In endurance sports, especially in training sessions lasting more than 1:30h (although also in other situations, including strength training), the consumption of carbohydrates during training is important.
A very comfortable and practical way to do this is by using sports gels, but not all of them are suitable. That is why, in this article, I want to explain to you what criteria you have to take into account when choosing a gel.
First of all, it is important to bear in mind that when choosing a gel, we must take into account the athlete’s needs and tastes (texture, opening, flavour, etc.). In addition, we must pay attention to certain aspects that may be decisive: caffeine content, sodium content, amount of carbohydrates and type, carbohydrate ratio and composition of the gel.
- – CARBOHYDRATE QUANTITY: the amount of carbohydrates should be between 25-60 g/gel. The amount to choose depends on the intra-workout nutrition (type of training, distance, intensity, previous conditions…) and the athlete’s preferences/comfort. It should be noted that when training sessions are longer, the intake of carbohydrates/hour is higher.
- – TYPE OF CARBOHYDRATES: when the intake exceeds 30g/hour, it is recommended to combine two types of carbohydrates, glucose + fructose, ideally maltodextrin and not cyclodextrin or dextrose. Greater efficacy has been demonstrated with maltodextrin.
o Maltodextrin is one of the most commonly used carbohydrates, due to its advantages: less gastrointestinal discomfort and high molecular weight.
- – CARBOHYDRATE RATIO: when the intake is <30g/hour, it may not be necessary to ingest both types of carbohydrates. If the hourly intake of carbohydrates is higher, it is advisable to use a 2:1 or 1:0.8 ratio. 1:1 is also available, this depends on tolerance, as both have been shown to be effective.
- – SODIUM CONTENT: ideally containing >100mg of sodium (not to be confused with salt: 1g salt = 400mg of sodium). Its contribution is important and necessary for good hydration. A sodium intake of between 300-600mg/hour (even more) is recommended, depending on the rate of
sweating and environmental conditions. It should be personalized. It is common to need to supplement this sodium intake by means of extra capsules, effervescent tablets or isotonic drinks (taking into account the carbohydrate content in these).
– CAFFEINE CONTENT: if tolerated, it is interesting to take it due to the benefits it provides during the activity: it stimulates the CNS and can help improve endurance, increase performance, decrease the perception of fatigue and delay glycogen expenditure/better fat oxidation. The interesting amount of caffeine in a gel is 100-200 mg. If you need to provide extra caffeine, it is available in capsule or liquid form. The recommended dose is individual, depending on the response, but ranges between 3-6 mg/kg. A caffeine “detox” may be necessary a few weeks before a competition, if you drink coffee on a daily basis.
Despite this, it is always important to INDIVIDUALIZE the choice for each athlete, taking into account their needs and tolerance.
If you need help managing your nutrition during your workouts, you can write to me.
