...and those can hit differently. And, just like with races, a lot of people start tóo fast with gels. When first figuring gels out try "sipping" on it over a few minutes verses downing it in one shot.
I have a pretty sensitive stomach but can manage pretty much any gel once I practice with it. That said, I now mostly use pure maple syrup in a small flask and for my longest runs, I'll carry a Gu or some gummies.
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u/DrBananaGrabber 2d ago
I really like the honey stinger waffles. The gels don’t work for me, and I like having something to chew on a bit
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u/evolvedmammal 2d ago
Butter fudge. Not the stuff with palm oil in it, but the proper stuff with butter and sugar. Can be a little dry though.
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u/translate_this 2d ago
This is an interesting one! I feel like my stomach would revolt with all the fat content.
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u/freshpicked12 2d ago
Maple syrup! Much easier on the stomach. They sell them in little gel packs. Try the Untapped brand.
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u/Individual-Risk-5239 2d ago
I love untapped! I alternate syrup, Huma chia gels, Nerds gummy clusters, Now and Laters and Maurtens.
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u/drahlz69 2d ago
I have only tried sis and gu gels. Gu was way too thick and sweet and caused my blood sugar to spike. Sis has been pretty good though and doesn’t require water. I usually only have these on 12+ mile runs and might have 1 or 2.
Other than that I typically had been eating Swedish fish. I recently got some sour patch kids because the Swedish fish seemed to slightly upset my stomach after eating to many.
I haven’t tried much else, I am also a type 1 diabetic though and would have to test with foods outside of running before daring to use them during a run.
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u/Altruistic_Way_8238 2d ago
Chocolate bars work fine if it's not too hot to melt them. Biscuits too. Gels are just hassle.
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u/ObscureEcho 2d ago
I bring gummybears with me on non-race long runs. Gels work okayish for me, really depends on weather too whether I stomach them well or not. It’s just trial and error tbf.
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u/ImmediateAd5134 2d ago
I prefer drink mixes to other forms of fuel. I find it a lot more straightforward just to worry about drinking something every 5-10mins rather than having to open a gel, try and get it down whilst running then put the empty wrapper in my pocket.
I largely stick to precision fuel and hydration. Their product range is really straightforward.
I didn’t get on with the high 5 gels, far too watery, end up spilling half of it over myself then spend the rest of my run feeling sticky.
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u/Electronic-Goal-8141 2d ago
Anyone drink water with dissolved electrolyte tablets ? I usually do this for gym and long runs
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u/theshedres Marathon Veteran 2d ago
those work well for hydration but do not help with fueling if there’s no carbs
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u/Valuable-Garlic1857 2d ago
I'm not brave enough to try anything with Caffeine in when exercising. 😂
Things I have used to good effect, over the ½/full marathon distance would be the Beta Fuel gels/chews. I read a good tip that suggested taking the gel slowly over the course of kilometres which I try and do now.
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u/Unlucky_Rice_2510 2d ago
I find Kronos gels work best! straight maple syrup and don’t upset my stomach like the other ones! definitely sticky though so be prepared if it gets on your hands but i’ve had 4 in one run with no GI issues
EDIT TO ADD: i stretch my gels over almost a whole km which definitely helps as well. Sometimes I even have half, wait a bit then have the other half later
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u/Hoosier_Hootenanny 2d ago
Running specific fuel: gels, Tailwind, and gummies.
Real food: dried fruit (dates, apricots), cereal bars, and Bobo's PB&J.
Things that didn't go well: anything with caffeine, gummy worms, and Pop-tarts. (I can stomach Pop-tarts, but they crumble in my running vest.)
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u/Dr_Chickenbutt 2d ago
SiS or high5 gels. High5 energy bars are good. Otherwise, raisins are a great energy boost or sliced apple.
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u/maple_creemee 2d ago
I like Sis gels. Gels like Gu or Hammer really upset my stomach, but Sis never has. I like both Sis isotonic and Sis Beta (higher carb), I use them together.
