If you are a long distance runner, you probably use gel packs for an energy boost during a race. They energize during activity with carbohydrates and electrolytes.

In researching and interviewing runners regarding gel packs, three things were a reoccurring motif.

>> There was an issue of tab top disposal
>> Ingredients of most of them read like a science experiment
>> Some of them upset the stomach
>> Some of them are hard to swallow
>> Some gels taste awful although they aren’t supposed to be tasty just palatable

How to use Clif Shot Energy Gel and any Gel

Keep in mind that when you ingest these gel packs, you need to slow down and drink water. Not Gatorade not Red Bull. Water. So ideally, you take it before you approach a water station. Coordinating this can sometimes be precarious given the erratic traffic situation at most water stops.

You should take a gel 10 to 15 min before every race or training bout. And then it varies during a race. But as a rule of thumb, most use them on runs over 60-90 minutes, and then one every 20-45 minutes.

If it's a longer run, a lot of runners take one with caffeine for the last 40 minutes. Many will tell you that for a marathon, two gels will do the trick. Others claim you need several. So you have to find out the formula that works for you and that depends on your speed and your genetics.

Clif Bar Clif Shot Energy Gel is 90% Organic

Like many gels, Clif Shot Gel is a fast-acting, easy-to-digest source of carbohydrates which is considered your body's preferred source of fuel during activity. The difference is that Clif Gel’s ingredient list doesn’t read like a mad scientist’s list of chemicals. A lot of people have stomachs that are sensitive to gels, and this one is considered easier to digest than other brands. One way to avoid any stomach upset is to drink water when you consume one.

Clif Bar Clif Shot Energy Gel with Litter Leash Packaging

The Litter Leash is a patented design which allows the tear part of the tab to stay attached to the bottom of the package after use. This design was adopted in an effort to prevent the littering of gel tabs on race roads and trails. This Litter Leash makes the process of opening a gel and disposing of it properly easier. And this leash does allow you to thread a pin through the top if you want to attach it to shorts or a shirt. Many runners rave over a brand called race ready shorts since these shorts have adequate pockets for gels.

Clif Shot Gel Ingredients and Quick Facts

>> More viscous than other brands. (a little thicker) however many runners think that these are easier to swallow
>> lower price than most
>> Clif Shot Gel has 8g of sugar. Clif shot blocks has 12g with the (compare that with Gu which has 5g of sugar.
>> 3 flavors with caffeine, 100mg caffeine, 50mg of caffeine, 25mg caffeine
>> Mocha gels has the caffeine
>> Taste good enough
>> Clif Bar Clif Shot Energy Gel is organic.