Hello Runner,

Welcome back to your weekly moment of endurance nutrition!

Happy Weekend!
How are you today?

I hope you are well!

I'm fine. The week was great, with a holiday right at the beginning (Three Kings Day). But even though it was a holiday here in Spain, I worked hard.

At the beginning of this year, I am taking the opportunity to renew the resources that my clients receive when they start a nutritional program with me. I decided to update and add more information and insights to better assist them.

I was without my Garmin until Thursday, which was the day the charger arrived. What a relief it was to start using the watch again, monitor my workouts, and track the quality of my sleep.

Bars, gels, chews, or real food? This question comes up constantly, and not just in my practice, but on long runs, at race expos and conferences, and in post-run conversations.

Many runners feel like there’s a “right” answer. As if choosing a gel means you’re not eating “real food,” or choosing real food means you’re not serious about performance.

As a dietitian/nutritionist and a runner, I don’t see fuel that way. I see fuel as a tool. A practical one. One that should support energy, digestion, and consistency, rather than creating stress or confusion.

In this newsletter, I want to move past the debate and talk about how I actually think about bars, gels, and real food in training and racing. Not as good or bad choices, but as different tools for different moments, bodies, and goals.

→ The question isn’t: “Which fuel is best?”

A better question is:
“Which fuel works best for me, in this moment, at this intensity, and in this context?”

Fueling decisions depend on things like:

When we zoom out, it becomes clear that no single option can, or needs to, cover every scenario.

Instead of ranking fuels, I prefer to look at what each one does well.

Gels are designed for one main job: delivering carbs quickly and efficiently.

They tend to work best when:

Challenges can include taste fatigue or GI discomfort if timing or quantity isn’t right, but for many runners, gels are a reliable performance tool, especially on race day.

→ For those with GI problems, hydrogels (e.g., Maurten) are more interesting.

→ Gels containing sodium help glucose get into the gut easily, reducing the chances of GI discomfort- being a good option on long runs.

There are several types of gels on the market, with different amounts of carbs and various types of ergogenic resources (such as caffeine, sodium, etc.).

The choice of gel will depend on the distance, intensity, sweat rate, type of race, your gut, etc.

Bars and chews sit somewhere in the middle.

They often work well for:

→ Chews need to be paired with water to help with carb absorption, likewise gels.

→ In my opinion, bars work well pre-run or for longer efforts. They take longer to digest and absorb, so their energy can be released more slowly, which may be an advantage at lower intensities.

Also, bars can feel more satisfying than gels, but chewing and digestion can become harder as intensity increases.

Real food gets a lot of attention, and sometimes a lot of pressure.

It can work well for:

At the same time, real food can be harder to carry, harder to dose precisely, and harder to digest at higher intensities.

That doesn’t make it better or worse; it just makes it context-dependent.

From both research and real-world practice, a few principles matter far more than the specific format of fuel:

→ Here are a few common patterns I see (and support) in real life:

None of these approaches is more “correct” than the others. They’re simply aligned with the runner’s needs, preferences, and reality.

→ Here’s my honest take as a dietitian/nutritionist and a runner:

I don’t care whether you choose bars, gels, or real food—as long as your choice supports your energy, your digestion, and your ability to train consistently.

Fuel is not about being “natural enough” or “serious enough.”

It’s about giving your body what it needs to perform and recover, without turning nutrition into another source of pressure.

And yes, your fueling strategy is allowed to change over time.

If fueling feels confusing or overwhelming right now, it’s ok…you’re not behind. Fueling is a skill, and skills can be learned.

A helpful reflection after reading this might be:
“Which option feels easiest for me to use consistently right now?”

That’s often the best place to start.

And if you’d like support personalizing your fueling strategy for your training, racing, and goals, this is exactly what I help runners with in my practice.

You don’t need a perfect plan, just one that works for you.

Any questions or something you would like to share, drop me an email

Wishing you a great weekend and week ahead!

Here’s to health and good runs⚡️

Ana Paula Alonso