KODA Energy Gel is a food in liquid/gel form. The best time to use energy gels is just prior to activity and during activity.
When you require a food source to assist with fuelling the brain and active muscles while active at elevated heart rate, it is hard to go passed the KODA Energy Gels. Why? Energy to volume ratio, which basically means the amount of energy that is provided, based on the size of the serving. In the case of KODA Energy Gels this is 117 calories in a 33ml serving.
This is an important characteristic given our digestive system is limited to how much it can process/tolerate when we are active with an elevated heart rate. Make this a necessary consideration when choosing your bodies food/fuel source, especially when competing over an extended period of time.
Look at the amount of energy and the volume you need to consume to access those calories. The key to any sound fuelling strategy is to not compromise the stomach. Those of you that have had stomach issues in the past know that it can just ruin your day.
We know you get advice to consume large amounts of fluid when taking an energy gel. This just increases the volume and puts pressure on your stomach. If you need to take some fluid with a gel, just a sip is sufficient. The KODA Energy Gel is in a form that the stomach can tolerate with no problem, without the need for a large of amount of fluid.
Energy to volume ratio, it’s a very important consideration.
KODA Energy Gels have a low thermic effect, which is very important because you want to limit the amount of energy that is required to convert food into fuel the body can utilise. You want that energy focused on the task at hand and not redirected to the digestive system. The very reason the KODA Energy Gels are in a liquid/gel form is that it arrives into the stomach in a form it already recognises, which bypasses all the processes that solid food needs to go through before it can enter the bloodstream.
When we eat food, the digestive system converts the food to chyme, which is a semi fluid form. The KODA Energy Gel is already in this semi fluid form and passes through the digestive system into the bloodstream very quickly, without the need to redirect blood away from our working muscles. Making it a fast fuel with a low thermic effect.
Another very important factor is the quality and cleanliness of the food you are consuming. Contrary to what most think about energy gels, they are NOT created equally. We get that this could be confusing given that maltodextrin is, for most gels, the main ingredient. The fact is there are varying grades of maltodextrins available to the manufacturer, which determines their cost and effectiveness. It is this very reason why you may experience stomach problems when consuming energy gels.
The cheaper the grade of maltodextrin, the more refined processed sugars that are present. The more refined processed sugars, the higher the likelihood that you could experience stomach issues, especially at elevated heart rate when senses are heightened.
Every ingredient we use in all our products is stringently tested with this main mantra – it has to have a low sensory impact – meaning the product needs to be consumed during elevated heart rate and not be noticeable. That the act of consuming food during activity doesn’t take away from the task at hand. Focus is purely on what you are doing at the time and not on whether the food is too sickly sweet, or leaves an undesirable aftertaste, or turns your stomach upside down, which ultimately ruins your day.
We have ensured through researching different grades of maltodextrin that KODA Energy Gels have a low sensory impact by utilising high quality, clean ingredients that are gentle on the stomach.