GU Product Review

I have been a member of Team Running Free since 2018 and continue to be impressed with the membership perks. I love the discounts for sponsored products, and especially appreciate the lottery giveaways. My only “entry” for this year’s lottery was for the GU product voucher, because I always need hydration and nutrition. I was so happy to win another GU voucher this year!

I was able to buy 3 products this year – the GU Roctane Ultra Endurance Amino Acid Supplement – Energy Drink Mix in lemon berry flavour, GU Hydration Drink Tabs in tri-berry flavour, and GU Energy Chews in 4 flavours – rainbow fruit mix, fruit punch, blueberry pomegranate, and a new lemonade flavour.

The roctane drink mix is now up to $91.99, but I was able to get some on clearance due to a fast-approaching expiry date. The lemon berry flavour is a perfect level of sweetness – good flavour and not overwhelming. There is a light colour to it, but I make sure to use a specific water bottle each time so that I don’t confuse it with water and pour it over my head like I did a few years ago. There are 250 calories in 2 scoops (65 g), and lots of carbs (59 g) and sodium (320 mg) so it is a perfect powder for long bike rides. I have never cramped on my regular rides of distances of 65-105 km. I also rode a personal record 228 km around Lake Simcoe in August, and started the ride with a bottle of Roctane hydration. We stopped to re-fuel a few times, and I filled up my water bottle with water, and then added a GU hydration drink tab (see below) because that is easier than bringing powder on the ride. For the electrolytes, the 2 scoop serving includes 1900 mg of the roctan amino acid blend (taurine, L-leucine, L-valine, Beta-Alanine, and L-Isoleucine. The hydration mix is gluten free and vegan, and contains 35 mg of caffeine, which could be a pro or a con depending on your hydration preferences.

I am a huge fan of the GU energy chews, and like to try different flavours. When we stop for a break during a long ride, this is my favourite go-to snack, and other cyclists are eager to try them as well, so be prepared to share. The new lemonade flavour is refreshing, and fellow riders that tried them enjoyed them as well. On another ride, I shared the rainbow fruit mix, which has a combination of fruit punch, orange, lemonade, watermelon, and blueberry pomegranate. The variety pack allows you to try all of the flavours, which is my preference, but sometimes you just want the predictability of the same flavour. Each pack has about 16 bite size chews, which make up 2 servings. From a nutritional perspective, one serving (half the pack) contains100 calories, 24 g of carbs, and 40 mg of sodium. There are 420 mg of a GU Amino Acid blend (L-leucine, L-V|aline, L-Isoleucine). Note: the chews are vegan, gluten free, and K parve. They do not contain caffeine, which again can be a pro or con depending on your nutrition preferences.
My only complaint is how hard the packs are to open, so I need to be stopped and use my teeth. If you are racing, my advice is to open the pack ahead of time and have them loose in a plastic bag in a pocket or a top tube bag on your bike.

The third product is the GU hydration drink tabs which come in a pack of 12. These are ideal for long bike rides where you finish your first electrolyte bottle after an hour, and you still have an hour or more to go. You just add one drink tab to a 16 ounce bottle of water, give a little shake, and you have an electrolyte liquid for the next part of your bike ride. I carry a pack in my saddle bag and replenish whenever I am running low. Each tablet contains 10 calories, 3 g carbs, 320 mg sodium, and 55 mg potassium. These tablets are also gluten free and vegan, and do not contain caffeine. These are a must and come in a variety of flavours. I look forward to trying the tri-berry flavour when I finish my current stash.

I regularly use GU products for nutrition and hydration while training and racing, and recommend these products to athletes of all abilities.