GU Energy Gel Review

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Athletes and active people have been searching for something to effectively keep their energy levels up during workouts without putting harmful ingredients in their bodies. There are many options out there for energy, we all see them at the convenience stores.

People use energy drinks such as Gatorade or Monster, however when you’re drinking your energy this way, it takes more to give you the push you’re looking for. You’ll have to drink the entire bottle or can and then be bothered with a full bladder halfway through your workout.

When taking in carbohydrates to boost your energy, a common goal is fifty or sixty grams per hour. Typically, for every five hundred milliliters there are about thirty to thirty-five grams of carbs. This is why you’d have to drink an entire bottle every single hour. Who can carry around that much fluid in their pack, let alone their bladder?

Perhaps the best option (for some) is GU Energy Gel. It was created to reach a target audience of people who go through rigorous training and exercise sessions. The gel is packed with extra sodium, which is an electrolyte and will help keep you hydrated. It also means more amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine). These will help decrease muscle damage and mental fatigue.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • Quick acting
  • Multiple flavors
  • Packed with nutrients
  • Great price
  • Vegan
Cons
  • Trouble accurately filling orders
  • Thick texture

Brand

Gu believes that eating is part of your training. Since 1994, GU has been driven to find the answers to these three questions: When to eat? How much to eat? And what to eat? These questions are asked during training sessions, in the production process, while running trails, after a marathon, prior to a triathlon, during intermission, at the gym, etc. The more they ask the questions, the more they learn.

When you’re not actively training or participating in a competition, the answer to these quesions is actually pretty simple. Just grab almonds, whole grains, or an apple. However, when you’re training, competing, and recovering, studies and tests have shown that your body needs other nutrients to really give you the best workout and recovery. The foundation to help you reach optimal performance is really simple. GU has come up with a way to give you that foundation so that you go faster, further, and feel much better during and after.

When Dr. Vaughan created his revolutionary energy gel, he created an alternative option for athlete performance enhancement. His gel only contains carbohydrates that are critical for energy and amino acids that are essential for muscle support. The body can absorb this gel in a matter of seconds and give you the boost you need to get going and keep going.

Ingredients

Dr. Vaughen created his first energy gel when his daughter was needing help performing at her best during marathons. At the time, she was eating energy bars that were hard and flaky and barely passed as food. She had trouble digesting the bars during her workouts because of unnecessary ingredients that caused her to bloat and took oxygenated blood away from her muscles, thus limiting her performance level.

The ingredients in any product are very important to your health and to your purpose. Make sure you know what is in everything you’re ingesting and make sure it’s what you need.

GU Energy Gel is made entirely with vegan components. It is also kosher and gluten-free. The ingredients it contains are Water, Maltodextrin, Fructose, Taurine, L-Leucine, L-Valine, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Citrate, Natural Flavors, Calcium Carbonate, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Beta-Alanine, L-Isoleucine, Gellan Gum, Sea Salt, Sodium Benzoate, Triglycerides, Paprika Extract, and Potassium Sorbate.

Benefits of Ingredients

There is a lot of thought and research that goes into the making of GU’s Energy Gels. Only the ingredients you need and that will give you the best result are included. When you’re working out and trying to push yourself hard, you need to make sure you have a source of carbohydrates that can be easily digested so that it can fuel your muscles quickly.

The carbohydrates fructose and maltodextrin are included in the one hundred calorie gel pack. They will work together to give you the maximum carbohydrate absorption. They will also help keep your stomach calm. The fructose and maltodextrin are both sources of energy and will collectively give you lasting energy.

You’ll also need electrolytes and amino acids to protect your muscles. The gel includes fourteen hundred and twenty-five milligrams of said amino acids which will decrease your mental fatigue and muscle damage. Taurine is an amino acid that is in the gel and it will help your heart contract and improve the blood output while you’re doing long workouts. Beta-alanine (another amino acid) will help the carnosine (intramuscular buffer) form.

Caffeine is beneficial because it gives your brain a boost to keep you more alert and it will also boost your metabolism which would be great during workouts. Some people claim that the benefits are not greater than the drawbacks, though. The drawbacks of caffeine (for some) include digestive issues, the need to urinate often, and higher blood pressure than normal.

Flavors

Everybody has different taste buds and different preferences in flavors. That’s why GU offers an array of options that are sure to contain a flavor you’d enjoy. Some flavors come in caffeine-free style, others do not. Some have more or less sodium than others.

The flavors that offer a caffeine-free option are Lemonade, Pineapple, and Strawberry Kiwi. Lemonade contains one hundred and eighty milligrams of sodium. Pineapple and Strawberry Kiwi contain one hundred and twenty-five milligrams of sodium each.

