Tread Lightly Running Podcast What Your Running Gel Label Actually Means - with Kylee Van Horn
Aug 9, 2025
Kylee Van Horn, an endurance sports dietitian and founder of Fly Nutrition, decodes running gel labels and common marketing claims. She breaks down low-sugar formulations, maltodextrin, glucose:fructose blends, hydrogel and isotonic terminology, and how texture and additives affect gut comfort. Learn why “clean” labels can mislead and how to trial fuels and pair gels with hydration for better tolerance.
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Avoid Low Sugar Gels During Endurance Runs
- Avoid low-sugar gels for endurance fueling because you need carbohydrates during exercise.
- Low-sugar products often replace carbs with sugar alcohols or nonnutritive sweeteners that can cause GI distress like diarrhea or weird textures.
Why A 2:1 Glucose Fructose Ratio Helps Absorption
- Combining glucose and fructose uses different intestinal transporters to increase total carb absorption.
- A 2:1 glucose:fructose ratio is commonly recommended because it improves uptake versus glucose alone without overloading fructose channels.
Maltodextrin Is A Branched Glucose Chain
- Maltodextrin is a branched glucose chain, not a single glucose or fructose molecule.
- It can break down faster or slower depending on the person, so maltodextrin-based gels may still overwhelm some athletes' GI systems.