Scott's Energy Gel Comparison

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THE GREAT 

INTER-GEL-ACTIC BATTLE

        With so many energy supplements on the market it can be really hard to choose the right one for you; at Scott's alone right now we have three Energy Gel options to choose from! From time to time we have a sales rep come in and try to sell us their product, usually using many buzzwords and fantastic claims of athletic enhancement. These tales can really leave you wondering which option is truly superior. Obviously, this is not a complete list of all the gels on the market but hopefully it can help sort you sort through some of the hype.

HAMMER NUTRITION GEL

PROS

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  1. AMINO ACIDS- HAMMER GEL contains four amino acids, three of which are essential Branched Chain Amino Acids. Those three, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, and L-Valine are vital for preserving muscle tissue and glycogen storage withing the muscle. The fourth L-Alanine helps convert glucose into energy. These are very important functions during exercise, especially endurance activities.
  2. ENERGY DISTRIBUTION- Because they include maltodextrin which is absorbed as quickly as glucose into the bloodstream as well as tapioca syrup and Energy Smart; fructose (grape juice) and rice dextrine, the user will be able to recieve a quick boost of energy followed by a more sustained energy release do to the breakdown process required by the tapioca and ENERGY SMART carbs.
  3. CAFFEINE AVAILABILITY- Some HAMMER flavors include caffeine, which has been shown by numerous studies to enhance athletic performance.
  4. FLAVOR OPTIONS- HAMMER has a TON of flavor options from Orange to Peanut Butter-Chocolate.

CONS

  1. BOWEL MOVEMENTS- Both tapioca syrup and dextrin are known to promote bowel functions. Good for health, not so good for a Century road ride without many rest stops.

GLUKOS ENERGY GEL

PROS

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  1. TASTES GREAT- The orange flavor is reminiscent of a melted Otter Pop!
  2. LOW VISCOSITY- This gel is quite thin, making it easy to get down on those hot days when your mouth is already sticky; this is a major plus for bearded people.
  3. MINIMAL INGREDIENTS- Water, glucose, citric acid, potassium citrate, dipotassium citrate, sea salt, natural flavors, beta carotene... Not so bad for a supplement that actually tastes great!
  4. FAST ABSORBTION- Glucose is a monosaccharide, the single sugar molecule that is actually stored in your blood for energy. Sucrose must be broken down into fructose and glucose and monosaccharide fructose must be converted into glucose before it can actually be used as energy.

CONS

  1. COST- GLUKOS retails at $1.99 per pouch, the other two competitors on this list generally cost less $1.50 per pouch.
  2. LOW CALORIE- Each pouch contains 60 calories whereas competitors contain about 100 calories per pouch.

CLIF SHOT ENERGY GEL

PROS
  1. MOSTLY ORGANIC- Reduces consumption of chemicals, water and air pollution, eco-system degradation, and cannot contain any GMOs!
  2. MINIMAL INGREDIENTS- Really leaves very little guesswork as to what you are eating!
  3. LITTER LEASH- Again CLIF helps the environment! The Litter Leash holds the top of the package after it is ripped off so it doesn't find itself laying on the trail.
  4. CAFFEINE AVAILABILTY- Like HAMMER they offer flavors that include everyone's favorite legal stimulant!

CONS

  1. BLOOD SUGAR- The cane sugar may cause an insulin spike, which is really only an issue for a diabetic consumer.

CONCLUSION

    After checking the facts it seems that for superior performance and value HAMMER wins the battle with features including fast absorbing maltodextrin, combined with lower glycemic ingredients to help provide a more sustained energy boost and the fact that they include important amino acids into their recipe. CLIF SHOT is a great option for the environmentally conscious consumer due to their use of organic ingredients and the LITTER LEASH to help reduce well... litter. Like HAMMER they use maltodextrin for fast energy and they include slightly lower GI cane sugar for some sustained energy. They also manage to maintain their very high ingredient quality without a loss in calories or a spike in price. For overall value GLUKOS seems to come in last. It has the highest price for the least amount of calories and their flagship ingredient, glucose, shows no real absorbtion or health benefits as compared to the others brands quick acting and natural maltodextrin. However, GLUKOS' major plus is how easy to eat it is-it's very thin consistency makes it very palatable and keeps beards clean!

     Which Energy Gel do you use? Why? Comment back with your reply!

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