Panicking about the Spring Energy gel situation? Here are other on-the-run fueling options:
Are you panicking about the Spring Energy gel situation as a vegan or in general?! 🙋♀️
If you have no idea what I’m talking out you can find a few posts on the topic on social media or even Reddit. This is probably the only time I’ll recommend Reddit, though. 😂
I used Spring Energy in both the marathons I’ve run (Chicago 2018 & Chicago 2019) because they are vegan, I like the taste, & they sit well in my sensitive stomach. I did also use Tailwind Endurance Fuel in my handheld, so I wasn’t as underfueled as I could have been… But feeling hungry during my 2019 marathon despite eating breakfast beforehand & taking in sports nutrition all race should’ve been a red flag. 🚩
Unfortunately, I didn’t know that the carb content of the Spring gels I used was so off of what was listed on the label back then… This was before I was a dietitian. I thought I was underfueling in general, so I chalked up my subpar 2019 marathon to that. 😅
I want to be clear-I’m not saying the Spring gels were the only reason my 2019 marathon wasn’t great, but rather it didn’t help that I was consuming less carbs than I thought I was.😔 This is also frustrating because sports nutrition products aren’t cheap! 😠 Now that I know the carbohydrate amount in Spring Energy gels are less than what is listed on the label, I will no longer use them or recommend to my nutrition clients & runners I coach. It’s an underfueling risk. 😣 Unless you want to double the amount of Spring Energy gels you are taking & that is not going to be easy on your wallet as they are already pretty pricey…
Moving forward, I advise you to be skeptical about the labels on gels, much like you should be about the labels of other supplements, such as protein powders & vitamins. Work with a sports dietitian like me if you are unsure & ask the brand directly to prove their label. I hope this is the start of more transparency around sports nutrition products! 👏🏻
While this post has other ideas for sports nutrition products to use instead of Spring Energy, I cannot guarantee all their labels are accurate either. All of the choices were chosen because of the carbohydrate content, they are vegan (which many of the readers of my website care about), & should be easy to consume while moving.
Science in Sport (SIS) Energy Gels
Bare Performance Nutrition (BPN) Go Gel/Endurance Gel
Are there any other options you would add?! Did you or do you use Spring Energy gels & if so, what was your experience?👇🏻
