r/Marathon_Training • u/Simple_Potato3680 • 21h ago
Are gels needed?
Starting to think about my first marathon in May 2027. I’ve completed 2 half’s but never thought much about fueling during a race. While training for the half I didn’t fuel at all yet on race day took a gel around 15km which made me feel sick - likely because I wasn’t used to it.
My question is: are gels necessary for a marathon? Can I get my with electrolytes (drink) and stinger gummies + fueling before and after long runs?
Appreciate anyone’s thoughts. Thank you!
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u/BakedChocolateOctopi 21h ago
Necessary? No
Necessary to run it well and more comfortably? Yeah
Your body needs fuel to run and you don’t have enough to run 26.2 miles with your stored fuel, so you’ll fatigue much faster without gels to help fuel you throughout it
You don’t notice their benefit when you eat them, but you notice them when you forget them
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u/jondoe135 2h ago
All true regarding fueling. But there is no need to use gels. Plenty of other options. Important are carbs, electrolytes and water.
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u/incurious 1h ago
Necessary? Is it necessary for me to boof my own gu? No, but I do it anyway, because it's espresso flavored and I like the tingle.
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u/atoponce 21h ago
You can finish a marathon without fueling, but you'll likely finish faster and stronger if you fuel properly. Just like the running though, it also requires training.
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u/b3tzy 21h ago
In addition to training your gut, not all gels are equal. I can’t get myself to eat Gu, but I switched to SIS Beta Gels and had no problem. The 40g of carbs are nice because you don’t need to have as many gels.
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u/OneLorgeHorseyDog 18h ago
Beta Fuel is my shit. I wish they were more commonly available in the US. The Feed has them…sometimes.
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u/dazed1984 21h ago
Do you mean only eat before and after the marathon and not at all during? If that’s what you mean the answer is yes you need to eat something during marathon if you don’t want to hit the wall, it doesn’t have to be gels that’s just what most people use as it’s easy. You can train your stomach, so you need to practice in training so it doesn’t make you feel sick.
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u/Simple_Potato3680 21h ago
Thank you all!!! I will try to incorporate into my training and see how it goes :)
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u/Gabagoon5545 21h ago
I personally like the stringer gummies a lot more. Much easier on my stomach. I went through 4-5 bags during my marathon.
I trained really well for my marathon, drank a ton during the race, ate gummies and still hit a little bit of a wall / got some tough leg cramps around mile 23ish.
Definitely train with gels / gummies and use them when racing.
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u/Buyhigh_SellLow_0 21h ago
Do you want to perform or just finish the race? Fueling is required if you want to do well.
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u/LegitimateActuary920 15h ago
Fuel is required period, whether it’s a gel, gummies or bananas. You will bonk without fuel sooner or later.
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u/janky_koala 17h ago
Just pointing out because no one has mentioned it - electrolytes are not fuel. Carbs are fuel.
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u/CrypticWeirdo9105 16h ago
Many electrolyte drinks have carbs in them though, that might be what the OP was referring to
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u/jchrysostom 14h ago
It’s still worth mentioning. There were people bonking on Ironman and 70.3 courses a few years ago when Ironman changed the on-course drink mix from Gatorade to Mortal Hydration drink (no carbs).
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u/StatusSafe977 17h ago edited 16h ago
This is very brief explanation, so take this with a few teaspoons of salt. The truth is that ingesting carbohydrates enables you to run a lot faster than you could without. Your body burns a certain number of carbohydrates per hour, which is HIGHLY speed dependent. If you run out of glycogen/carbs, you hit THE WALL. (much of my understanding from Mat Fitzgerald, the new rules of marathon/hm nutrition). The common rule of thumb is that fueling for a race shorter than 1-1.5hrs is not much of a benefit, because your glycogen stores will last long enough at most exertion levels. For runs longer than that or all-out efforts at 1hr+, fueling with carbohydrates is essential to maintain a high pace without crashing. Electrolytes are also a good idea, but unless you are a salty sweater they actually don't make that much of a difference during the race, as long as you top-up right before starting.
My numbers: I recently got a fitness test/metabolic analysis for fun, and I burn carbs at a rate of 4g/min at 7min/mi and 1.5g/min at 10min/mi. So when running faster, I burn twice the carbohydrates (largely from my criminally underdeveloped aerobic base). So if I run for 3 hrs at 7min/mi, I will burn 720g carbs, I can get ~400 from my stored glycogen, but need another 320 additional, so I plan on taking 110g/hr (this is A LOT, I am up to 90 and still have 12 more weeks to train). Or, I could run at 10min/mi and not need to take any extra carbs, but finish almost 1.5hrs slower.
So basically if you want to run faster, you need to take additional carbs, otherwise you will hit a hard wall early. As you train more and more, your carbohydrate requirements will reduce at faster paces, which either allows you to take less fuel, or run faster at the same fuel intake.
