This is going to be obvious, but we need energy to run. Where we get that energy from for high intensity exercise has typically come from the glycogen stores (from carbohydrates) in our muscles.
Perfect right!
Not completely… that energy can be used up pretty quickly depending on your pace.
As you might expect, the faster you run, the quicker you use up the glycogen stores. This is because the body needs that energy quickly and glycogen can be converted into energy much faster than the energy from fats.
Now this might not be an issue if you’re going on a short run, however for longer runs you will need to top up your glycogen stores to reduce the risk of “hitting the wall” during your run. We talk more about hitting the wall here – What to eat before a run.
For context, exercise at a moderate intensity takes around 2 hours to completely deplete your glycogen stores.
Energy gels seem like a great solution. Intake some glycogen to replace what you’ve just used! But there’s a catch… the glycogen is used in our muscles, and the glycogen we get from gels must first go through our digestive system before travelling to our muscles and liver to be broken down. This isn’t an instant reaction so it isn’t an immediate replacement of your lost glycogen. Although gels are still a great way to get the energy we need.
BUT even though the physical effect takes some time, the mental aspect can also be felt.
Interestingly the brain works on the glycogen stored in the liver. You might’ve heard of people using a carb mouthwash.
You can probably guess what carb mouth-washing is – it’s when people wash a carb heavy drink around their mouth and spit it back out again. It tricks the brain to think that it has ingested more carbs and can extend the period until you ‘hit the wall’ slightly until you run out of energy. This method works only for a short period of time until your brain can no longer be fooled.
The general rule is that there is no need to use sports gels or supplements if you’re running under 45 minutes.
How often to use gels during a run
How often you should take a gel during running can depend. We know that you want to keep your carb stores topped up after 45 minutes of running, so we advise to take a gel every 30-40 minutes to give your body enough time to digest the carbs before then needing the energy. When you’re trialling out the gels make sure to get a feel of how your body feels after varied intervals of taking the gels.
When to take the gels during a run
If you’re pushing your body hard, the blood diverts away from the digestion system and goes towards the legs, where the energy is needed.
This can lead to your digestion system either shutting down or working at a slower rate. This in turn can make your body reject what you put in it during the run, explaining why you can sometimes throw up during a race. Therefore, try to take these gels before you know your body is going to be working at its maximum.