Energy jelly or energy gel: which one should you carry?
In Japan the pouch you squeeze mid-ride is usually a jelly. In Australia it is usually a gel. They do the same basic job, which is getting carbohydrate into you while you are moving. But they are not built the same way. Here is how they differ and when each one makes sense.
The short version
A gel is concentrated: a lot of carbohydrate in a small sachet you finish in one or two squeezes. An energy jelly is looser and wetter: a bigger pouch with a spout, closer to drinking than eating. Gels win on carbohydrate per gram. Jellies win on how easy they are to get down when your mouth is dry.
Neither is better in general. The right one is the one your stomach accepts at race effort. The only way to find that out is to test both in training.
Side by side
- yohemite Energy Gel: 40g sachet, 27g of carbohydrate. About 68g of carbs per 100g, so it is the densest option here. Caffeine free, with a Caffeine 110 version for later in a race. The pack recommends taking it with a sip of water.
- amino VITAL Perfect Energy: 45g pouch, 24g of carbohydrate plus 2,500mg of amino acids. A jelly from Ajinomoto in Japan, grapefruit flavour, caffeine free. Softer than a gel and it comes out of a spout.
- Morinaga in Jelly: 180g pouch. This is an everyday jelly drink, not race fuel. The Fibre (Apple) pouch has 25g of carbohydrate spread across 180g, around 14g per 100g, which is far too dilute to carry on a long run.
Where a gel makes more sense
If you are running a marathon or riding for several hours, space in your pockets matters. A 40g gel gives you 27g of carbohydrate. To get the same from a dilute jelly drink you would be carrying a pouch several times the size. For races with regular drink stations, gels are the efficient choice: take one, wash it down, keep going.
Most people do well on around 40 to 60g of carbohydrate an hour after the first 45 to 60 minutes. That is one 27g gel every 30 to 40 minutes. More than about 60g an hour from one sugar source tends to sit in the stomach. Our guide to energy gels covers the detail.
Where a jelly makes more sense
Jellies are easier to swallow when you are breathing hard or your mouth is dry, because there is more moisture in every mouthful. They suit hot days, trail runs where drink stops are far apart and people who simply cannot face a thick gel. amino VITAL Perfect Energy also adds amino acids, which some athletes like for longer efforts. If you have given up on gels because of the texture, a jelly is worth a try before you give up on fuelling altogether.
The trade-off is bulk. A jelly with the same carbohydrate as a gel is a bigger pouch, so they are better as one or two pouches in the plan than as your only fuel for a full marathon.
What about everyday jelly drinks?
Japanese convenience stores sell jelly pouches for all sorts of reasons, from a quick breakfast to a snack between meetings. Morinaga in Jelly is that kind of pouch. It is handy at a desk or in a bag when you have no time to sit down, but it is not designed as race fuel and it should not replace a gel on a long run.
How to decide
- Start with your longest training session. Under an hour you probably need neither. Over 90 minutes you need a plan.
- Try one of each. A gel on one long run, a jelly on the next, at race pace rather than an easy jog.
- Check how they sit. No sloshing or cramping at 60 to 90 minutes is the result you want.
- Plan around the course. Lots of drink stations favours gels. Long dry stretches or heat favours jellies.
Try a gel and a jelly in training
Single sachets and small packs so you can find out what your stomach agrees with before it matters.
Shop energy gels and jellies
