The Surprising Mid-Race Fuel Runners Are Using Instead of Energy Gels

Reported by Women's Health Magazine.

Running is already an expensive hobby before you factor in the $3-a-packet gel tax. Between shoes, gear, race entry fees, and the growing wall of specialty nutrition products, the budget hits fast — which is probably why runners on TikTok have started reaching for gummy bears and applesauce pouches instead. According to Women's Health Magazine, everyday foods are having a serious moment as mid-run fuel, and the dietitians and coaches backing this trend say the science is genuinely on their side.

Here's the physiology: your body runs primarily on carbohydrates during exercise, converting them to glucose and storing the excess as glycogen. The problem is that storage is limited. "Your body only has so much stored carbohydrate to burn, and it starts running low somewhere around 60 to 90 minutes into a run," says Kelly Roberts, certified run coach and founder of Badass Lady Gang. Let those stores bottom out and you're looking at fatigue, brain fog, mood crashes, and a pace that tanks. The fix is preemptive — Roberts recommends starting to fuel around 30 minutes in, targeting 40 to 60 grams of carbs per hour for runs exceeding 90 minutes, with some athletes needing up to 90 grams depending on intensity.

What Actually Works When You Skip the Gel Aisle

Gels earn their reputation for being fast-digesting and portable, but Roberts is direct: they are not automatically superior. "Real food usually gives you more sustained energy and tends to be easier on the stomach," she says. Sports dietitian Leslie Bonci, RD — who fuels the Kansas City Chiefs — puts it simply: familiarity and comfort matter enormously when your body is under stress. The foods both experts recommend are unglamorous and deeply effective: honey sticks, gummy bears, Swedish Fish, mini PB&J sandwiches (Uncrustables are apparently a cult favorite), applesauce squeeze pouches, bananas, raisins, rice balls, salted potatoes, chips, and pretzels. One important caveat: skip the sugar-free candy. It won't absorb properly and will wreck your stomach. "Sugar is a runner's best friend," Roberts says.

The strategy for eating while running is mercifully low-pressure. "A little goes a long way," Bonci says — small amounts every hour, worked into your overall carb target, will do the job without turning your long run into a moving buffet. If you're budget-conscious but still want the option of gels come race day, Roberts suggests building a base with real food for the first several weeks of training, then gradually introducing gels six to eight weeks out. This sidesteps the cost of stocking gels for an entire 16-to-20-week training block while still giving your gut time to adapt.

Whatever you choose, the rule is non-negotiable: test everything in training first. "Treat every long run like a dress rehearsal, because nothing new should show up on race day," Roberts says. Your gel strategy — or your Uncrustable strategy — should be as dialed in as your splits.

The bottom line: mid-run fuel is a performance tool, not a luxury, and the best version of it is whatever your stomach, budget, and pace can actually handle.

Read the original at Women's Health Magazine.