Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: An influencer, wannabe coach, or random guy who races a lot posts about the virtues of running without energy gels or other fuel sources. They might even directly lecture a female athlete about it, if she dares to talk up how it’s benefited her training.
The details differ. Sometimes, the person claims the best gel for a half marathon is, well, absolutely none at all, or that no athlete needs calories during training. In other cases, they say only “slow” runners need fuel, or bemoan how “people have become rather obsessed with the snacks.”
But the line of thinking always seems to be the same: Much like raw-dogging a flight or taking a no-sleep challenge, going without fuel on long runs makes you a tougher or more superior human and athlete, they believe.
As a writer who’s covered the science of performance and health for nearly two decades and a 24-time marathon finisher, I’m here to tell you this is a bad take—and it’s hurting our sport.
I’m not alone in this view: “There is this movement in general around teaching ourselves we can be deprived, and trying to get something out of that, that I think is really unhealthy,” Stephanie Roth-Goldberg, LCSW, a New York City–based therapist specializing in sports psychology and eating disorder recovery, tells SELF. “I’m not sure what people are trying to prove to themselves—and I’m not sure they know what they’re trying to prove to themselves.”
Call it tough-guy syndrome, with an added heaping helping of diet culture. Whatever the motivation, we—those of us who gather and share accurate fitness information—would like a word about this approach. Or three, rather: Knock. It. Off.
For one, scientifically speaking, this sentiment is flat-out wrong. The latest research and the experience of record-setting runners show that taking fuel—in the form of energy gels or other fast-acting carbohydrates—during long-distance efforts has big benefits for performance.
Plus, shaming others for fueling is needlessly judgmental and dick-ish, driving people who might otherwise enjoy running away from the sport or into unhealthy habits that can have long-term repercussions.
There are a whole host of reasons you can (and should!) use energy gels while running—both for your performance and for your overall health. Everyday athletes can use fuel to run faster, feel better while they’re doing it, and bounce back more quickly afterward, sports dietitian Rebecca McConville, RD, CSSD, tells SELF. Not sure how to get started, or need further convincing that you should give it a try? Read on as we set the record straight on sports nutrition, exercise physiology—and the posters who think they’re somehow exempt from both.
What are running gels, and how do they work?
Whatever names they go by—sports gels, carbohydrate gels, and running gels are common ones—these super-dense packets of fast-acting carbs all supplement your body’s existing glucose stores during exercise. Popular brands include Gu, Maurten, Huma, and UCAN, each with unique formulas and a variety of flavors.
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