Gels, Sharkies, Drinks

[danny_boy]

Many friends of mine that run more then 10k, and over 1 hour long have told me I should take one of these products to extend my distance, because by the time I hit 1 hour, my electrolyes and energy are all used up.

Now, I have done a lot of research, and it seems that sharkies are gaining popularity. My question is, how much of them to eat while on a long run. Do I eat before the run, or in the middle ? Or perhaps I do not need anything at all..

Looking for peoples opinions on this type of stuff, for outdoor runners that run over 1 hr.

[Slavakion]

Never heard of a sharkie before. But if you want to replenish your electrolytes, just drink some Gatorade or Powerade. Energy? Powerade has sugar in it for a quick boost of energy (or is it Gatorade?). These will probably be less expensive than "specialized" energy thingies.

[vector_1979]

It was recommended to me to drink a cup of tea or coffee a few hours before a long run. Dispite caffene dehydrates you, it also helps break down fat for energy. I find it all helps (running the london Marathon in 11 days!!!). I also find the sports gels work for me, been advised that some people can react to sports gels, so it may not be for them. When I do my long runs I do find this sudden burst of energy 5-10 minutes after consuming the gel!

[thingstodo]

I like the gel by GU for bike riding. If I ride for more than an hour I hit one every 30 - 45 minutes. It really does the trick. I also use Cytomax (lemon-lime is great) sports drinks, which I think are much better than the regular commercial stuff. Better ingredients and more things to buffer lactic acid, etc.

That said, I don't feel the need for anything under an hour unless I'm riding one w time crunch with little food ahead of time. Then I'll take some Cytomax for at least the steady carbs.