Energy bars, gels or drinks: the form doesn't matter so much

Long training sessions and races have one thing in common – sooner or later, muscle glycogen stores run out and performance starts to decline. To maintain our pace, we need to supply carbohydrates during the activity. But this raises a question that every cyclist, runner or triathlete deals with: is it better to replenish energy in the form of a sports drink, an energy gel or a bar?

At first glance, it may seem like the difference would be significant – a drink is liquid and is absorbed more quickly, while a bar is solid and must undergo digestion. Surprisingly, however, scientific studies show that the reality is different.

How were the studies conducted?

The researchers focused on a direct comparison of these forms:

1. Gel + water vs. sports drink

2. Energy bar + water vs. sports drink

An important detail: in all cases, the athletes were set to consume the same amount of carbohydrates and fluids . This allowed for a fair comparison of whether form played a role.

Gel or drink?

The results showed that if an athlete drinks the gel with a sufficient amount of water, the body uses carbohydrates practically in the same way as in the case of a sports drink.

In other words, there is no fundamental difference in performance between drinking a gel with water or a carbohydrate drink.

The problem arises if you drink the gel only symbolically, or even not at all. In this case, stomach emptying can be slowed down, carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly, and there is a risk of unpleasant digestive problems.

Bar or drink?

A similar experiment was conducted with energy bars. If the athletes made sure they were hydrated, the results were very similar to those with the drink.

A minor difference was only found in the rate of carbohydrate utilization – the bar was slightly slower. However, this was related to its composition: it was a variant with a very low content of fat, fiber and protein.

However, if the bar were richer in these ingredients (e.g. a "protein bar"), it would slow down gastric emptying more significantly and would not be ideal for racing performance.

What does this mean for practice?

• Form doesn't matter as much as we think.
  What's more important is the amount of carbohydrates and fluids you consume.

• Always drink the gels.
  This is perhaps the most important practical recommendation. Gel without water can cause a heavy stomach.

• Bars only light and low-fat.
  If you need quick energy during a race, choose bars with minimal fiber, protein, and fat. At lower intensity or during a longer ultra race, bars can be a welcome addition.

• Everyone has a different tolerance.
  Some people can run a marathon on gels, while others have a heavy stomach after three gels and prefer to combine a drink + a piece of bar. That's why it's important to try everything in training.

• Think about the total amount.
  For performances longer than 2 hours, the recommendation is approximately 60–90 g of carbohydrates per hour . This corresponds to, for example, 1–2 gels + a sports drink, or a combination of a drink and half a bar.

How to do it in a race?

• In warm weather and at high intensity (e.g. marathon), it is worth relying more on liquid forms (drinks, gels) because they also replenish hydration.

• On the other hand, during long races such as an ultra marathon or Ironman, it is sometimes useful to reach for a bar , which will provide the feeling of "solid food" and psychological relief from sugary liquids.

• The best strategy is usually a combination : the basic intake is solved by a drink + gels and a light bar can be added as a supplement.

Summary

As long as you are consuming the same amount of carbohydrates and fluids, it doesn't matter whether you choose a drink, gel or energy bar . The differences are small and your preferences, tolerance and race strategy play a major role.

So the race is not won by having the right "format" of carbohydrates - but by being able to replenish them regularly and sufficiently without stomach problems .