best gummies for energy

Energy chews can provide a quick source of energy, which can be convenient during endurance exercise, such as running, cycling, hiking, or training for a triathlon. Allison Knott, MS, RDN, CSSD, CDN says, “Energy chews are a convenient way to lớn consume carbohydrates during endurance exercise—they’re easy to lớn carry and provide a concentrated source of energy.” 

It is important to lớn note that energy chews are only recommended for longer exercise, not every workout. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends consuming 30 to lớn 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour for any exercise lasting more than thở 60 to lớn 90 minutes. In addition to lớn providing carbohydrates, some chews provide electrolytes and performance enhancers, such as caffeine.

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When choosing an energy chew, it is important to lớn consider the ingredients, nutritional nội dung, additives, electrolyte levels, and serving size. An energy chew that works for you may be different from what works for someone else; it often takes trial and error to lớn determine what fuel and hydration is best for your toàn thân during exercise.

Is an Energy Chew Beneficial?

Whether energy chews can be beneficial depends on how long you exercise and how your digestive tract tolerates fuel during exercise. During exercise that lasts over an hour, energy chews provide carbohydrates to lớn help prevent “bonking” or “hitting the wall,” and some types of chews will also contribute to lớn replenishing electrolyte losses through sweat.

Most chews are not high enough in sodium to lớn provide the recommended 300 to lớn 600 milligrams of sodium per hour of exercise. Therefore, chews may need to lớn be paired with an electrolyte supplement to lớn reach recommended sodium needs. 

Working with a sports dietitian can help you clarify your fueling needs and determine what may work best for your toàn thân.

Endurance athletes: If you are an endurance athlete, you likely exercise for long periods, maybe more than thở 60 to lớn 90 minutes at a time, most days of the week. Some days, you may even have more than thở one long workout in a day. For endurance athletes, energy chews can help fuel the consistently long workouts that last over an hour or more. Chews can also be helpful for preventing fatigue on days when you have more than thở one long workout scheduled. 

Those who exercise for 60 or more minutes: Even if you’re not an endurance athlete, you may have days when an endurance workout (such as running or cycling) is longer than thở 60 to lớn 90 minutes. In these cases, energy chews can help you stay fueled. Some people will need to lớn consume energy during exercise when exercising more than thở 60 minutes, and others might not need to lớn unless they're exercising for closer to lớn 90 minutes or more. It will likely take some experimentation to lớn figure out what works best for you.

Who Might Not Benefit from Energy Chews

Energy chews make for a great addition when refueling mid-exercise, but there are situations when they might not be the best option. 

Recreational athletes: If you are engaging in exercise for under 60 minutes, you likely will not benefit from taking an energy chew before or during exercise. 

Those who are looking for a new snack option: If you’re not in the middle of a workout, energy chews might not be the best option for a midday snack. Energy chews are formulated with simple sugars, designed to lớn fuel your workout quickly. They are not intended for a snack at rest.

Those with sensitive stomachs, especially when exercising: If you have discomfort such as bloating, cramping, or diarrhea when eating and exercising, you may benefit from experimenting with different energy chews, gels, or bars and/or adding small sips of water when eating mid-activity.

What to lớn Look for in an Energy Chew

Form

Energy chews come in a variety of flavors, consistencies, and ingredients. There is also slight variance on the size of chews and recommended timing and dosing amounts. We recommend trying a few different brands and types of chews to lớn see what consistency is easiest to lớn chew and feels the best for your digestive system.

Evidence shows that caffeine may boost athletic performance, most notably in aerobic exercise. Many energy chews contain caffeine to lớn help boost performance. If you are sensitive to lớn caffeine, you may choose to lớn avoid energy chews that have added caffeine. Always read the label carefully to lớn kiểm tra whether the product contains caffeine.

Ingredients and Potential Interactions

It is essential to lớn carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to lớn know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to lớn the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please bring the supplement label to lớn a healthcare provider to lớn review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

Many energy chews contain caffeine to lớn help boost energy. If you are sensitive to lớn caffeine, you may choose to lớn avoid energy chews that have added caffeine. Always read the label carefully to lớn kiểm tra whether the product contains caffeine.

Carbohydrates: Energy chews consist of easily digested carbohydrates, often referred to lớn as "simple sugars." Carbohydrates should be the primary ingredient listed, as this is the energy source your toàn thân needs mid-workout. The carbohydrates in chews can come from a variety of sources with different combinations of the simple sugars sucrose, glucose and maltodextrin. Note that fructose as a primary ingredient in energy chews or other sports nutrition products may cause stomach upset.

