What effect do you notice after taking a gel?

I have just started experimenting with Sis Go gels on long runs, and wonder what effect I should be expecting and experiencing. In November last year I did my first 10 mile race, and all my runs before that had been without gels. It never occurred to me to use them. Then I entered my first HM on 3rd March, and thought - ooh err, 13 miles, perhaps I should be using gels.

Last weekend did 10 miles (gel after 6.5) and yesterday 11 miles (furthest I have ever run, gel at 7 miles). I half expected to feel like a switch had been turned on, and to have a sudden burst of energy. Instead, I didn't feel much different, really. After both runs, I was knackered, and my pace/tiredness didn't noticeably improve.

Perhaps the effect is subtle, and perhaps without the gels I would have felt worse? But that doesn't tally with my successful 10 mile gel-free race. And 7  miles is a distance I comfortably and regularly do on my general runs. (Another  concern is that I don't want to become reliant on gels when the HM is over and I'm running for pleasure rather than for a race).

I'd be really interested to hear of anyone else's experiences of using gels and what difference you feel, what difference they make to your speed and endurance.

Thanks!

OK very simply and from a layman's point of view...on longer runs there comes a point where you've used up all the energy  that has  has been stored as Glycogen in the muscles and liver. You then  start to burn fat, which you can't do as efficiently. So your energy levels, for want of a better term, drop off and you get tired.  Gels are supposed to provide accessible energy so that you don't deplete all your reserves.  They won't "inject" you with a spurt of energy, your body still needs to be efficient at converting what energy they provide.

 People have been running races of all distances without gels until the last few years.  Get a few gel-less halfs under your belt - you certainly don't need gels to run a half- then try it in a race yourself and make your own mind up about any improvements.

I've run 18 marathons & over 200 half marathons over the years & managed well enough for years without gels & muck like Lucozade Sport & personally think runners are better off with water & Jelly Beans. When i did try them i found no benefit at all & along with Lucozade Sport made me feel sick, stopped taking them all together & found no difference in performances. From personal experience i think there's big  marketing from large companies promoting these products but whether they are as good as they claim is very questionable.

i get the BOKE

My bum hurts.

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I'll try my next long run without taking a gel, and see how I feel in comparison with the last two.

Water and additional training are more effective than gels. 

gels are just an expensive gimmick IMO and pretty sickly.   Percy Pigs will do the same thing and you don't have to ingest the whole bag at once - but by gibbidy it's hard not to. 

I can only speak from personal experience of trying them & have come to the conclusion they're absolutely useless & had no effect at all, people buy into the bullshit that the big companies sell but the truth is they're no better for an instant fix than a sugar cube.As for Lucozade Sport it contains 8 spoonfulls of sugar, says it all really.

there'll be bluebirds over....,, wrote (see)

there'll be bluebirds over....,, wrote (see)

"...without gels & muck like Lucozade Sport & personally think runners are better off with water & Jelly Beans. "

 

there'll be bluebirds over....,, wrote (see)

As for Lucozade Sport it contains 8 spoonfulls of sugar, says it all really.

Pray tell, what is in your healthy Jelly Beans ??

Sugar, the same as the overpriced nonsense that is gels & Lucozade Sport but at the fraction of the price.

there'll be bluebirds over....,, wrote (see)

Sugar, the same as the overpriced nonsense that is gels & Lucozade Sport but at the fraction of the price.

So why use Jelly beans, as you mentioned earlier?

Can't say I am a fan of eating anything when running, cycling or rowing. Gels are a convenient fuel source for long endurance events. Are we not just benefiting from the advances developed for elite endurance athletes. Maybe runners world would be better placed to explain how to use then, and what they are for, then we wouldn't see 5k, 10k and half marathons littered with Gel wrappers.

Interesting this, I've just finished reading this months Mens Running and there's loads about energy bars/gels in the articles and they seem very popular. I for one have only tried them once when running a half marathon and they just made me feel sick!