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

In my opinion, this is THE BEST tasting power gel on the market. GU has really hit a homerun with this one. A lot of their fruit flavors are pretty disgusting, and the Espresso is kind of grainy. This salted caramel literally tastes like youre eating straight-up caramel from the sundae bar!! My wife and I run 25-30 miles a week with long runs every week, and weve come to appreciate these quick fuel sources. She generally hates these types of gels, but this is the one flavor and brand that she will actually use. Plus, the added caffeine really helps provide some energy for those last few miles on a long run.

No weird aftertaste. Actually tastes like vanilla.

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!

I mean, its Gu. You like it or you dont, right? When its cold, its thicker. When its warm, thinner. The vanilla is one of the better, more versatile flavors. Great for extra carbs during excercise.

Im sure part of it is psychological, but I always take it before I work out. Whether it is a physical or mental boost, it seems to help me get going.

this product 0ffers a quick blast 0f energy when needed to push through a low spell.

So I actually have a pretty simple flavor taste, but Ive used these Gu Energy Gels for both Marathon race days as well as training. Theyre lightweight, easy to swallow, and typically do not leave a bad aftertaste. Vanilla bean is just my personal favorite flavor. Experiment with what you may or may not like. Always experiment with nutrition on training runs, and not race days, as everyones digestion is different, and they may cause upset stomachs if you havent used them before. Other than that, the only real downside, is if you dont stop to open and use them, they can make your hands sticky, because a little bit always kind of leaks out while youre opening and running.

There are Gu Gel people and then there are the rest of us. I started off in the former camp - used the Gu Gel on a couple long runs and loved the energy burst. So I took the plunge and bought a 24-pack from Amazon, in Vanilla Bean (my favorite flavor). But as my long runs increased above 15 miles, I found the Gu Gel upset my stomach and instead I needed real food to fuel my body. Just depends on your mileage and personal preference. If you like the Gu Gels, Vanilla Bean is great and the price at Amazon (for a 24-pack) is the best Ive seen.

Easy to use. Like the flavor.

Always use the stuff on my hikes and MTB rides