Knott recommends, “When choosing an energy chew, look for one that contains a mix of carbohydrate sources. This will help ensure tolerance and aid in maximum absorption while exercising." 

Electrolytes: Electrolyte balance is essential to lớn any endurance athlete. Electrolytes play an important role in controlling fluid balance, muscle contractions, and heart rate. When you are out of balance or low on electrolytes, your performance will diminish. In particular, profuse sweating can result in a sodium imbalance, which means that it’s most important to lớn consume sodium during a long training session.

If you are relying on your energy chews to lớn help replenish your sodium losses, look for options on the higher range for sodium. Use 50 to lớn 100 milligrams of sodium per serving as a good baseline. There are options that tự not contain significant amounts of sodium, which simply means it is important to lớn also consume an electrolyte drink, especially for endurance athletes. If you are taking any sort of diuretic medication, resulting in increased losses or storage of electrolytes, be sure to lớn speak with a healthcare provider or sports dietitian about maintaining proper electrolyte balance during bouts of intense training.

Caffeine: Caffeine is often an additive in energy chews, as it has been shown to lớn improve athletic performance. Everyone responds differently to lớn caffeine, so sánh it is important to lớn know how your toàn thân responds, and adapt your intake accordingly. That may mean choosing non-caffeinated chews if you are caffeine-sensitive. It is also important to lớn note that taking more than thở the recommended 3 to lớn 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of toàn thân weight will likely not improve performance.

Energy Chew Dosage

Energy chews tự not have a standard dose. Most manufacturers take into consideration the total carbohydrate and electrolyte amounts when recommending the serving size. It is important to lớn follow the nutrition label directions for serving size, adapt the dosage according to lớn your needs (making sure to lớn incorporate enough fluids!), and always try new energy chews during training rather than thở on the day of a competition.

Knott adds, “It's best to lớn choose a chew that offers the optimal amount of carbohydrates in a number of chews that’s comfortable to lớn consume during exercise. For example, if you need 60 grams of carbohydrates in an hour, but it will require eating 10 chews to lớn reach that number, then that may be too many for some athletes to lớn tolerate. Understanding your tolerance and the ease of intake is important for successfully taking in enough carbohydrates via chews during exercise.”

Keep in mind that there may be multiple servings per packet of energy chews. Take note of the serving size and number of servings per packet before beginning your exercise, so sánh you can dose accordingly. Multiple packets may be needed to lớn reach your carbohydrate and sodium goals during exercise. For every hour of moderate intense exercise, the ISSN recommends consuming 30 to lớn 60 grams of carbohydrates and up to lớn 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour for ultra-endurance athletes. Sodium recommendations during exercise can vary based on sweat rate, climate, and length of exercise, but in general, 300 to lớn 600 milligrams per hour are recommended for exercising for an hour or more.

How Much Is Too Much?

There is no defined upper limit for energy chews, but consuming too many, especially at once, can lead to lớn gastrointestinal upset. The amount you can tolerate will vary by person and product. It's best to lớn test out fuel during training days. Follow package recommendations and, if necessary, slowly adjust the amount until you find the optimal amount for you. If you are unsure how much is right for you or are having difficulty with your fueling, work with a registered dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition.

Chews that contain caffeine and sodium may also exceed recommended doses.

Caffeine: When consumed at 400 to lớn 500 mg/day or more, caffeine has been shown to lớn reduce, rather than thở enhance, athletic performance, and it may lead to lớn sleep disturbances, stomach upset, irritability, anxiety, or other harmful health outcomes.

Sodium: The range of sodium requirements in the endurance athlete can vary greatly. In certain instances, it has been shown that the ultra-endurance athlete needs more sodium, as they can lose up to lớn 1.7 to lớn 2.9 grams of salt per liter of sweat. Just lượt thích with fluids, adequate sodium intake is critical to lớn maintain performance and health while exercising. It is important to lớn monitor your sodium output and intake when training intensely for long periods of time.

Why Trust Verywell Fit

As a lifelong athlete and registered dietitian, Brittany Scanniello is constantly keeping up on the latest sports nutrition research, trends, and new products that have hit the market. In her day-to-day, she works with active people, helping to lớn coach them on their nutrition choices for before, during, and after training, to lớn ensure that they are putting their best foot forward.

We also consulted Allison Knott, MS, RDN, CSSD who specializes in sports dietetics.

We work hard to lớn be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements. You can read more about our dietary supplement methodology here.