Gels are a necessary evil in endurance sports. They're usually just shy of inedible, but are a quick source of calories to keep you going.
I was curious to try LG Energy Gels because creator Louis Garneau makes these with real fruit juice instead of foul-tasting artificial flavors.
We wrote about the launch of the Garneau nutrition line back in March.
"Each gel packet is a serving size of 41 g and contains 100 calories with 25 grams of complex carbohydrates and just 4 grams of simple sugars that make it easy to digest and quickly replenish energy," the company says on its product page. "LG Energy contains no artificial flavoring or colors and delivers 100% DV of antioxidant vitamins C & E which are used by the body as protection from free radicals produced during normal metabolism."
So it's good for you, but does it taste good? Verdict: Yes.
I tried the strawberry dragonfruit flavor and was pleasantly surprised to find that the gels do indeed taste like fruit, without the metallic taste that other gels sometimes have. The texture is smooth and not as thick as other gels, making it easy (and tolerable) to throw back in one shot. Last weekend during a 50-miler I took 8 of these over a 10-hour period and my only complaint was I hadn't packed two or three more. I'd really gotten used to the taste and texture, so when I was finally forced to take a different brand of gel it was a even worse than normal.
The circular tab at the top does indeed make the gel packs amazingly easy to tear open, even with end-of-race swollen fingers.
If you need an extra boost, look for the two of the six flavors that are caffeinated: citrus has 50 mg and tropical fruit has 25 mg.
My only suggestion to Louis Garneau would be to sell the gels in a variety pack so you could get all 6 flavors in a box of 24. But this is a minor, minor complaint.
LG Energy Gels are available online at www.louisgarneau.com, and will also be available in specialty bike shops. Get them for $1.49 each or $35.99 for a box of 24.
