BY DEAN KARNAZES
Let me start with this disclaimer, the story you’re about to read is not endorsed or recommended by Hammer Nutrition in any way. This is an unsupervised experiment that could potentially turn disastrous. Put in more familiar terms: don’t try this at home.
If you're like me, Hammer Gel®s are the only gels that are not overly syrupy and sweet. Before my affiliation with Hammer Nutrition, I used to limit myself to one or two gels during a marathon. The saccharine stickiness in my mouth got nauseating after that.
But things changed for the better once I discovered Hammer Gels with their low-sugar maltodextrin formulation. I could now consume a handful of gels during a marathon without suffering GI distress or queasiness. Hallelujah!
The other thing I love about Hammer Gels is the variety of flavors. All are unique and distinctive, each imparting a different taste experience. With this variety, I decided to try something different myself. The experimental design was straightforward and hardly scientific. I would go on a 5-hour run consuming only water and two Hammer Gels per hour, sampling each of the flavors along the way.
So how did it go? Remarkably well! I had no GI issues or nausea, nor did I experience any blood sugar surges or crashes in my energy levels. And the variety of flavors kept things varied and fresh. Overall I would consider the experiment a success!
While my antics may seem extreme, others have pushed the boundaries much further. The legendary ultramarathoner Karl Meltzer is said to have consumed 65 gels during a race. And Karl has won more 100-mile ultramarathons than anyone in history. The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. Or in the gels, in this case.
If you wish to incorporate more Hammer Gel in your training and racing (in addition to the individual packets), they also offer a 26-serving option of most flavors. There's also a convenient Hammer Flask that holds five servings of Gel.
Try a different flavor every day and Hammer On!
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Dean Karnazes is an ultramarathoner and Hammer Nutrition Athlete. He has raced and competed worldwide and once ran 50 marathons, in all 50 US states, in 50 consecutive days. His most recent book is A Runner’s High.