GU Energy Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel, 24-Count, Lemonade

Love this flavor

Doctor recommended and helps keep up stamina. Easy to carry

I run 65-100 miles per week. I use these for long runs (16-22 miles) and marathons. Gels are all pretty much the same price, unless you buy in to the Maurten hype and want to pay double for a gel. I know, flavor and effectiveness is going to be very subjective depending on the athlete, but I’ve tried the rest and these are the best (at least for me). Blueberry Pom doesn’t have life-changing flavor, but then no gel I’ve tried does. But it doesn’t have a funky lingering aftertaste either, as some gels/flavors can. It’s small enough to fit into the tiny pockets of runners shorts. It’s thick enough so I can safely open it and take my time ingesting it while running, avoiding messy leaks (no sticky hands and chin like other gels).

Id been using the normal Gu for quite some time -- Vanilla Bean flavor -- and found that it worked fairly well. The occasional minor stomach issue, but no big deal. Ive never been a big fan of the very thick consistency, and since I was working my way through a large box the vanilla flavor started getting on my nerves. I decided to upgrade to Roctane and thought that switching over to something with a fruit flavor would help break me out of my vanilla rut... The good: Roctane has a considerably thinner consistency, which is awesome. Easier to eat, doesnt coat the mouth/throat as much, and feels much easier on the stomach. I also feel like the extra caffeine gives me a small bonus boost. And the BCAAs? I have no clue, but apparently they help with carb uptake. I cant measure that. Energy levels feel pretty much the same, but MAYBE a bit faster acting with Roctane. (Could be totally psychological since these things are damn expensive and I want them to work better.) The bad: The cherry lime flavor that I bought tastes like jellied, chemical-infused regret. Ugh. Almost laughably bad. I brought two Roctanes and a plain Gu Vanilla Bean on a recent long run, and ate the Roctanes first. The vanilla Gu was like a delicious special treat after the Roctanes. So, four stars, mainly due to taste. Next time Ill try the Vanilla Spice flavor.

I use these for cycling and for work and they are awesome for keeping me hydrated and safe during the dangerous heat we have had this summer

This is my go-to for long runs.

Like them.. never got them! Had 2 orders of GU, one came, box damaged,but packets were in an envelope. The other one was NOT delivered!!!

These are good when you are trying to manage how many calories you are ingesting on super long rides. These are easy on the stomach, and provide enough calories to supplement my liquid nutrition. They are really easy to carry and open while riding.

Tried this on my marathon race, definitely way powerful and better than Gus regular gels.

UPDATE: 23 SEP 2017 Ive been using the Blueberry Pomegranate for over a year now in many races. The taste is OK but my runner partners all hate it for some reason. The Cherry lime tastes better, but if you hated the Blueberry Pomegranate, youll probably hate the Cherry Lime. Honestly, when Im tearing down the road/trail in a race, I couldnt care less about taste. Im sucking down that gel pack and looking for a bit of hydration, while trying to maintain a competitive pace, locate a garbage can / refuse drop zone, and try to finish a race. I only use the gels at the beginning of a race, or in the middle if it is longer than 45 minutes (like a 10K, 10 miler, half marathon, etc...) Original review: I purchased the Blueberry Pomegranate flavor and am glad I did so because it tastes great. It tastes just like their chews, except in semi-liquid form. It goes down very easily without the need for water. I find that it really does give me the energy I need to finish my race or activity. The instructions say to take it 5 minutes before, and every 45 minutes afterwards. My stomach doesnt digest stuff as quickly, so I have to experiment with how early to take it prior to a race. If youre going to run a race or participate in an event longer than 30 minutes, I highly recommend packing these gels. So far, the BCAAs have not upset my stomach. The caffeine really does work.