Sadly, no one in this thread has heard of me.
Sadly, no one in this thread has heard of me.
Although the gel won't have any positive effect in such a short race, my daughter will take a gel prior to her races but the gel contains caffeine which has most definately helped her.
just good common sense wrote:
Taking an energy gel a couple of hours before a 5k would probably be better than not eating anything prior to the race. But it would not offer any real advantage over a bagel and a banana. An energy gel directly before the race would be useless at best, and might upset the runner's stomach.
This is the right answer. For a morning race, most people would do better if they have a light breakfast and hour or two before like a banana, bagel, or small bowl of cereal - whatever you can digest easily without feeling weighed down. Caffeine also helps with racing and to empty the bowels.
I wouldn't mess with gels before a 5k unless you can't manage to obtain real food and a cup of coffee.
There is a benefit of gels beyond their calorie content. Research has shown that simply washing your mouth out with a sweetened fluid improves endurance significantly.
Agreed. I have only used gels once, though I am considering doing so tonight 5k pre-race. My only experience with gels was during a half-marathon last fall, where I ate some of the jelly beans during the race, and then took advantage of the free gels from a watering station, and had a very strong final 2-3 miles of the race, including a sprint for the last quarter mile. Coincidence?
wonder wrote:
Just curious... Would taking energy gels help a high school boy or girl if they consumed a gel before they race or would it have no impact? Have any coaches tried this.
9/10 for simplicity, and working the coach angle in as additional bait was brilliant!
Glad to see some idiots still around.
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