BibRave Product Review and GIVEAWAY: Science In Sport Isotonic gels

Disclaimer: I received my Science In Sport Isotonic gels to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Read to the end for a chance to win a free pack SIS Energy Gels!

I definitely have a love-hate relationship with gels and sports nutrition in general. I try to eat as much real food as possible during runs and rides but that often means I don’t eat as often or get in enough calories. The bonk is real people! So to avoid the ugly wall, I reluctantly carry whatever gels I have lying around to fill in the calorie voids and keep up with intake. However, most gels are a pain to swallow, are sticky and get on everything, and I often need to gulp a ton of water to get them down, often making a sloshy mess out of my stomach. No bueno.

As part of being a BibRave Pro I received a large sampling of the 3 variations of SiS gels in 4 flavors: energy+electrolytes (Salted Strawberry & Lemon & Mint flavors) , energy+caffeine (Double Espresso Flavor) and Isotonic Energy (Apple Flavor). Since I’m racing Rock N Roll Chicago Half Marathon as part of the BibRave Pro Summit on July 21 and SiS gels are provided as on-course nutrition, these gels arrived at the perfect time in my training cycle. I’m also at the beginning of NYC Marathon and Honolulu Marathon training so it’s the perfect time to lock down an improved nutrition plan.

So what’s the deal with “isotonic”? According to the Science in Sport website:

The Isotonic formula allows the gel to empty from the stomach quickly as no fluid needs to be drawn into your stomach to dilute the gel, providing fast energy.

This means that each gel contains 22g of carbs, around 90 calories, around 1 g of sugar and can be taken without water! This means no sloshy stomach, no GI distress, and NO BONKING! The gels are only slightly thicker than water so they’re easy to take on the move (I easily sucked one down while biking down a gravel descent). This is how I’ve been using the gels:

Shorter runs less than 90 minutes or rides less than 20 miles –> 1 gel just before running. If you really need a boost before your morning run, I suggest the double espresso but be warned, it’s STRONG! SiS recommends double espresso before shorter runs or in the last 2 hours of a long-distance/ultra event. All of the gels taste great but they’re even better if you keep them refrigerated (double espresso tastes more like ice coffee if you take it cold – highly recommend!).

Longer runs or bike rides – > 1 gel before, and then 1 gel every 45 minutes. Depending on the length/intensity of the workout I vary my hydration between electrolyte with no added calories or a sports formula with extra carbohydrates to get closer to 150-200 calories per hour.

Overall, I’m really enjoying these gels and look forward to see how they work as I move to longer workouts/races this summer/fall. My one “complaint” is that the gels are kind of large so I haven’t run with more than 2-3 at at time, so I’ll need to carry more for longer efforts. However, they still fit in hydration packs, bike jersey pockets, and flip belts just fine so I think I’ll manage the extra bulk.

Here’s what other BibRave Pros have to say about the SiS Energy Gels:

Here’s your chance to win a free box of Science in Sport gels!

I’ve teamed up with Science in Sport to give away 2 6-pack boxes to a couple of lucky followers. Follow me, @FunSizeAthlete, and @ScienceInSport on Instagram, like and comment on this post with a friend who shares positive energy for your chance to win!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Endurance Athlete (@funsizeathlete)

Don’t want to wait to see if you win?? Science in Sport is offering readers 25% off their product! Shop their website and use the code ‘TRYSIS25’. What flavor are you excited to try? So far salted strawberry is my favorite. Let me know below!

Give Science in Sport some social media love here:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Give BibRave some social media love here:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram