Energy gels - do they only give a short term spike?

hard-rider

I'm going to be doing a MTB race on the weekend (53Km) which I expect will take me around 4.5-5 hours as heavy rain is expected and it's very hilly terrain.

I'm struggling with working out what I should be taking for fuel. I normally just take dried fruits and some nuts on a ride but since this is going to be a little more intense I was thinking about gels as they are small and conveniently packaged. My question is, do gels only provide a short term boost and then drop off quickly or do they provide a more gradual release? I don't want to end up with a massive downer after the energy kicked in.

How do energy bars compare to gels? Is the energy boost as good as it it more gradual?

springtide9

I personally would recommend energy bars over gels.

There is not really enough substance in them for longer rides, and I think do give a shorter term boost. If you read the gel sachets, they recommend 3 gels per hour of exercise.
I would maybe carry a gel for the end of the ride.

No expert but have found something that works for me. Basically after roughly 1h30m, I'll have an energy bar, and one per hour after that. I also use isotonic drink, but this is usually not at full strength (so it's not too sticky). I also carry a couple of electrolyte tablets - for if I only want water.

If there are water stations, I would carry sachets of isotonic powder and mix with the provided water. If a little expensive for quantity, but High5 do the 4:1 stuff in sachets that takes the effort out of measuring and packaging etc.

ollie51

Personally I go for a mix of gels and bars, I tend to use torq stuff.

Torq use a mix of maltodextrin and fructose at a ratio of 2:1, maltodextin is twice the length of glucose and thus takes longer to break down, this provides the slower release energy, fructose is a very short chain and tastes very sweet so it's broken down very quickly and gives you a quick burst of energy.

Other brands tend to have a similar make up, however they also have ones that are geared toward fast release energy, these are advertised caffine gels usually.

But as above, I'd use bars as opposed to gels, they're also better on the ol' bowels.

hard-rider

Thanks. I'll take a couple of gels to use near the end of the ride if I require them and use energy bars during the ride then.

apreading

Thats what I do - bars for the majority of the ride as their energy is released more slowly and gels only in the last hour or so.

I think if you use gels, you need to keep using them or there is a risk you will bonk when the quick release energy runs out. At least that is what reviews on bikeradar suggest.