Fueling up during longer runs can make the difference between a rewarding training session or a successful race on the one hand and a miserable morning, afternoon, or evening on the other. Walk into a drug store, supermarket, sporting goods store, or other retailer and you’re bombarded with products designed especially for runners: bars, beans, gels, and more. Specially formulated to be easy to digest and replace important nutrients, the stuff marketed by Clif, GU, Powerbar, Snickers, and more works great for many runners. But at a dollar or more a pop, they can be expensive, especially if you take the manufacturers’ advice and consume one serving approximately every 45 minutes. So here are some lower cost alternatives to help you through your next run while saving a few bucks for new shoes or the registration fee for your next race.
Alternative bars
ClifBars, Powerbars, and similar snacks are probably the easiest foods to replace. Of course, buying energy bars in bulk will save you a little money, but switching to granola bars (I like to take along a few of the low-fat, chewy variety on my runs) or even fig newtons can save you a whole lot more. They may not be meant specifically for runners, but I’ve found both work well.
Alternative beans and blocks
Like Clif Shot Bloks or JellyBelly Sport Beans but don’t like the price? Go for less specialized fruit snacks or jelly beans instead and save a bundle! If you’re worried about electrolytes, mix and match: instead of two packs of the expensive running fuel take one and supplement it with the cheaper alternative.
Alternative gels
This is the tough one. The great thing about products like GU or similar gels from Hammer Nutrition or other companies is the ease of digestion, but they are rather specialized. For pre-workout fueling I like a banana or apple sauce as an alternative: both have many of the same benefits and cost a lot less money. Taking either with, however, probably isn’t an option. Something like Yoplait Go-Gurt might work for some people, though I haven’t tried it (yet). I have found a guide to making your own energy gel at home, so I might give that a try, but until then I’ll probably go without… or splurge every now and then.
Good tips...thanks Jason
Thx for sharing Jason!