About Sports Gels
- Belinda Leow | Nutrition Plan X
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
What are Sports Gels
It is a highly concentrated source of Carbohydrates in a form that is easily consumed and quickly digested. You can bring this compact and portable source of carbohydrates to the training or competition venue for immediate consumption before or during the session to help meet the carbohydrate intake targets.
The different types of Sports Gels
Sports Gels are formulated according to what is needed for the different scenarios.
In general, Sports Gels that contain carbohydrates can help support or enhance performance when consumed during exercise by providing fuel for the muscles.
When you use the sports gels correctly, it:
is possible to help enhance performance by providing a mouth sensing* benefit to the brain and the central nervous system
may help with the immune function when consuming carbohydrates before, during and after a prolonged intensive training
may be beneficial to bone health when exercising with a low availability of Carbohydrates.
Added Ingredients/Nutrients
There are other Sports Gels that contains additional electrolytes particularly sodium to help with the thirst drive and fluid retention. For ultra-endurance events, it helps to contribute to the sodium balance.
Some contain caffeine but has to be strategically used to reduce the perception of fatigue and allow optimal pacing and skill/work outcomes to be maintained for a longer period.
How and when to use it
Before training/Competition: Choose those that provide low fibre and compact carbohydrates when you are unable to tolerate solid foods and fluids.
During training/competition: Choose those that are easily consumed and fast acting source of carbohydrates to the muscle and central nervous system.
After training/competition: Choose those that can contribute to the refuelling of your glycogen stores but if you are able to consume other foods and sports foods it would be better to choose those instead of sports gels (because they would be more nutrient-dense for better recovery)
The amount of sports gels to consume is dependent on the duration and type of exercise/sport. But there is no one-size-fits-all amount to consume. You still need to fine-tune the amounts to fit your ability to tolerate it.
Concerns and considerations when consuming sports gels
You don't always need sports gels at every training session and it may be an unnecessary expense. It has to be strategically used.
Sports gels do contribute to your energy intakes. It can become unnecessary energy intake when it is not strategically used. You need to consider your physique goals and total nutritional goals when deciding whether to consume sports gels or not.
Repeated exposure of sports gels on your teeth can negatively affect your dental health. To prevent this, it has to be strategically consumed. Avoid brushing teeth for at least 30 min after you consume the sports gels. This allows the tooth enamel to reharden.
Some athletes may find that certain sports gels can cause them to have stomach discomfort. So you should practice using the sports gels and assess whether you are able to tolerate the particular sports gels during training since they are intended to be used during competition. To help minimize this from happening, you could go through gut training where sports gels are deliberately consumed gradually until you are able to meet the carbohydrate intakes while being able to have a better capacity to absorb the carbohydrates and feel comfortable.
Sports Gels may affect your opportunities to adapting to training. Especially when manipulating your carbohydrate intakes for the particular training session. This manipulation can only be done with a sports nutritionist as it requires monitoring and periodised carbohydrate intakes.
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Glossary:
Mouth sensing is the exposure of carbohydrates to the receptors in the mouth or oral cavity which creates a favorable response in the brain and central nervous system where it seems to decrease the perception of effort.
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