Endurance Nutrition: Energy Gels & Carbs

As part of my path to proper endurance fueling I’ll be testing and reviewing different foods, diets, and fueling suggestions. The first on my list of fuels to test are energy gels. The three gels I’ll be reviewing are Hammer Nutrition’s Hammer Gel, PowerBar Gel, and Gu Energy Gel. These reviews will come later though, right now I’m going to discuss the types carbohydrates in each gel, weather they are simple or complex, and how the mixture of simple & complex carbs may be beneficial during exercise.

First, I’m gong to discuss the different types of carbohydrates contained in each gel. I found a great comparison chart of all the popular gels that states the different carbs for each gel.


As you can see from the chart all three gels being reviewed here have maltodextrin which is a complex  carbohydrate. Both the Gu Energy Gel and the PowerBar Gel have fructose, a simple carbohydrate, and lastly, the Hammer Gels contains dextrose which is another simple carbohydrate. I couldn’t locate anything stating the amount of each carb contained in these gels but a description from the webpage of each product gives us a clue as to the percentage of complex carbs and simple carbs. Hammer Gel states “we use long-chain complex carbohydrates for smooth, consistent energy release. There's only a trace of sugar”. This tells me that their product contains mostly complex carbs. Both PowerBar and Gu claim to contain a mixture of 80% complex carbs and 20% simple carbs.

Now I’m going to talk about simple and complex carbs. Simple carbohydrates can be defined as sugars that are composed of a single sugar molecule or two joined sugar molecules. Complex carbohydrates on the other hand are large chains of sugar units that must be broken down before absorption can occur. It is widely known that simple carbs are more quickly absorbed into the body than complex carbs. This is because they don’t need  to be broken down. They are already in a form that the body can absorb.

Sports nutritionist Namrita Odea suggested that I use PowerBar Gels or Gu Energy Gels over Hammer Gels. She stated that they would be better absorbed by the body due to the mix of simple carbs, fructose, and complex carbs, maltodextrin. To help explain why it’s important to have a blend of simple and complex carbs I’m going to refer to a quote from an article titled “Latest Research on Carbohydrate Recommendations During Exercise” by Tricia L. Griffin:

glucose-fructose combination works better than glucose alone because having multiple carbohydrate sources allows more carbohydrate to be absorbed from the digestive tract. Research indicates that glucose and fructose have their own separate transport systems in the digestive tract. These transporters help carry ingested glucose and fructose from the digestive tract into cells. However, the glucose transporter can only carry glucose, and once it’s filled, it can’t carry any more.

Glucose and fructose are mentioned in the above quote. Fructose is one of the carbs contained in the PowerBar and Gu Energy Gels. The glucose however was not. So, you’re probably asking yourself “where does the glucose fit into this discussion?. When maltodextrin is broken down it becomes glucose. Now we have two simple carbs, each with their own “transportation system” allowing a quicker absorption into the body. The Hammer Gels have dextrose, which is also known as glucose. Once the maltodextrin breaks down and becomes glucose you end up with much more glucose than the other two gels. Since the glucose “transportation system” can only handle so much it is absorbed into the body slower.

Now, I’m not an expert and know there is a lot more to it than I’ve stated here, but this is how my mind understands it. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if I’m completely wrong.

Please post up and let me now if I’m an idiot or if you agree with me.