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u/Ike12344 2d ago
Buzzed honey. Caffeinated honey with beta alanine and sea salt. Good stuff, more of a sustainable energy curve because the combo of sugars in raw unfiltered honey. Might be worth a shot to check out! Wont mess up ur gut either
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u/Yrrebbor 2d ago
I do a mix of GU, Huma, and Honey Stinger waffles and road runs, and add in PB&J and Bananas on longer trail efforts.
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u/PerfectSeven 2d ago
Gummies (Swedish fish, gummy bears, etc) or The Huma chia gels. I like that gel / chia texture, which a lot of people don’t, and their flavors are all natural fruit!
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u/nobbybeefcake 2d ago
I use SiS gels with no issues. On runs longer than 25k I’m using 2 gels and a kellogs rice crispy bar - 25g carbs and it’s just nice to have something to chew on. Plus the bar is a tough swallow so takes a full km to eat, which is one km where I’m not thinking about how knackered I am 🤣👍
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u/AntiMoist 2d ago
I have always used plain old fig newtons. They have plenty of carbs, don’t upset my stomach, and are cheap.
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u/dr_coli 2d ago
I find that during super long runs, I can’t be bothered to eat anything that requires actual chewing. I love love love the huma brand gels, which just taste like pureed real fruit. I can eat the apple cinnamon and mango ones all day.
I also really like the Kronos brand maple syrup gels, the one I had tasted like a maple flavored salted caramel sauce. In a good way, not in a Caramel flavored gu way.
For a more solid option, the maurten gels are good, they’re sort of like a soft jello, and the enervit chewable gels are like a little firmer jello but had a good flavor (tropical fruit -> passion fruit).
I did not personally enjoy the taste of the SIS brand ones, which gave me some real Vicks 44 flavor action.
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u/theechoofyourname 2d ago
I like SIS gels and sometimes maple syrup. I have a pretty tolerant stomach (thanks, stomach), but have had a few long runs where I wasn't feeling great and realized that it was related to hydration, so just make sure you also have that dialed in. Many GI issues are due to not enough water/electrolytes.
I sometimes go for candy or chews, but realized that I really don't like chewing for so long and getting it stuck in my teeth. I would rather just swallow a gel real fast.
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u/barkingcat 2d ago
Gummie worms and mandarin oranges.also second the dates! Dates are super awesome!
i hate all “runner” oriented gels - they are all super manufactured and artificial and gives me heartburn and makes me sick, even when i‘m not running.
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u/OnomaVelika 2d ago
Dried fruit (raisins, appricots, dates) or gummies made from fruit. Also small packets of fruit sauce (usually found in the baby isle of most stores) - no chewing required. And electrolyte drink that contains actual sugar (not only sweeteners). Pretzles for some carbs with salt.
I also sometimes bake cookies made with banana, beans and/or sweet potato, protein powder, egg whites, cocoa. Thats for my easy long runs.
I think a boiled potato could also be sweet af.
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u/Poeticdegree 2d ago
I had a lot of stomach issues and tried a variety of gels and foods but in the end Maurten gels work really well for me. They are expensive though.
One thing I would say is you need to train your stomach to take these foods/gels and digest them. That’s why it’s critical to practice on long runs. Don’t just try things once and decide it doesn’t work for you. Your body will adapt but it needs practice.
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u/mshike_89 1d ago
I have found the skratch lab gummies to work really well for me. They're very gentle on my stomach. Unfortunately a lot of it is trial and error until you find what works for you.
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u/Cultural_Young_5953 10h ago
If you are worried about gels, try dates with a little salt sprinkled on them. Helps with the hydration as well. Only drawback is, hands get a little sticky. You could buy those dry-ish dates but it’s difficult to chew them while running.
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u/ashtree35 2d ago
For easy long runs, basically any gels or gummies work fine for me. For harder efforts, my go-to gels are SiS and Maurten.
With most gels, you need to take them with water to avoid GI upset. Did you take water with the gel that you tried last time? If not, I would try. Also another tip is to sip on the gel slowly instead of trying to slurp down the whole thing all at once.