GU Energy Gels: Taste Test

I have never tried any type of energy bars, drinks, or gels. I thought training for my big race would be the perfect time to try them and see which works best for me. I heard a number of Team RunningFree athletes rave about them so I bought every flavour of GU Gel I could find. I knew what the benefits of them were (quick energy, easily digestable, low calorie) so I was very excited to try them. I was quite surprised at the results of my taste test. Here is my personal account of the taste test.

I thought the Just Plain would be my favorite. Unfortunately for me, I thought the consistency too thick and tasteless. Not something that I would look forward to while needing a pick me up on a run.

I then tried one of my favorite flavours of a dessert (lemon)-Lemon Sublime. It was OK. I was hoping for more tang or pucker power.

I then tried Vanilla Bean and thought again, I’m not liking this type of sports nutrition.

I like coffee, but not coffee-flavoured things. Surprisingly, I found that I really liked the Espresso Love and especially in the middle of a long run. Maybe it is the idea of a caffeine fix without having to juggle a steaming cup of coffee on the run.

Even though I typically don’t like sweets and can easily pass up chocolate, I next tried Chocolate Outrage. Wow! I loved the texture and the taste. It reminded me of a thick Spanish hot chocolate and dipping fresh churros in it.

Now I have two flavours that I really like.

Next, were the berry flavours of Orange Burst, TriBerry, and Strawberry/Banana. I did not like them. For me, they had an aftertaste that I felt was a bit off.

So here is the order of my personal preferences:

1. Chocolate Outrage – I especially like this to kickstart my run.
2. Espresso Love
3. Lemon Sublime
4. Vanilla Bean
5. Strawberry/Banana
6. Orange Burst
7. Just Plain
8. TriBerry