Understanding Energy Gels and Their Use in Endurance Running

📰 Original title: Energy gels: here's what runners need to know

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#fitness #energygels #endurancerunning #carbohydrates

Understanding Energy Gels and Their Use in Endurance Running

Energy gels have become a common fuel source for marathon runners and other endurance athletes, with over 70% reportedly using them during races. These gels provide a concentrated form of carbohydrates, usually blends of maltodextrin and fructose, designed for quick absorption and convenience mid-run. They help maintain energy levels once the body's glycogen stores, which last around 90 minutes, are depleted. While gels are easy to carry and consume, they can be costly, unpalatable for some, and may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, particularly if consumed without sufficient water. Research indicates that energy gels do not necessarily outperform alternative carbohydrate sources like sports drinks, sugary foods, or chews in terms of energy delivery, although they offer the advantage of standardised dosing and portability. Effective use involves consuming 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour during runs lasting 60–90 minutes, and 60-90g per hour for very long races. Testing gels during training is crucial to ensure tolerance and effectiveness. For those prone to digestive issues, experimenting with different brands or reverting to traditional carbohydrate sources such as bananas, dates, bread, and rice cakes may be preferable. Overall, energy gels remain a convenient, scientifically informed option but are not indispensable for all athletes.

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Cliff Young, the Shuffle That Shocked Australia

Cliff Young memorial gumboot in Beech Forest, Victoria. Photo by Mattinbgn, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Dear Cherubs, Cliff Young did not look like a champion when he lined up for the 1983 Sydney to Melbourne ultramarathon. He looked like a 61-year-old potato farmer who had wandered into the wrong sporting event and decided, with admirable confidence, to stay anyway.

That was the joke, at least until he started winning.

THE SHUFFLE

Young’s running style was so unusual it earned its own nickname: the “Young Shuffle.” Instead of bounding along like a polished track star with expensive shoes and a personal nutrition plan, he used a steady, low-lift shuffle that kept him moving with less fuss and less wasted effort. Low-key, it was the opposite of glamorous. High-key, it worked.

According to ABC News, Young completed the brutal race in 5 days, 15 hours and 4 minutes, beating the previous record by almost two days. The event covered 875 kilometres, and by the time he finished, he had turned what looked like a novelty act into one of the great endurance stories in Australian sport.

Part of the appeal was that nobody expected him to survive it, let alone win it. He came from Beech Forest in Victoria, where he had spent years running after cattle and working on the land. In the race, that old farm toughness mattered more than fancy technique. While other runners slept, Young kept going. While others overthought, he shuffled. Apparently, the body can be persuaded to do remarkable things when the ego is left at the gate.

THE PRIZE TWIST

Then came the part that sealed the legend. According to ABC News, Young said he did not know there was prize money when he entered. When he learned he had won $10,000, he did not pocket it and grin like a man who had just found a winning scratch ticket. He split it among the other finishers instead, saying they had worked just as hard as he had.

That move mattered as much as the win itself. It turned him from an unlikely champion into a national hero: not because he was fast, but because he was generous when he had every excuse to be triumphant and selfish. There is something beautifully unflashy about that. No speech. No victory lap. Just a farmer, a shuffle, and a quiet refusal to behave like a legend.

As noted by thisclaimer.com, stories like Cliff Young’s still resonate because they feel almost too strange to be true. Yet the facts hold up: the age, the distance, the time, and the prize money all add up to one of those rare sports stories that sounds invented until you check the record book.

Sources list:
ABC News — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-24/born-to-run-cliff-young-full-episode/105090300
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beech_Forest_Cliff_Young_Memorial_Gumboot.JPG
thisclaimer.com — https://thisclaimer.com/

The Thisclaimer logo blends a classic warning symbol with a brain icon to represent critical thinking, curiosity, and thoughtful disclaimers. #athleteLegend #australianSports #cliffYoung #enduranceRunning #fitness #inspirationalStory #running #sportsHistory #trailRunning #training #ultramarathon #underdogVictory #viralTrueStory #youngShuffle

10 Marathons in 10 Days: An Epic Journey To Fight Hunger (Extraordinary Documentary)

https://peertube.gravitywell.xyz/w/h7sHY3wZnRXg5Tf8xnvueF

10 Marathons in 10 Days: An Epic Journey To Fight Hunger (Extraordinary Documentary)

PeerTube
I’ve spent over a decade documenting incredible feats of endurance, from ocean swims stretching for miles to mountain ultras spanning hundreds and it's moments like these that inspire me to dig deeper and do the best job I can when documenting such moments.