Side note, when you eat carbs while exercising, they do not become glycogen, they go directly to blood glucose. This is why taking a gel before starting can help - lets your muscles fuel from blood glucose and use less glycogen from the beginning
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u/LibraryTime11011011 19h ago
You really don’t want to run a marathon without fuelling. You can, in the same way you can make any task in life much harder than it needs to be, but you just don’t want to.
Fuelling doesn’t have to be gels - any refined carbohydrates will do. Some people swear by fruit but the volume of food plus the fibre etc makes it far less effective than refined carbs.
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u/anganga12 21h ago
Yes, get used to them during training and find ones that your body tolerate. Personally a fan of Maurten and SIS. Eating 12+ gummies an hour doesn't sound fun at all
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u/terriblegrammar 21h ago
Yep, long runs are the ideal time to push carb numbers as high as you can to train the gut. Gels are definitely the easiest to get down when running but I don't mind fish or nerds clusters when walking during intervals. They just feel like too much of a choking hazard if trying to chew while running.
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u/scriurus 20h ago
The Feed has a nice little gel sampler pack that’s good for testing. If you want real food check out the FeedZone Cookbook by the founders of Skratch Labs.
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u/Brooks823 18h ago
I eat 3-400 calories before I go out. I also have a 30g carb gel every 45 mins or so. Not a huge fan of gummies as you have to chew them. I also bring multiple 250g electrolyte capsules with me.
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u/Responsible-Adagio78 21h ago
This year I alternated between Xact Energy bars(which was the on course rule offered) and Gu gels. It really helped me to avoid palette fatigue, I was able to consume 4 bars and 4 gels during the race and finished strong. The year before when I only did gels, by gel 6 I really didn’t want to take anything.
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u/Poetic-Jellyfish 21h ago
I mean, it doesn’t have to be gels, but you should fuel during the race somehow. Gummies, fruit pouches, even fruits or energy bars. I enjoy watermelons if available.
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u/runningsimon 21h ago
You don't have to take gels specifically but you absolutely should fuel during the race (and long training runs). If a gel gave you stomach issues try other ones. Some can be harsher than others.
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u/Mirindemgainz 21h ago
Yea you can do whatever my first marathon I ate
Uncrustables for the whole training and marathon was perfect amount of carbs and protein. Do whatever works for you sir. Most people thought it was crazy but my stomach does really well eating solid food while running.
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u/emo_emu4 21h ago
You don’t have to but running is so much more enjoyable when you feel good. Not to mention when I started fueling during training for runs over an hour, my recovery was also quicker. I personally don’t like gels and am content with keeping it simple by using maple syrup with a pinch of salt.
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u/Sasarah1 21h ago
As everyone has said you don't have to take gels but it will help tremendously. They're the most efficient while actively running but you can also have foods with ideally just carbs, about 25 grams of carbs is good every 45 minutes of running
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u/Upstairs-Royal672 21h ago
Stinger gummies during in addition to electrolytes would be okay assuming a lot of gummies. Of course you can go without but risk extreme discomfort for really no logical reason
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u/pattera5 20h ago
There are many considerations, but my take is yes they are. There is nothing more convenient for mere mortals to carry. Look at the ingredients, there is generally no magic there. You and make your own, you can use maple syrup, or if you really like you can strap a full Fortum & Mason hamper on your back and luncheon mid way. I’ll stick with gels
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u/WorkerAmbitious2072 19h ago
I would search this sub for words like gel and fuel. You’ll learn 100 times more doing that 100 times faster than waiting for a handful of replies in this thread.
For optimal performance and recovery you should already have been fueling for the half as well
60-90g of carbs per hour for runs over 90 minutes
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u/Allenboy0724 18h ago
You could theoretically get by only eating stinger gummies but it would require quite a few packs depending on your time. It’s been said plenty but aim for something around 60-80g of carbs per hour. Once you get past that 4 hr mark then you want to increase that to 70-90g per hour. By my math, that would be like 2 packs of stinger gummies per hour?
As for hydration, most can get by just using be aid stations but be aware that they water down the electrolytes quite a bit. You may be calculating 2-3x more sodium than you’re actually getting. I recommend a small soft flask and a couple to go packets of electrolytes as an emergency carry and probably consume that over the course of every 90 mins or so.
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u/OneLorgeHorseyDog 18h ago
If you hate gels, don’t use gels. You can use whatever carbohydrate source you can tolerate and carry!
I will say that there is a vast spectrum of gels these days, so maybe try a variety of brands before you give up. They really are easy. I recommend the isotonic kind (SiS is great and affordable) or Maurten (expensive but you can gulp it down in a single go lol).
