Just take one glance at what I call, “the energy bar aisle,” at your local bike shop and it can be very overwhelming. There are energy bars, energy jelly beans, energy drink mixes, and of course, energy gel. We have previously spotlighted a couple energy bars from both Clif and Powerbar. It is about time to look at the other side of the energy supplement, the energy gels.

Similar to energy bars, it is extremely important that you look at the nutrition labels on energy gels to make sure you know exactly what you are about to put into your body. Looking at the ingredients list of most energy gels, you will find one ingredient at the top of that list; sugar. Many will argue that the whole purpose of getting an energy gel is to get a quick carbohydrate boost from sugar. Hammer Nutrition, the company behind Hammer Gel, explains it best by saying:

We use long-chain complex carbohydrates for smooth, consistent energy release. There’s only a trace of sugar, so HAMMER GEL doesn’t set off wild insulin spikes causing “sugar high” and “sugar crash.”

This is very important to understand as a cyclist. When you are in the middle of a long ride and you need a pick me up, your body is already depleted of carbohydrates. By filling that void with “cheap, ineffective, commercial-grade sugars,” you will indeed feel an energy boost, but it will be short lived, and the crash will leave you with less energy than you started with. This is why it is important to put the right carbohydrates into your body. This is why I love Hammer Gel. From the Hammer Gel website:

Hammer Gel gives you reliable energy, not the “flash and crash” of sugar-loaded products. You get only what’s good for you: complex carbohydrates, natural ingredients, and real fruit. The result is a great tasting concentrated fuel source that goes down and digests easier than any other energy gel.

Hammer Gel comes in a variety of flavors (I dig the raspberry gel), and can be picked up at REI, or your LBS. A single gel pack will cost you a little over a dollar, or you can often get a 12 pack for around 12 bucks.

Get some directly from Hammer Nutrition here.