GU Energy Original Sports Nutrition Energy Gel, 8-Count, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Kosher, and Dairy-Free On-The-Go Energy for Any Workout, Raspberry Lemonade

The taste is great and you can feel a boost of energy without the jitters from caffeine.

Lemonade flavor is surprisingly good. The tart of the lemon helps cut the super sugary part of the gel.

Flavor wise they are not the best but they worked well during my half marathon. I took one before the race and one during and they helped with muscle endurance. I would definitely order again for my race training and any other races I’m in.

This is the first time I have used the GU Energy Gels. I am a runner and will typically take them before I head out for my longer runs to help add a boost for the back end of my runs. They have great flavor and go down pretty easy. You don't need anything to drink to wash them down, but it never hurts to take a small sip of water to help. Seemed like they took about 20 - 30 minutes to digest and they did provide some extra energy at the end of my runs when you tend to wear down. They don't seem like they give me quite the same boosts as some of the other carb gels I have used (Honey Stinger/Clif Energy Shots) in the past. I have used the GU Energy Gels about 5 or 6 times so far. As there are many different factors that you deal with on your runs (heat, length, time of day, previous activities, etc.) it is really hard to determine exactly how effective they are. I would give them another try and see how they perform.

We used these to prepare for a marathon!

GU Energy Gel is good energy 'fuel' for hard exercising, is easy on the stomach and seems to help keep my energy level up on my long hilly bicycle rides (15-30 miles, 1000-2000+ feet climbing). The "GU Energy Original" product provides a good blend of nutrition, energy and electrolytes for those hot weather bicycle rides. Also good for my long hilly hiking outings. Both products -- GU Energy Gel and GU Roctane -- are easier to digest when working out than energy bars. Great variety of flavor choices too. (No I'm not an elite athlete, just a 70+ guy who gets out for exercise a bit.) P.S., GU partners with TerraCycle to recycle these energy gel packets after use. P.S.2, when opening, you can tear the top tab about 90% and get the energy gel out that way, keeping the top tab from becoming road, trail or pocket trash; then save the used packets and send to TerraCycle.

The flavor is not my absolute favorite, but it gets the job done. The effectiveness is great on a long run. I like that it comes in an individual pouch, it’s easy to consume for long runs.

Compared to other gels they were gritty and had decent taste. I had no issues with them and thought they were a good deal.