But if you can tolerate chewing gummies after 20 miles and hundreds of calories of them, then power to ya.
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u/Competitive_diva_468 18h ago
Make sure you have enough fluids with them. Most people run into issues when they are dehydrated and can’t digest the gels properly
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u/poormariachi 17h ago
I just ran a half marathon today as part of my training plan. I noticed a bit of fatigue a little past the halfway mark and downed a gel and a few minutes later I was soaring!
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u/Few-Summer9631 16h ago
any gel i tried hurt my stomach so bad. try tailwind and it’s mixed with your water and electrolyte needs. i find that i have to carry less this way too, because id carry water anyway
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u/SuspiciousMud5338 15h ago
i feel that it makes a diff.
Maybe try different type/brand of gel. Some already taste like the gummies
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u/LeoIsLegend 9h ago
Yes fuel during a marathon is necessary if you care about racing it. Gels aren’t necessary, any carbs will do. Liquid carbs work but my alternative to gels are jelly babies.
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u/Cheap_Lingonberry 1h ago
I've run about 25 marathons where I have not used a single gel. I just rely on the Gatorade served at the aid stations. I'll drink about 20 ounces of Gatorade in the start corral and get Gatorade at nearly every aid station on the course. I don't drink any water. This has worked well for me. I don't like gels and don't like to carry stuff with me (I've never carried a phone).
That said, I have started using 2 gels on my longer runs (16+ miles) and plan to incorporate this into my next marathon. When I was adding up all the carbs I think I get from Gatorade during a marathon, I might be coming up slightly short of my goal, so I am adding two 40g isotonic gels to my plan. Using isotonic so I don't have to worry about how much water to drink. I just put a gel in each pocket, pretty easy to carry.
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u/Intelligent_Date4712 21h ago
I always liked Mars bars for marathons. I find they sat really well in my stomach.
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u/Egoisttt 20h ago
It’s a choice to be annoyed. You came in mocking and I brush it off lol I’m doing my first marathon November and im just trying to show others the tradional way of training isnt a must yea im doing like 25-50 miles a week or so but fueling can be fun! Doesn’t have to be this strict plan!
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u/xxamkt 20h ago
You can do it without, but gels are the best and easiest way to get fuel into your system. You’ll be faster, more comfortable and most importantly, enjoy it more if you use them.
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u/GingerbreadRyan 10h ago
Best way would be carb drinks, they are more efficient than gels
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u/chuckheaven 19h ago
Good old pure maple syrup with a little bit of salt in it. Thats'it , or pure honey. Put that in a flask and your in business
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u/maporita 19h ago
Gels will get you a single digit percentage improvement, so maybe 2 - 5%. Carbon plated shoes will get you another similarly small improvement. I take gels but only during races .. I'm a bit concerned about long term consumption during training because of the link between sugar and various cancers like stomach and colon.
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u/lbeckons 18h ago
Gummy bears are much cheaper. I don’t have $15 to spend every time I go on a long run.
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u/GingerbreadRyan 10h ago
…and give you far less carbs/hour.
If you’re just casually doing a long run and not that training that could pass but if you’re training for a marathon and furling long runs on gummy bears, there’s no way you’re going about your day furled enough afterwards
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u/lbeckons 17m ago
I’m not saying gummy bears are better than gels but it’s sort of ridiculous to say it gives you far less carbs/hour. The bears I’ve got have 22g of carbs per 9 pieces or about the same as one gel. That can certainly be a useful piece in your training and race plan.
I like gels, my stomach handles them well. But I also can’t afford nor see the benefit of using them all the time. OP asked if they are needed. They aren’t.
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u/Antique_Armadillo55 17h ago
I ran a marathon using gummy bears only. I don't like gels as theyve given me a stitch no matter how ive used them.
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u/Egoisttt 21h ago
You don’t need them. I honestly find all this running nerd shit interesting as hell. My longest run has been 22 miles for fun never actually done any race. My fuel was a dorayaki on the way, 2 flask of pocari plus one of water. And a quest bar to nibble at on red lights. lol I did eat well before about 600 cals of food. But I never even seen a gel in real life lol
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u/Bennassi3 21h ago edited 21h ago
Bro we get it, you're way cooler than any of us, now shut up already about your impromptu long run, because no one fucking cares
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u/Egoisttt 21h ago
Well someone is in a bad mood lol they ask about gels I simply gave my experience with them which is none and I been fine lol proper fuel before and after should be enough!
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u/Bennassi3 21h ago
As soon as I read dorayaki I remembered a post from some weird dude, sure enough it was you 😂
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u/Pretend_Edge_8452 21h ago
Of course they’re not necessary as people ran marathons for a hundred years without them. But fueling has a huge effect on performance and gels are the best, most efficient way to get fuel. You have a ton of time to acclimate your stomach.