We’re spoilt these days with the enormous variety of gels, bars, drinks and chews we can use to fuel our long training runs and races. Here I’ll break down some of the benefits and costs of the options available.

 
Gels
These are the most commonly used by a long way, and with good reason. In terms of cost, they’re often one of the cheaper options. Most of purely glucose derived carbohydrates, but for an extra boost look for Torq gels or similar which have fructose also the 2:1 ratio that allows for maximum carb fuelling.
Pros – generally easy on the stomach, easy to carry and use when running, lots of flavours and brands to choose from, don’t need to drink to consume them.
Cons – consistency of the gels can be undesirable, especially on hot days. Wrappers you thought were empty can leave your pockets very stick.
 
Bars
Bars are less common in most people’s training, but ultra-runners and trail marathoners will often have bars due to the slower nature of the races. My advice is skip the fancy “exercise specific” bars and go for cheap bars made from dried fruits and nuts as they’re essentially the same thing and will cost around 80p per bar rather than £2-£2.50.
Pros – high calorie than gels or chews, relatively easy to eat on the move, cheap if you choose the right bars, feels more substantial than gels.
Cons – chewing can leave you a little more breathless, you’ll likely need a drink afterwards for best digestion and to clear your mouth.
Chews
You’ll usually see these as bars containing small blocks of a hard gel, similar to hard sweets like a fruit gum.
Pros – easy to store when running.
Cons – need to chew as expected, can cause additional breathlessness. Need to drink water with these. Less carbohydrate per serving, 3-4 chews per hour only giving around 30g carbs compared to 60-90g per hour for 3 gels or bars.
Drinks
The classic Lucozade is coming under pressure from the more sport specific brands like Tailwind and Maurten although these are much more expensive at £2.50 or more per serving.
Pros – Can be relatively cheap, no chewing or mess once used.
Cons – on cold days you could end up drinking more than needed if this is your sole fuel. Harder to carry so best used on supported events with a personal drinks station.
 
My choice
I lean towards a mixture so that I have lots of choice depending on how I feel. Gels are the staple for me with a selection of SIS gels and Torq gels, often with 1-2 fruit bars and the option of a sports drink on race days only. Mostly I drink squash on the way round as the taste of water from a hydration pack (especially in summer) doesn’t make me want to drink much.
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk