4 creative ways to power your long runs if you hate energy gels
Figuring out what to eat during a long run is probably more complicated than what to eat before or after running. For starters, you need to make sure whatever option you choose provides you with enough energy for your workout, without causing any distress to your gut. You also need to like how it tastes, so that you’re motivated to eat it on the go. And it also has to be easy to open so you’re not fumbling with wrappers while you’re trying to maintain your stride.
Of course, you can turn to energy gels, as they’re designed for sports performance, offering up the right balance of carbs in an easy-to-consume package. And there are some tasty flavours out there (at least some people think so!). These can provide you with energy when it comes time to running longer and harder...but they’re only ideal if you like the texture. And again, what if it doesn’t sit well with your stomach?
Enter: energy gel alternatives. Similar to energy gels, there are other foods designed with athletes in mind, like chews and sports drink mixes (to name a few!). These products vary in flavour, texture, ingredients and cost, and can help you meet your energy needs on longer runs. Even so, they’re not the only option when it comes to alternate ways to fuel your long runs and hard workouts.
To help narrow your search and find the best alternatives to gels, we spoke with two sports dietitians. Read on to find out their best advice.
When to consider using an energy gel alternative
Energy gel alternatives for runners can come in handy in quite a few scenarios.
‘Anytime you go over an hour in duration, it’s a good idea to take in some type of supplemental carbohydrate during your run,’ Kelly Pritchett, registered dietician and professor of nutrition and exercise science at Central Washington University, U.S, tells Runner’s World.
Typically, around 60 to 90 minutes into exercise, we get close to depleting our glycogen levels, depending on the intensity of the workout and whether your glycogen stores (where your body goes first for energy) were full to begin with, says Pritchett. That’s why experts recommend consuming 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates every hour.
‘If you’re running at a higher intensity, you’re going to deplete your glycogen much quicker than you would at a lower intensity,’ Pritchett adds. This is why she recommends fuelling even if you only train for 75 minutes at a higher intensity.
During high-intensity exercise, the blood in your body gets distributed away from the gut to your working muscles which can cause GI distress for some, and it could be one reason to consider a gel alternative, Pritchett says. Texture, taste and cost are a few other reasons to look for an alternative.
If GI distress on your long runs has you searching for other options, make sure you’re getting enough carbs, water, and electrolytes on the run before switching things up, says Nicole Lund, registered dietitian nutritionist and clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Sports Performance Center, U.S. Failing to drink enough water while consuming carbs can cause some GI distress, so it’s important to make sure you’re meeting your needs.
If you find you are getting enough of water, carbs and electrolytes, but still experience some issues, then it could be time to consider alternative food options, Lund explains.
Before you toe the line on race day, test any gel alternatives on your long runs so you know what works best for you. Lund recommends keeping a journal where you track any symptoms, as well as when and what you ate before and during each run. She also notes that some of her clients are sensitive to a particular ingredient in sports products, maltodextrin, so take note if this is in your go-to product and keep track of how it settles for you, especially in the later miles of a long run.
When it comes to finding something to take the place of a gel, there are plenty of sports products and other unconventional options to choose from. Here’s what our experts recommend.
4 gel alternatives for runners
1. Sports drinks and other liquids
You can always drink your carbs. As mentioned, exercise can slow blood flow to your gut which slows down digestion, and because liquids are easier to digest, they offer another way to help you get the fuel you need, says Lund. Sports drinks are a great option, along with honey sticks or packets, she adds.
If drinking your carbs is more tolerable on long runs, then Pritchett recommends turning to a high-carbohydrate sports drink, which can vary in the amount of carbohydrates offered depending on the brand. For example, Tailwind Endurance Fuel provides 25g per serving, while Precision Fuel's has 30g.
When it comes to finding the right sports drink, pay attention to the ingredients list. Sodium, in particular, is the primary electrolyte lost in sweat, so you want to make sure you’re getting enough of it on your long runs, says Pritchett. She recommends checking the sodium amounts, aiming for about 500 to 700mg per litre of fluid.
Other sports drinks may include caffeine, which can be problematic if it’s something your trying to avoid or it doesn’t settle well for you. Also, stay away from 'sugar-free' sports drinks as a source of fuel, because this likely provides no energy and the artificial sweeteners may lead to bloating and GI distress, she says.
Need some inspiration? The following products were voted the best in our 2025 Sports Nutrition Awards.
Infinit Nutrition GO FAR Endurance Fuel
Designed for endurance efforts over three hours, this all-in-one fuel delivers 66g of carbs per bottle from a trio of sources (maltodextrin, glucose and sucrose) along with electrolytes in gut-friendly isotonic formula. There’s also protein to maintain steady blood sugar levels and curb the hunger pangs that sometimes come with liquid carbs. This became the ‘go-to on long days training for a mountain ultra and the big day itself’ for one of our testers, ‘delivering reliable sustained energy and easy on the gut and taste buds’.
Stealth Big Energy Mix
One to grab when you want a fuss-free, sluggable source of steady energy that’s easy on the tastebuds and the stomach. The RW testers liked the simplicity of sticking 94g of carbohydrate in one 500ml bottle for longer runs. Everything you need to fuel an hour’s graft. It comes in a handy resealable pack with three flavours: pineapple and peppermint and our favourite watermelon.
Tailwind Endurance Fuel Mix
Tailwind’s simple carb blend of dextrose and sucrose cuts the time your fuel sits in the gut for fast energy and reduced tummy trouble risk. The RW team were fans of this for racing ultras. ‘Each serving provides an simple way to get in 50g of carbs plus electrolytes, and the light lemon flavour and neutral options are easy to sip all day.’ A versatile alternative to gels and solids for long-run or ultramarathon fuelling.
Also available as a handy stickpack in a variety of flavours.
2. Sweets
Here’s your chance to satisfy your sweet tooth. Gummy bears, peach rings, jellybeans, wine gums, Percy Pigs and other small, sweet candies can be an unconventional way to fuel your runs.
Just make sure you read the nutrition label and pay close attention to how many carbohydrates the product provides per serving, says Pritchett. This way you can ensure you’re consuming enough carbs for your workout.
One serving size of Haribo Starmix (25g), for example, is around 19g of carbs. This means you may need to eat a little more than a serving if your goal is to consume 30g of carbs per hour on a longer run.
3. Chews
Similar to candies, chews are a great alternative to gels and there are plenty of sports-specific chews to choose from. These are usually made with ingredients that are easier for runners with gut sensitivity to tolerate, says Lund. That’s because they contain a mix of carb sources, like glucose and fructose, which allows for easier digestion.
If you don’t like the texture of a gel, but are searching for something that will sit well in your stomach, there are many products to choose from:
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF30 Chew
With 30g of carbs in a tiny two-chew pack, these running belt-friendly cubes offer a great energy-to space-and-weight ratio. The firmer texture doesn’t squash easily or melt in the heat and suits slow, easy ultra-fuelling better than breathless city marathons. They’re softer and less threat to your fillings than some chewier alternatives, while the lemon and mint flavours offer a nice palate reset.
Torq Jellies
With six jelly chews per pack delivering just under 30g of carbs, these soft packs of mini pastilles are a perfect gel-alternative for long slow runs. You can scoff the lot for a big hit of energy, or swallow one at a time for a gentler, little-and-often approach to fuelling. The fruity flavours – orange, lime, and berry – are sweet but zingy. ‘The texture is the soft side of chewy, so they’re kind on your jaw and good for on-the-go fuelling,’ reported one tester.
Decathlon Aptonia Fruit Jellies
If there was an award for fruity melting goodness, these super soft pastel bars would win it. Each tiny 25g fruit jelly crams in a surprising 21g carb load and you barely even need teeth to eat them. That’s lucky because they are incredibly sweet. Our tester said, ‘They taste like actual fruit, almost melt in the mouth and are really easy and pleasant to consume. But I felt like I needed to see a dentist afterward!’
Styrkr Bar50 Rice Bar
This turbocharged rice crispy cake has 50g of chewy, crunchy carbs in a really light bar. Ideal when you want tasty energy without having to work your jaw too hard. The RW team enjoyed all the flavours but the date, almond and sea salt combo stood out for being sweet with a welcome salty edge. Great for turning energy top-ups into a mid-run treat. But you’ll need to drop the pace while enjoying them.
4. Whole foods
Compared to the other options on this list, packing a whole food will take a bit more planning because you have to figure out how to carry them, says Pritchett. If you don’t have pockets, you may want to look to investing in a race belt or pack to hold all your necessities.
Once you figure out how to carry the food, you can try options like bananas, fig bars, pretzels, dates or boiled potatoes with salt, Pritchett says.
She recommends you spend some time testing these options, especially if you have a sensitive gut. Not only does exercise make them harder to digest because of that diversion of blood flow, but some whole foods contain nutrients that also slow digestion (i.e. fibre) and some may not contain a mix of carb sources, which also makes them harder to digest on the run.
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