View source for When to eat Energy Gels in the Marathon

It is not uncommon for Gels to be offered once or twice in the latter miles of a marathon, but is that the right time to eat them? Are one or two Gels the right number? 

==The Problem==
The general recommendation is to consume 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour as 8-16 oz drink every 10-15 minutes for optimum performance<ref> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2575187/ During exercise, CHO should be consumed at a rate of 30 – 60 grams of CHO/hour in a 6 – 8% CHO solution (8 – 16 fluid ounces) every 10 – 15 minutes.</ref>. More [[The Science of Energy Gels| recent evidence on carbohydrate metabolism]] has shown that up to 60 grams of glucose/[[Maltodextrin]] plus 40 grams of [[Fructose]] can be absorbed and metabolized per hour. There are problems getting this from sports drink in a marathon…
* [[Aid Stations|Aid stations]] are not 10-15 minutes apart for most runners. If aid stations are 2 miles apart, then only the faster runners will move between them in under 15 minutes. 
* It's hard to consume 8-16 oz of drink at each aid station, as each cup provides only ~4 oz, and it's hard to drink it all rather than wear it when running. 
* Drinking 8-16 oz every 10-15 minutes under cool conditions can lead to the need to urinate, which impacts finishing time. I would not recommend this approach for hydration - see [[Practical Hydration]]. 
* I have rarely had a sports drink in a marathon that is well made up. Mostly it is too dilute, and occasionally very strong.

==Carbohydrates from Gels==
To get 30-60 grams of carbohydrate an hour from energy gels requires a gel packet every 30 minutes. This would be 8 gels in a four hour marathon, which is much higher than most people consume. There is evidence that this extra intake can not only improve performance, but also reduce [[Muscle|muscle]] damage. (See [[Nutrient Timing]] for more details.) I know of some good marathon runners who practice this approach. One of them takes his first gel at mile 1, then every 5 miles after that, which works out as every 30 minutes at his marathon pace. 

The guideline of a gel every 30 minutes will need adjustment for each athlete. Heavier athletes may need more and lighter may need less. Faster athletes may need more gels and slower athletes less. 
==Gels at the start==
It may be worthwhile to consume a packet a couple of minutes before the start of the race. It is easy to consume a gel at this point, and the body can start to digest it while at relative rest. 

==Adding Protein==
There is some evidence that adding [[Protein|protein]] to the carbohydrate can improve performance<ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2575187/ Adding PRO to create a CHO:PRO ratio of 3 – 4:1 may increase endurance performance and maximally promotes [[Glycogen]] re-synthesis during acute and subsequent bouts of endurance exercise</ref>, as well as attenuate muscle damage in endurance exercise<ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2575187/ The authors concluded that combined ingestion of PRO and CHO improves net PRO balance at rest, as well as during exercise and post-exercise recovery</ref>. 
==Caffeine in Gels==
[[Caffeine]] not only improves performance, it also increases the absorption of sugar from the gut, so it will make Gels quicker acting. 
==The Golden Rule==
It is vital to remember [[The Golden Rule of Racing]] and practice this in training. If you want to try energy gels with protein, you need to try these out '''at race pace'''. 

==See Also==
* [[How to eat a Gel]]
* [[Comparison of Energy Gels]]
* [[The Science of Energy Gels]]

==References==
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