Last weekend, during Sanna Duthie’s 186-mile Pembrokeshire Coast Path record attempt, I caught this moment between her and her dad at a checkpoint at around 2am, 14 hours in to the attempt.

It’s the kind of scene that shows exactly how athletes like Sanna make the impossible possible.

Behind every runner pushing their limits is a circle of people who truly believe in their dream.

The ones who give their time freely, who show up at every adventure without question.

No glory, no money, nothing to gain other than a close friend or family member achieving their dreams, just pure, selfless support.

Steve, Sanna’s father, slept only a few minutes over the entire 48 hours, determined to do everything he could to help her finish ahead of schedule.

Alongside him were Andrew, her partner, and a small crew of close friends, running sections with her, carrying supplies through remote night stretches, and quietly doing whatever it took to keep her moving.

You'll see this scene in the documentary featuring both of Sanna's attempts later in the year.

Who’s been your “checkpoint crew” when you’ve taken on something big?
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#TrailRunning
#UltraRunning
#FastestKnownTime
#FKT
#EnduranceRunning
#UltraMarathon
#RunHappy
#TrailLove
#MountainRunning
#RunWild
#AdventureRunning
#TrailCommunity
#TrailPhotographer
#RunningPhotography
#NatureRunning
#CoastalRunning
#Pembrokeshire
#WalesAdventure
#UKTrailRunning
#RunForTheViews
#Checkpoint
#Aidstation
#trailcrew

Hey guys! I’m new here. I just found Mastodon after installing the Vivaldi browser.

I would like to share a series of short clips in the near future of me running the 496 Challenge by Sean Conway. You simply run each day a distance matching the day’s date (e.g. 1k on the first of the month, 2k on the second, etc.) in a month with 31 days. You’ll end up with a total of 496 kilometres at the end of the month. Sean, who gave himself the nickname “the endurance guy” says on his homepage that only 10% of those who start this challenge go on to finish it.

Well, I don’t know if that’s true. I did this challenge last month (May 2025) and managed to finish it. It was pretty hard in the last week. I finished 8 marathons in the past, so I’m not new to long distances, and I guess that helped me. Anyhow, I broke two personal records with this challenge: total distance per week and total distance per month.

I previously posted my clips to Facebook and Instagram and will share them here as well soon.
#running
#RunningCommunity
#RunnersOfMastodon
#the496challenge
#halfmarathon
#Marathon
#endurancerunning

A human running speed can drive an antelope to exhaustion in only 24 minutes. This approach could result in a five-times bigger payoff in calories gained per time invested, compared to hunting the animal down at a walking pace. #evolution #EnduranceRunning https://www.science.org/content/article/born-run-early-endurance-running--may-have-evolved-help-humans-chase-down-prey?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=332d4fb735-nature-briefing-daily-20240515&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b27a691814-332d4fb735-50179668
Cheers to the dedicated long distance runners who I saw running in the pouring rain here in #MiddleTennessee. I used to be that crazy when I was in my 40s, too. #running #EnduranceRunning

My favorite hypothesis: the persistence hunting hypothesis.

I don't know how many times I've watched this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=39&v=826HMLoiE_o

#PersistenceHunting #EnduranceRunning #HumanEvolution

#Kalahari #desert #HunterGatherers #SanPeople

Hunters:
Karohe "the runner"
!Nam!kabe
!Nate
Kayate
Boro//xao
/Uase!

The Intense 8 Hour Hunt | Attenborough Life of Mammals | BBC Earth

YouTube
4Town Ultra mission complete and lesson learned, Saucony Triumph 20 are great but not for over 20K - at least for me 😀 #Ultrarunning
#UltraLife #UltraMarathon #UltraInspiration #EnduranceRunning

Much needed time outdoors, playing in the snow on the safety team for the #HaworthHobble on Saturday, with the lovely James Hargan. Seeing some wonderful Spine folks and a lovely catch-up with the legend that is Martin Stone were excellent added bonuses!

Hopefully this is bringing an end to what I can only describe as some very tough recent times…

Group photo from the utterly wonderful @smileyjoface 🥰

#Ultrarunning #TrailRunning #EnduranceRunning #Snow #Yorkshire