The flavors containing caffeine are Chai Latte, Blueberry Pomegranate, Cherry Lime, Chocolate Coconut, Sea Salt Chocolate, Tutti Frutti, and Vanilla Orange. Containing thirty-five milligrams of caffeine and one hundred and twenty-five milligrams of sodium are Chai Latte, Blueberry Pomegranate, Cherry Lime, Chocolate Coconut, Tutti Frutti, and Vanilla Orange. The odd one out is Sea Salt Chocolate. It contains thirty-five milligrams of caffeine like the others, but it has more sodium for a total of one hundred and eighty milligrams.

Who needs it?

Before you spend your money on energy products that aren’t right for you or that you don’t actually need, be sure to evaluate your situation thoroughly. Endurance athletes flock to energy gels to give them their carbohydrate replenishments during extended duration workouts or very rigorous workouts.

When the carbohydrates are allowed to run empty, the body starts burning fat for your energy. Your fat doesn’t metabolize at a rate anywhere near carbohydrates. Typically, athletes or active people prefer to burn their energy more quickly, therefore they need to make sure to keep their carbohydrate levels where they need to be before, during, and after their workouts. Gels are designed to do that for your body.

Your body automatically stores enough carbohydrate energy to be able to get you through an hour or slightly more time of running. If you’re not planning on running for at least an hour then you’re most likely not going to deplete your carbohydrate energy reserve in order to require replacing it. You will more likely finish with carbs to spare. Continuing your typical diet after your workout will give you enough carbohydrates to replace what you used.

If you do work out for more than an hour or an hour and a half, your body may start to lose energy and begin to slow down. It is during this type of workout that you will want to start thinking about needing to replenish your carbohydrates. Gels are the perfect way to conveniently get your nutrients on the go.

Vegan

Vegan diets are becoming more and more popular in today’s society because there is a lot more awareness thanks to all of the different media platforms available online and on television and on billboards.

This type of diet can help you lose stubborn weight, keep your heart healthy, protect you from diabetes (type two) and even some cancers.

Vegan diets work so efficiently because they provide significantly more antioxidants, fiber, and plant compounds that are beneficial. These diets also have more magnesium, potassium, vitamins (A, C, and E), and folate.

There have been many studies conducted to show how vegans are more often thinner with lower BMI (body mass index) than people who aren’t on the diet. People on vegan diets even lose more weight than people who restrict their calorie intake, even if the vegans eat until their stomachs are full.

For a lot of people who suffer from any kind of neuropathy pain symptoms, a vegan diet can be just what they need to relieve some or all of that discomfort and pain you feel. In studies, vegans have experienced better improvement in their symptoms. Some of those symptoms are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness.

Directions

GU Energy gels are made specifically to give you a quick-acting and effective boost of energy by supplying you with the important ingredients you need to keep feeling energized and strong throughout your workout, and even after. Some of those important ingredients are amino acids and electrolytes. This specific combination of carbohydrates will work to give you fuel before your workout, during, and after.

You can ingest energy gels before, during, after, or whatever combination works best for you. Typically, you should eat one gel five minutes prior to starting your activity and another packet every half hour to forty-five minutes while you’re working out. To maximize absorption, follow the gel with hydration tabs sold by GU.

The energy gel works so quickly and efficiently because it nearly instantly raises your blood sugar. If you eat a gel and you’re not working out, your body will make too much insulin and turn it into glycogen. This will cause you to actually end up with low blood sugar. So be careful and only eat one when you plan on being active.

Satisfaction Guarantee

No matter what you’re purchasing and where you’re purchasing it from, everybody wants to feel protected and cared for. The best way to provide this for consumers is to offer premium, friendly customer service along with a satisfaction guarantee or a warranty (pretty much the same unless the warranty has limitations).

A lot of times, companies won’t take returns or give refunds or replacements if you have already opened the package and used it or any of its components. However, it’s a tad bit different when we’re talking about food that you’re ingesting into your body. First of all, you have to know what it tastes like before you know if you’re satisfied, right? Also, you need to see if it gives you the boost that you’re after, keeps your stomach calm, and helps you with your recovery period.

GU Energy Gels will provide everything that you need for your best performance every time. Take as directed to stay energized, hydrated, and free from muscle pain. If you do find that you absolutely can not handle the texture or stomach the taste, you can simply ask for a refund. If it doesn’t give you the boost or other benefits you need for your workouts, ask for a refund.

GU offers a one hundred percent satisfaction guarantee to its customers on all of their products. You have sixty days from the date of purchase to decide whether or not you’re satisfied with your product. It is important to note that shipping charges will not be reimbursed.

Bottom Line

If you’ve thoroughly considered your options and desires and needs when it comes to getting to your peak performance level and have decided on energy gels, the GU Energy Gel could be the best choice for you. You can benefit from all of the nutrient-rich ingredients in a numerous amount of ways.

The gel is going to absorb quickly so that you can have your boost right before your workout, during your workout, and after so that your recovery period is easier to get through. It is beneficial to your heart health, pancreas health, your stomach, and your mental state.

With a one hundred percent satisfaction guarantee and a great price, what do you have to lose? You have a lot to gain if you do take a chance and end up liking it.