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I personally used gummy bears as endurance gasoline for a robust ten years. These pretty chewy candies have prolonged been a solution for athletes in search of an inexpensive and sugar-rich gasoline for prolonged endeavors. Nonetheless with further sport-formulated gummy selections like Clif Bloks and Honey Stinger Chews within the market than ever, I puzzled if there was loads of a distinction in how they make me actually really feel all through hearty efforts. So I decided to put them to a head-to-head examine.
Working with Gummy Bears
It was 10 a.m. at a pristine mountain lake in Colorado as soon as I ate my first consolation retailer gummy bears, and—no shock proper right here—they’d been delicious. I’d packed a reusable plastic bag with a heartier serving (study: better than the actually useful 9 bears) of Albanese Gummi Bearsand one different reusable bag of Haribo Goldbears and shoved them in my hydration pack. This type of candy is often product of corn syrup and sugar, with “pure and artificial flavors.”
I was a pair rugged mountain miles to a lake with my canine. I sat on a rock and ingested the candy, noting how the Albanese Gummi Bears, which a pal had raved about to me, had been insanely comfy and chewy. Presumably too comfy and chewy—I ate all of them inside 30 seconds. They don’t require loads of masticating, which is a bonus whereas working, nevertheless a harmful in case you occur to don’t must inhale an unlimited bag of gummy bears in a single sitting.
I moreover ate a few (as soon as extra better than 9) Haribo Goldbears. That’s the mannequin I used to carry and eat all through multi-day journey races. They’re, in a phrase, gummier. They take further effort to chew, which is okay whereas mountaineering or paddling, nevertheless might be a ache (and a choking hazard) whereas working or biking. They too, are delicious (I’m personally eager on the pineapple style).
The consumption left my enamel feeling slimy, like they do each time I eat one factor super-sugary. My stomach felt OK—not good—on the steep and rocky descent, nevertheless I felt considerably jittery, like I’d had an extreme quantity of espresso.
I didn’t crash and burn afterward, but it surely absolutely was solely a five-mile outing. I didn’t actually really feel good the rest of the day, though.
Working with Energy Chews
Since energy chews hit the scene some years up to now, I’ve relied on them to every satiate my love of gummy candy whereas exercising and to keep up me going. I’ve used them on quite a few mountain working adventures, ski excursions, hikes with children, and additional. Nonetheless for this gummy-to-gummy comparability, I took them on a mountain run three days after the preliminary gummy bear examine.
I ate a sleeve stuffed with Salted Watermelon Clif Bloks about six miles proper right into a rugged run within the course of 1 different alpine lake. And I pounded a bag of Honey Stinger Pink Lemonade Energy Chews spherical mile 11.
Every served my needs: I was fatigued and hungry, sweating profusely, and borderline depleted. I ate further on that 15-mile run than merely chews—some nuts, pretzels, zucchini bread with walnuts—nevertheless the chews had been my on-the-go snacks whereas the others I ate sitting at a lake or strolling to warm-up.
I didn’t get the sugary coating on my enamel; I don’t from chews. And I didn’t get the weird jitters. I moreover didn’t actually really feel the guilt-cheating sensation I had on my Gummy Bear Run. The substances of every Clif Bloks and Honey Stinger Energy Chews embody feel-good sugars like pure tapioca syrup, pure sugar, and pure honey, plus pure color from black carrot juice.
Bears Versus Chews
| Albanese Gummi Bears | Haribo Goldbears | Salted Watermelon Clif Bloks Energy Chews | Pink Lemonade Honey Stinger Energy Chews | |
| Worth | $.48/oz | $0.31/oz | $1.52/oz | $1.63/oz |
| Sodium | 20mg / 9 bears | 5mg / 13 bears | 100mg per serving (3 chews) or 200mg per pack (6 chews) | 65mg of per serving (6 chews) / 130mg per pack (12 chews) |
| Carbohydrates | 29g / 9 bears | 23 / 13 bears | 39 grams / pack | 24 grams / pack |
| Power | 100 / 9 bears | 100 / 13 bears | 160 vitality / pack | 180 vitality / pack |
| Sugar | 14g / 9 bears | 14g / 13 bears | 24 grams | 27 grams |
Other than the upper sugars and substances sometimes of energy chews, what every packs of chews have that gummy bears do not are a substantial amount of electrolytes. I actually really feel like I would love the extra sodium supplied by chews as soon as I exert myself; altering it helps me actually really feel balanced.
There could also be a lot much less sugar inside the full bag (two servings) of every Clif Bloks and Honey Stinger Energy Chews than in two servings of gummy bears. (These two servings might be a rely of 18 bears.) I’m not sure why the sugar of chews doesn’t make me actually really feel jittery and gross identical to the sugar of gummy bears. Presumably it’s partially psychosomatic, nevertheless probably it has to do with the great points chews have that bears do not.
Honey Stinger chews moreover current 70 p.c the actually useful dietary allowance of Vitamin C, and their new Caffeinated Chews (Strawberry Kiwi, Cherry Cola, and Stingerita Lime) embrace 50 milligrams of caffeine (100 milligrams for full pack) from tea for sustained energy. Black Cherry, Tropical Punch, and Orange Clif Bloks embrace 50 milligrams caffeine per serving, 100 milligrams per pack. And Clif Bloks have 18 milligrams of potassium, moreover helpful electrolytes. (Unusually, Haribo Goldbears have two grams of protein per serving.)
The place Haribo and Albanese have an edge is in worth and availability. You should purchase bears from these producers in various outlets and worth decrease than half per ounce than any of the chews, which can be further of a specialty merchandise.
Remaining Concepts
I actually really feel greater consuming energy chews over gummy bears, every on an endurance/effectivity diploma and on a guilt diploma, not that I, or anyone, ought to essentially really feel accountable consuming candy every so often. The one issue I might actually really feel accountable about is the extra worth that I might incur all through a race or an intense teaching cycle.
I uncover energy chews merely as delicious as gummy bears, and every actually really feel like a take care of whereas out on an journey of any kind. The ability chews don’t coat my enamel in sugar or threaten a bitter abdomen, one factor I get as soon as I ingest an extreme quantity of sugar on a run. Consuming energy chews on a run or any outing that requires endurance merely makes further sense than consuming gummy bears.
Our veteran gear maven, Lisa Jhung, has been testing gear for 25 years. She’s sprayed herself down with a hose to examine the waterproofness of rain jackets, organize treadmills in her yard for weeks of testing, and stashed sneakers in bushes to fluctuate mid-run.
On this column, Vettedshe inspects, assessments, and muses on all points exterior gear.
