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If you’re thinking about running a half marathon, you might have noticed that the internet is full of different tips and tricks on how to perform at your best. If this sounds familiar, chances are you’ve come across some discussions about using energy gels for a half marathon.
But how do you get started? Is there a right and wrong way to take energy gels for a half marathon? In this article, I am going to run through everything you need to know about using energy gels for a half marathon
Energy gels can be an excellent supplement to help keep runners going through a half marathon. By offering runners extra energy quickly and efficiently, runners have a higher chance of completing a half marathon without feeling sluggish or stopping altogether. An average runner will consume anywhere from 1 to 3 energy gels during a half marathon.
To make sure you’re fully prepared to take on your half marathon with the help of energy gels, this article will look into the following:
How Many Energy Gels You Should Take on a Half Marathon?
Do You Really Need Energy Gels On a Half Marathon?
How Should You Take Energy Gels For a Half Marathon?
Some Pros and Cons of Using Energy Gels For a Half Marathon
What Is The Best Fuel For a Half Marathon?
What’s The Best Energy Gel For Runners?
How Many Energy Gels You Should Take On a Half Marathon?
When I was trying to work out how many energy gels a runner should take with them on a half marathon, I came across a lot of mixed ideas. Whilst some experts reccomend one or two energy gels each hour, other experts reccomend taking something closer to one energy gel shot every 45-60 minutes.
To get an idea of what runners actually do when it comes to a half marathon, I went to an online running forum and asked runners directly what they thought was the right amount of energy gels to use on a half marathon. 343 runners voted. The results are in:
| Choice | Votes |
| Not at all | 80 (23.3%) |
| 1-3 times | 215 (62.7%) |
| 3-5 times | 32 (9.3%) |
| 5 Plus | 16 (4.7%) |
Looking at the results, it seems like the vast majority of runners think that you should only be taking 1-3 shots of energy gel during a half marathon. Some of the runners who weighed in had this to say:
“As I understood it – your body has enough glycogen for running 15 miles or so.
I never used gels for halfs – even taking on water slows me down a bit so a gel would do that further.
Would I have run faster with a gel or two? I don’t think so.
Marathons – you definitely need to take on energy.”
“I have always used a simple method, every 45 min- 1 hour. I do that for marathons as well. Always worked perfectly for me.”
Cougie_UK
“You should be taking them during your training. If you’re doing a long run try taking different amounts and see how you feel.
Every 10k or every 45 minutes is pretty standard from what I hear. So 1-2 is probably the most common amount during a half marathon. But if 0 or 5 works best for you go for it.
0 probably won’t do you any favors during a full marathon though.”
Cody6781
“Half marathon is around 1:45. By this logic you could get away with three or four. When I ran mine it was nowhere near this much.”
There seem to be a few different reasons why people might use different amounts of energy gels during a half marathon.
On one hand, everyone’s body is different. Whilst some people may run out of energy 3 miles into a half marathon, others may run out of energy at mile 10. So different people may need energy gel shots at different times. Factors such as age, weight, and the amount of effort you’re putting in could all contribute to the number of energy gels you need during a half marathon.
On the other hand, it could all come down to the fact that different energy gels come in with different ingredients and different amounts of energy. So maybe the question we should really be asking is how much of the carbohydrate from energy gels should we be consuming when it comes to running a half marathon?
As a general rule, runners should aim to consume 1 gram of carbohydrate for every kg of body weight when consuming energy gels for a half marathon for every hour that they run. For example, if you weighed 80KG then you would want to consume enough energy gels to provide 80 grams of carbohydrates every hour. If one shot of energy gel only holds 40 grams then that would mean taking two shots of energy gel every hour.
Do You Really Need Energy Gels For a Half Marathon?
When asked how many energy gels runners would typically take during a half marathon, more than 23% of people said 0. So in many cases, runners can get away without carrying any energy gels at all for their half marathon.
It all comes down to how long your body can go before the stored energy you gave yourself before running the half marathon runs out. In this article I wrote about how long the average person can run without stopping, I found that most people can manage anywhere from 15 to 22 miles without stopping. As a half marathon is only 13.1 miles. It may be fair to say that you can run one without any extra support at all.
The main form of energy that your body uses as fuel when running is glycogen, which is taken from carbohydrates. This is why many runners eat high-carb meals the night before running a half marathon. If the body runs out of glycogen, runners can find it very hard to keep going. This is known as bonking or hitting the wall. This is where energy gels come in.
