Isotonic Energy Gel

Great product! I use it for longer than 2 hour bike workouts. I like that is not too sweet, but sweet enough to make me like it...'mildly sweet's is especially what I like after 3 hours in heat. And it's easy to digest and gives me energy on the bike.

First, let me preface this review with the fact that I normally use GU energy gel on rides. However, I have a friend who started using SIS Energy Gel and he swears by it. Although, he warned me this has an almost nonexistent taste and consistency that takes getting used to. He also said the orange flavor is the best out of the SIS gels. Onward to my review and experience… This is my first experience with SIS energy gel. I ordered the orange flavor. I like that it does not have any caffeine, but rather 22 grams of carbohydrates per gel. I also like that you do not need to consume water with SIS gel. For individuals who are vegan, this is vegan friendly. This product is made with Maltodextrin; this is the second ingredient listed after water. Maltodextrin is used as a thickener, filler or preservative in highly processed foods. It’s an artificially produced white powder that can be enzymatically derived from any starch, but is commonly made from corn, rice, potato starch or wheat THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN CONSUMING PRODUCTS WITH MALTODEXTRIN 1. Spikes Blood Sugar Maltodextrin can cause spikes in blood sugar because IT HAS A HIGH GLYCEMIC INDEX, and CAN BE PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DIABETES OR INSULIN RESISTANCE. 2. Suppresses the Growth of Probiotics Maltodextrin can change the composition of your gut bacteria by suppressing the growth of beneficial probiotics. TASTE It’s a sports gel, and they all have some sort of odd flavor or consistency, and this one is no different. The actual orange flavor is pretty much nonexistent, and the consistency is less than desirable. FIRST IMPRESSION Honestly, I gagged a little because of the consistency, it was gross, and then I thought I have five more to consume. I may give them to my friend and stick with GU. CONCLUSION I like that the orange gel has 22 mg of carbohydrates. I like that one does not need to consume water with it. However, I ride with an Osprey backpack with water reservoir; so, this is not a game changer. I also like the orange flavor gel it does not have caffeine. However, I’m on the fence with SIS energy gel, hence by 3-star review. It’s the consistency that grossed me out, and I mean really grossed me out. Additionally, one expects to have a little flavor, but the almost nonexistent flavor in conjunction with the gross consistency almost makes this a definite no. My recommendation, give it a try and if you don't like it, then you at least know what does not work for you. ------- TEN MONTH UPDATE ------- Initially I gave SIS energy gel a three-star review mainly because I was on the fence about consistency and taste. Also, you may be wondering why I tried this stuff for ten months if I was so grossed out? Simply put, I have not had another product that compares to this stuff yet. In fact, GU is now completely off the table for me. It’s not that GU is bad product, it’s not, it’s just that GU is too thick to consume, and you have to knock it back with water and lots of it. Try racing in hot climates and having to consume a thick product like GU and over consuming water or whatever fitness electrolytes you are carrying in your reservoir. In fact, now that I am writing this update, this is one of the best aspects I like about SIS energy gel. It’s super easy to consume, thus allowing one to keep the fitness drink for when it’s really needed. Just yesterday before training I had an SIS energy gel and I was thinking this isn’t that bad after all – at least as far as consistency goes. The taste still needs improving, but it did not gross me out as much as it initially did. I guess this is just one of those things you have to acquire a taste for. NOTE: I kept the original review intact with the exception of the “First Impression” section. I edited this section so it is not so descriptive. CONCLUSION I still stick with the majority of my review but have changed my mind about the consistency, which was the biggest factor regarding the number of stars for my review. The consistency really grossed me out initially, but I got used to it. My recommendation, give it a try – maybe a little longer than just a few packets. I’m glad I did. With that said, I am changing my three-star review to five-stars. I am no longer on the fence about this product.

The texture is not my favorite, the flavor was ok, and it did settle in my stomach, but I won't be repurchasing.

I have used Hammer products for some time. My issues with their gels are: too thick, too sweet, and relatively expense. The SIS corrects them all. They're thinner, not too sweet, and I get 2 dozen for the cost of 16 Hammers. On my high pace rides, I'm still energized when I get home. Awesome product. My only whine is the size of the packets. They're the size of an average sized granola bar.

This is my go to gel for training and racing. The flavor, orange, is tasty as is there other flavors. My gut handles this gel quite well and I don't need to break stride when running to take this. Not having to take with water is what originally drew me to this product. This feature has been great and frees me to fuel when I want.

I liked the taste of the orange flavor. Was easy on my stomach. However I hate the packaging. Difficult to tear it during run. I tore badly and spilled on my shirt, so irritating. And then on top of that, even if you manage to open it, the plastic mouth is too wide might cut your mouth, especially during a run when you are shaking a lot.

I would 100% recommend this product. The flavor orange is great and most importantly it was really easy to digest when running long distances. Most gels I’ve had usually make my stomach upset, but this one was a lot easier on my stomach and very easy to swallow. The only disadvantage to this product is that it’s large to carry. But I think the effects of the product outweigh that.

Overall a great product. I've found I run out of energy during Hare Scrambles. So I got this to try it out after seeing Graham Jarvis with a couple gel packs strapped to his handle bars in one of his videos. These were at the right price point and were orange... my flavor of choice for sports drinks. I swallowed one gel pack before the race and then a second one after a hard crash about half way through the race. I had plenty of energy and had more laps than I've done so far. I race beginner 40+ class and will now do the same with every race.