PowerBar Energy Gel, Caffeinated, 1.44-Ounce Packets (Pack of 24)
|
Our Price: $18.00 Category: Health Care See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Product Reviews of PowerBar Energy Gel, Caffeinated, 1.44-Ounce Packets (Pack of 24)
Product Review: Buy Gu.
Summary: 3 Stars
I must preface this review with: I am a Gu fan. I've tried so many different brands, flavors, and types of gels/blocks/cubes, whatever, and I love Gu to get the job done. For PowerBar, I've tried the Vanilla, which is really delicious. It tastes like cake frosting! However, the vanilla does not have caffeine, so this does not fill my needs. I have tried the Double Latte, which I abhor--I thought it was AWFUL. It just stuck to my teeth and wouldn't go down, and yuck yuck yuck. I love coffee, too. But as a liquid, in a mug! :) I have heard from many runners that they enjoy the Green Apple, so I might try these in the future. The PowerBar brand is a thinner consistency than Gu or Clif, so sometimes I think it goes down a lot easier, especially if you're not near a water fountain or aid station. If the vanilla had caffeine, I would probably stick with that one. I couldn't run the distances I do without gels. I take one on a daily run of 7-8 miles, I'll take 2 gels on a weekend run of 14-16 miles, and I'll take 3 on a run longer than 20 miles (in addition to Clif Bars). I hope this helps someone make a gel decision!
Oh, in addition, I want to point out that PowerBar gels are made in a facility that manufactures dairy products, whereas Gu does not. I hope this helps the allergy sufferers out there!
Product Review: Great boost
Summary: 5 Stars
I use these gels before cardio and weight training workouts with great results. I always get more sets or miles when I use a Powerbar gel. Great for long bike rides to catch a second wind and keep on pedaling. I like banana/strawberry the best. Just chug 'em down and chase with a drink of water and you'll get a boost within minutes.Product Review: Not Horrible, Gets the Job Done
Summary: 4 Stars
These aren't the most delicious things you'll ever eat - the taste is a little bit off and chemically.
But they're certainly better than tolerable. And that fact that you're going to want to wash them down with plenty of water? That's a good thing - you're working hard, and you could use the extra H20.
Best of all, these get the job done. They keep me from bonking during my workout..the carbs are great and the caffeine can't hurt. Amazon's price is good, too.
Product Review: Not sure I'm using this gel to its full potential; easy to use and carry
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm still learning how (or whether) to use these gels in training or racing. I just downed a PowerBar Gel (strawberry-banana, 1X caffeine) following a 10K race plus an extra 4 mile training run. I do forget the exercise physiology here... am I supposed to use DURING the run, before, or after? I've got a half marathon coming up next week, so I'm most concerned about injury and cramp prevention at this stage. But I've also got a 188 mile team race coming up, where I have to run 3 stages. Last year, I used this gel between my segments (plus peanut butter sandwiches and gobs of fluids).
Here's what I know. This PowerBar Gel is easy to consume (even the green apple flavor... you won't treat it as a candy). I haven't had any leakage problems yet, and it is easy to use: squeeze and swallow. However, I really can't tease out any real benefits due to the product, or whether I'm experiencing a placebo effect. In fact, I wonder whether you have to be a very fine athlete, pushing your body to the limits, for there even to be a measurable effect.
In other words, are these gels just adult pacifiers?
Well, I probably need all the help I can get. I'm not sure about the 0, 1X, or 2X caffeine content. The caffeine can't be for recovery, can it? So it is a minor, legal stimulant?
As long as I can get these for about a dollar per unit, the taste isn't bad, and they don't break and leak, I'll keep using them. Helpful comments, observations, and use instructions welcomed!
Product Review: The Anti-Fatigue
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a fantastic product. I'm relatively new to long distance running (my long runs are only 10k) and this is the first gel product I've used, but it did not disappoint.
It's hard to credit my gains solely to this, so I will give a wrap-up of my experience and let you decide. The first time I ran 10k, I had a time of 55:25 (I know that's slow, but I'm a bigger guy). The second time I tried it, there were a few differences: I wore running shorts (the first time I wore basketball shorts) and I had a fuel belt equipped with a 20oz water bottle and two Strawberry Banana PowerBar Power Gel Packets; temperature and environment were similar during both runs. Anyway, I popped these gel packs at around the 20 minute and 40 minute mark and my time dropped to 52:21! I don't know about you, but I think an improvement of over 3 minutes is fantastic... Especially if you consider that is nearly 30 seconds per mile.
Okay, so I know the shorts (they were quite a bit lighter and didn't get soaked with sweat) and liquid helped quite a bit, as well as my muscles being a little more broken in from the first time I tried 10k, but the biggest thing I noticed was my consistency. My third mile on my first run was a horrific 9:37 and way off the rest of my mile times. During my second run, each mile ranged from around 8:17 (my 5th mile) to 8:37 (my first mile); I think the fact that my mile times improved as my run went on also illustrates the effectiveness of this product. I track my time and distance with a Garmin Forerunner 205 (another fantastic product).
Anyway, I highly suggest this product if you are new to long distance running or a veteran that competes. If you dont' want to commit to an entire box, I bought a couple of individual packets at REI for $1.25 a piece just to see if I noticed an improvement. Compared to the other reviews, I don't think this is hard to swallow at all. If you spray a little water in your mouth before consuming the packet, it goes down even easier. My one and only con would be that it is kind of sticky, so if you get any on your hands it's quite annoying; small price to pay in my eyes.
More Product Reviews:
1 2
1 2