GU Energy Original Sports Nutrition Energy Gel, 24-Count, Vanilla Bean

Energy gels are a fact of life once words like marathon and all of its variants start to enter your vocabulary. To perform your best, you need energy, and one of the best ways of getting energy quickly is consuming energy gels. GU gels are an essential item in my distance running arsenal, and you should seriously consider getting some, too. Unlike SOME energy gels Ive tried, the taste (vanilla bean) actually isnt bad. Do yourself a favor, however, and wash the gel down with plenty of water to avoid that yummy gel aftertaste. The gel sits lightly in your stomach and is quickly absorbed by your body, delivering energy just when you begin to flag. I use these religiously when training for my longer-distance races and when on extended bicycle rides. They fit easily into my running belt, under-saddle bag, and the pocket in the back of my running shirt. Buy them by the case for maximum value! GU wont let you down!

I have taken on anything from early morning 4 mile runs to 100Ks using GU as a basis. For the longer runs, I use a ratio of a GU every 2 hours and solid food every two hours - so some sort of nourishment every hour - this has worked very well so far. I have had to experiment with different flavors of GU though - some just dont agree with me (like Roctane caused stomach issues and any fruit flavor has a bad habit of repeating themselves). I am currently using Salted Caramel - awesome flavor and so far OK on the stomach. I only wish is that they could come up with a degradable package - hate having to stuff sticky used packages back in my pack!

Gave last minute energy that helped me get through 3 grueling weeks of swat school

I have tried a large variety of GU gels (and similar gels made by other brands) over the course of several years of running. Pro: Like all GU gels, these have a nice, liquidy texture that helps swallowing mid-run easier than some of the stiffer gels (Clif!). Con: The Salted Caramel description suggests a nice balance between sweet and salty, but I found the actual flavor to be overwhelmingly sweet and artificial (relative to other GU gels--they all taste artificial to some degree, of course!), and had an off-puttingly cloying tinge to the flavor.

I have tried many of the GU energy Gel and the Vanilla Bean is by far my favorite. If you dont really like these energy gels just imagine this one tastes like ice cream. Some of the other flavors arent to my taste but this is the only one I will use on a long run. Recommended advice is to take 1 just 5 mins before starting running then every 45 minutes during a run. This is what I do and gives me the perfect boost to keep going. Its important to train with these rather than just use them during races, and if they give you free energy gels half way through a race and they arent your regular brand dont take them. No need to experiment during a big race - just keep taking what you are used too. If you previously tried GU and are thinking of trying a new flavor then I highly recommend this one.

I used to use Gu energy gels exclusively for a couple of years when I first started running, and then the last couple of years my wife has been buying other energy gels and jelly beans. I decided to get some more of the vanilla gels since they have slightly higher amounts of potassium than the other products we have been using. However, I removed one star because I just find it hard to use this product when running. The thickness of the gel inside makes it harder to swallow than other similar products and for some reason it just always seems messier and stickier than the other products. I still like it and use it, but when it is gone I will likely not buy more.

The flavor is so good. I use it on my long bike rides and it really does its job. Gives me a steady boost without a hard sugar type crash.

Yummy

A few months ago I originally purchased the strawberry banana flavor. I personally though the taste was awful and the texture was so thick it was disgusting. I couldnt even swallow it straight out of the package, I had to chew on it and swish it around my mouth with water and then force it down my throat. I let one of my friends try it and we had to stop the workout because the taste made him sick. However, the Vanilla flavor does NOT have any of those problems. The flavor is great and you can really taste the vanilla flavor. One of my friends thought it was a little on the sweet side but I love it. It is also a lot thinner, I can easily stick it in my mouth and gulp it down without wasting any time. Gu is good stuff, I can feel the difference on longer rides and it definitely helps me maintain my level of performance.

I like the flavor of this product. It works well on longer bicycle rides. Really gives a shot of energy when you need it.