If you’re preparing to run a half marathon, one of the best ways to figure out whether or not you need to take an energy gel is to see how far you can run without hitting the wall. If it gets to a point where you are starting to feel sluggish and as if you can’t go on, this may be the marker for when you should be carrying energy gels.
How Should You Take Energy Gels For a Half Marathon?
When it comes to using energy gels for a half marathon, it is fairly straightforward:
- Step 1 – Ensure you have somewhere to store your energy gels but with quick access. I usually use a safety pin to attach them to my shorts.
- Step 2 – Run for at least an hour so that your stored glycogen is used up first. For the average runner, this will be around mile 7.
- Step 3 – Always drink with water. Drinking energy gels on their own or with any other liquid may make it harder for the energy gel to be absorbed into the bloodstream and used as fuel.
- Step 6 – Dispose of the gel wrapper responsibly.
Want more of an in-depth guide on the use of energy gels? Check out the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bd_Gy-fAcgg
Some Pros and Cons of Using Energy Gels For a Half Marathon
Pros
Immediate Energy
Unlike foods such as energy bars and high-carb meals, energy gels are excellent at supplying the body with energy as quickly as possible. In fact, according to viloforte.com, energy gels can start to work in as little as three minutes.
Taste and flavor
Name a flavor, you can bet there’s an energy gel for it. I’ve tried every flavor of energy gel from cola to orange to chocolate. If you like variety when it comes to workout supplements, energy gels are a great place to start.
On top of this, the consistency of energy gels means they are really easy to consume. They are thick enough to feel like food, but much less effort goes into needing to digest them.
Easily accessible
Carrying an energy bar like this one may not seem like such a big deal. But when you’re running a distance like a half marathon, every little bit of weight counts.
Energy gels are one of the lightest weight forms of energy you’ll be able to get hold of. They’re also very easy to store and are often flexible so they can be bent to different shapes to fit easily into compact areas like pockets on shorts. Just make sure they don’t accidentally burst!
More bang for your buck
According to Runners Connect, energy gels may be better to use than sports drinks because there is much more energy packed into a single serving. Simply put, energy gels are great for giving you a quick burst of energy in a very short amount of time – more so than other forms of energy supplements.
Cons
Side effects
Despite all the amazing things energy gels can do for your body, there are also a few negative side effects from energy gels.
Examples include an upset stomach and nausea. These side effects become a much bigger risk if you haven’t used them at any point previously and are using them for the first time when it comes to the half marathon.
If you do plan on using energy gel shots for a half marathon, consider trying them a few weeks in advance to make sure you’re body can handle them.
Potential Crash
Energy gels work by drastically increasing the amount of sugar in your bloodstream. With this in mind, you could expect a big sugar crash after the initial burst when you take them. For this reason, you might want to think about taking more energy gels than you plan to use on your half marathon, so if you crash, there is always a backup to help pick you back up again.
Messy
Unless you have somewhere to throw your energy gels away quickly and easily, it can be challenging to find somewhere to dispose of an energy gel wrapper without the task cutting too much into your half marathon time.
When I ran my first half marathon, I had no choice but to stash the energy gel in my pocket alongside my phone. Whilst I ate the entire gel shot, there was a little which still leaked out and it ended up quite messy.
At the least, I would reccomend keeping a pocket spar to store your energy gel wrappers so that it doesn’t come into contact with anything else.
What Is The Best Fuel For a Half Marathon?
With all this talk about energy gels, you might find yourself wondering what exactly is the best way to get energy for a half marathon.
As a general rule, runners who are aiming to complete a half marathon should consume meals that are high in whole, slow-releasing carbs. By doing so, they can ensure that their body maintains as much energy as possible and may even be able to avoid using supplements like energy gels to get through a half marathon.
If you’d like to learn more about the kind of things you should be eating to perform well as a runner, check out this article I wrote.
What’s The Best Energy Gel For Runners?
There are hundreds of energy gels and different brands out there for runners to choose from. In my opinion, it’s best to go with an established brand that uses high-quality ingredients.
I regularly use energy gels by GU. The flavors are the best that I’ve ever tasted and I’m always able to get a decent kick out of my workout when I take them without experiencing too much of a crash.
