Anyone that knows me knows that I am always hungry and need to eat often.  

I always eat one gel before a race and another every 4 miles during any run or race.  

I don’t follow any particular diet but I do look at ingredients and if possible, try to eat healthy.

I was excited when as a Sweat Pink Ambassador, I was given the opportunity to try some Vega Sport Endurance Gel.

Vega Sport Endurance Gel is:

A plant-based, all-natural energy gel, formulated to provide instant and sustained energy plus electrolytes and vitamins during workouts.

Developed for easy on-the-run digestion and featuring whole food ingredients, Vega Endurance Gel is free from high fructose corn syrup and maltodextrin. Plus, Vega Sport Endurance Gel is the only gel on the market to feature coconut oil, a medium-chain triglyceride metabolized in the liver to provide instant, non-carbohydrate energy.

It comes in Orange Zest and Raspberry flavors.

I was sent a box of Raspberry.

Although I received these gels a few weeks ago, I needed to wait to try to try them.  I wasn’t doing any long runs and then I was going on vacation. Finally this past week (while on a tennis vacation), I was able to try them.

The Positives:

The taste – I was wondering if a vegan, all-natural product would have a bland taste. But Vega Sport Gel tasted quite fruity and good.  Raspberry is not my preference as a flavor.  I don’t usually like fruit flavors.  I prefer vanilla, chocolate, mocha, peanut butter, etc. But it was pretty good. And if you like raspberry, you will really  like this.

Its consistency –  A lot of people have trouble with gels with regard to “getting them down”.  I don’t.  I can even take Gu and not need any water. I found Vega Sport Gel a little gritty at first, I got used to it and it was easy to get down.

The Ingredients – I have pretty much given up caffeine.  Most of the energy gels on the market do use caffeine as an energy booster.  Peanut butter Gu is caffeine-free as well as some other brands of vanilla. So Vega Sport Gel is great for this.  It is also perfect for those vegan runners and those who want all-naturals ingredients in their gels.

Does it work ? Yes. I tried one before a run.  And then I also tried one after running and before playing tennis.  Although, I didn’t feel an instant burst of energy, both times it gave me energy to finish my run and to feel strong wjile playing tennis after a run.

How was it on my stomach?  I was nervous to trying a new gel. Nobody likes to have stomach issues in the middle of a run or race. But I had no issues.  🙂

The Negatives:

Packaging – Vega Sport takes up more space than any other gel products I’ve ever used. While not an issue if you keep it in waist belt, it can be annoying if you are trying to use your pockets or other small storage spaces. I have a belt that I can squeeze Gu into but not Vega Sport.

 Flavors – There are only two flavor options available at the moment – orange and raspberry! And according to what I’ve read, orange hasn’t gotten good reviews. I definitely think that Vega Sport needs to add more flavors.

Cost – Vega Sport Gels are more expensive.  A pack of 12 retails for $21.99 ($1.83 per gel) compared to $1.40 for Hammer gel and $1.31 for GU gels.  If you only use them for races, it isn’t going to amount to anything significant, but if you are a habitual gel user in training, the cost will impact you.

Availability – I have yet to see Vega Sport in any local sports stores.  You can order them online and Amazon.com seems to have the best price. Many people order everything online.  I, on the other hand, often need to pick up some gels at the last minute and like to drive over to FleetFeet, Olympia Sports, etc and buy some. Plus, I don’t like to pay for shipping.

So you want to use an energy gel that is plant-based and with all natural to get sustained energy plus electrolytes and vitamins during your runs, I would recommend Vega Sport Gels.

Happy Running! Which energy gel do you like? How do you “Fuel Your Better“?

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*I was sent these products free of charge. I have not been compensated for my review, my opinions are my own.