2021 Best Energy Gels For Half Marathons

Energy Gels for Half Marathons

Affiliate Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links for which, LERK Publishing, LLC., may make a small commission at no extra cost to you should you make a purchase.

All of the energy gels used within this review were in no way gifted to me by any of the Energy Gel companies. I purchased all of the gels myself for my own review purposes.

My Review Summary

Quicklinks:

I spent 6 weeks testing not just tasting the energy gels. Since taste is so different between person to person I actually looked at more important factors such as performance, ingredients, dependability, availability, and whether or not they caused stomach issues. Immediately below are the best of gels categories strictly based on data that I actually tested myself. Following is a summary table based on the data. From the summary table, you can drill down to each product group review.

Me – the test subject

I have good blood pressure, I’m not diabetic, and I have a pretty solid stomach when it comes to food. I also don’t have any food allergies so the data gathered below is from my observations only. Before consuming or eating anything make sure that the things you eat aren’t going to give you any medical complications. On to the results…

Energy-Gels-For-Half-Marathons- Best all-around energy gel for half marathons

If you don’t care about where you purchase your energy gels, the price, the size/weight, nor the ingredients, and strictly base your decision on performance in a non-ultra endurance environment, then the winner is equally Huma, Gu, and Hammer. My favorite gel out of the three listed is Huma because it tends to go down easier and its ingredients are all-natural.

Best organic energy gel for half marathons

If you base your decision on whether the product is organic and performance, then the clear winner is the Honey Stinger Organic Gel.

Energy-Gels-For-Half-Marathons

Best all-natural energy gel for half marathons

This would be a tie between Huma and Hammer. If you want a more compact size then you would go with hammer gels. The Huma gels are a little larger in size.

Best energy gel for half marathons based on store/race availability

GU would be the winner in this category. It’s not uncommon for GU to be on-site at races giving away free GUs on the racecourse at aide stations.

Best energy gel for half marathons based on price

From least to most expensive (top 3):

Best energy gel for half marathons based on least amount of sugar

vFuel has the least amount of sugar per packet.

Review Data Table

[wpr_landing img cat=’engery gels’]

How I rated the gels:

I broke down each brand’s product line into organic vs non-organic and then any additional differences such as the type of energy gel. Instead of writing a review on every single flavor, I commented on the flavor within each category. Since there are so many different flavors of gels I didn’t rate on the specific flavor, instead, I noted my own comments on each flavor tested. I tried not to let the actual flavor interfere with the overall taste. If I did have a bias against a flavor I noted this in the comments next to the product.

To rate the energy gels I used five factors on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 being the lowest score and 10 being the highest score:

1. Energy Availability

This is how quickly the energy became available after taking the gel.

2. Energy Duration

The most important factor was judged on how much energy was given from the gel. A scientific lab experiment was not done on the exact energy outputs of each gel. Instead, I ran a total of 3 miles (30 minutes – because I pace easily at 10 minutes/mile) during each energy gel test. I ran each morning at the same time on an empty stomach to baseline the results as best as I could. I took one gel 15 minutes before me running for 30 minutes.

Note: energy gels are meant to be taken when your run duration lasts 90 minutes or longer. I’m not advising you to take a gel for a 30-minute run. These test runs were done as close to a baseline as possible to get a decent set of comparable results. I will be updating this post at a later date that rates each gel for longer distance runs with multiple gel packs consumed.

3. Store Availability

Is the product available in physical stores and in big online stores?

4. Natural ingredients

How many natural ingredients does the product have?

5. Stomach Issues

Did my stomach have any issues with the gels? This is going to be one of the greatest varying factors among individuals. I can only test what issues my stomach has with each gel. I ate each gel on an empty stomach before running for 30 minutes.

Although, I can’t 100% confirm that if I did have stomach issues that it wasn’t from the previous night’s dinner. I tried to eat about the same main dish with varying sides. Also, I’m not a vegan, vegetarian, nor require any type of gluten-free products.

My stomach, for the most part, is just an average ole stomach. I guess you could say that I rarely have stomach issues. So while I might not have an issue with the gel obviously doesn’t mean that you won’t have stomach issues.

Energy Gel Nutrition Detail Data Table

Energy Gels Nutrition Detail

Other related posts

How many energy gels do I need to take for my half marathon race?

Energy Gel Reviews

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Coach Scott's Credentials:
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He has published over 20 books including, Beginner's Guide to Half Marathons: A Simple Step-By-Step Solution to Get You to the Finish Line in 12 Weeks! (Beginner To Finisher Book 3), which has become an Amazon International #1 bestseller. Scott specializes in helping new runners become injury-free race finishers. He recently completed his 22nd half marathon race. 

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2021 Best Energy Gels For Half Marathons