GU Energy Labs is releasing two beverage inspired flavors just in time for spring training: Cola me-happy Energy Gel and Salted Lime Energy Chews, expanding the total number of Energy Gel flavors to 32 and the number of Energy Chews flavors to five.   The Cola Gel has 40mg of caffeine and is naturally flavored. The new Salted Lime Energy Chews have 125mg of sodium, 400mg of amino acids, and are caffeine-free. Cola me-happy Gel delivers 40mg of caffeine and has a refreshingly sweet and spicy taste that’s reminiscent of popping open a cold cola on a warm spring day. It’s gluten-free, vegan and has 100 calories to fuel you through your workouts. It has an MSRP of $1.50 for a single packet and $36 for a 24 box. And as part of their GU Gives program, GU will be contributing 10% of sales in 2020 from the Cola me-happy flavor to Back On My Feet, a national organization combating homelessness through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources. There’s also a limited-edition “What’s New” box available through purchases on GUEnergy.com, which has four Cola me-happy Gel packets, four Salted Lime Chew packets and has an MSRP of $14 per box. The Salted Lime Chews are gluten-free, vegan, and with 125mg of sodium, this flavor delivers triple the amount of sodium as other Chews, making it perfect taste for hot weather when your body needs more electrolytes. The increased electrolytes along with 400mg of amino acids help replenish key nutrients your body needs during training and racing. Salted Lime Energy Chews come in a box of 18 that has an MSRP of $36 and $2.00 for a single sleeve. As with all GU products, both the new Cola me-happy Energy Gel and the new Salted Lime Energy Chews packaging are recyclable through GU’s TerraCycle partnership, which has already resulted in more than 1 million sports nutrition packets diverted from the landfill. GU provides free shipping to anyone who signs up for their TerraCycle program, making the process of recycling wrappers and trash as easy as possible. More information on the program can be found here: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/performance-nutrition-brigade   For more info, please visit: https://guenergy.com

GU Energy Labs is releasing two beverage inspired flavors just in time for spring training: Cola me-happy Energy Gel and Salted Lime Energy Chews, expanding the total number of Energy Gel flavors to 32 and the number of Energy Chews flavors to five.   The Cola Gel has 40mg of caffeine and is naturally flavored. The new Salted Lime Energy Chews have 125mg of sodium, 400mg of amino acids, and are caffeine-free. Cola me-happy Gel delivers 40mg of caffeine and has a refreshingly sweet and spicy taste that’s reminiscent of popping open a cold cola on a warm spring day. It’s gluten-free, vegan and has 100 calories to fuel you through your workouts. It has an MSRP of $1.50 for a single packet and $36 for a 24 box. And as part of their GU Gives program, GU will be contributing 10% of sales in 2020 from the Cola me-happy flavor to Back On My Feet, a national organization combating homelessness through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources. There’s also a limited-edition “What’s New” box available through purchases on GUEnergy.com, which has four Cola me-happy Gel packets, four Salted Lime Chew packets and has an MSRP of $14 per box. The Salted Lime Chews are gluten-free, vegan, and with 125mg of sodium, this flavor delivers triple the amount of sodium as other Chews, making it perfect taste for hot weather when your body needs more electrolytes. The increased electrolytes along with 400mg of amino acids help replenish key nutrients your body needs during training and racing. Salted Lime Energy Chews come in a box of 18 that has an MSRP of $36 and $2.00 for a single sleeve. As with all GU products, both the new Cola me-happy Energy Gel and the new Salted Lime Energy Chews packaging are recyclable through GU’s TerraCycle partnership, which has already resulted in more than 1 million sports nutrition packets diverted from the landfill. GU provides free shipping to anyone who signs up for their TerraCycle program, making the process of recycling wrappers and trash as easy as possible. More information on the program can be found here: https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/brigades/performance-nutrition-brigade   For more info, please visit: https://guenergy.com

Cool, CA – NorCalUltras is excited to announce its continuing sponsorship with GU Energy Labs for the 12^th year. This long-time partnership has supported the Way too Cool 50K and American River 50 Mile Endurance Run, which are two of the most premier endurance events in the U.S.   “We are thrilled to partner with the leader in race nutrition,” said NorCalUltras Race Director, Julie Fingar. “We believe in providing the best race fuel for our runners, which is why we provide GU gels and ROCTANE Energy Drink at all aid stations for both WTC50K and AR50.”   On Saturday, March 7, 2020, more than 800 ultra runners will travel from around the globe to race in the 31^st Annual The Way Too Cool 50K Endurance Run (WTC50K). The 50K race is known as one of the most popular trail and ultra-running endurance events in the U.S. Runners compete at Olympic levels to beat their personal and race record course times.   “GU Energy Labs is proud to be long time supporters of Way Tool Cool and American River 50,” said GU Energy Labs Experiential Marketing Manager, Allison Foster. “Still family owned and located in Berkeley, CA, we are thrilled to say we have been fueling racers for over 25 years!”   This year, GU Energy Labs is adding their TerraCycle Pledge to the partnership with WTC50K and AR50. GU works with TerraCycle to convert nutrition wrappers from all brands into tools, park benches, and more. Both races have taken GU’s TerraCycle pledge to work to keep the race trails pristine.   “Together we will collect and ship all sports nutrition wrappers from on course to TerraCycle,” said Foster.   For more information about NorCalUltras visit www.norcalultras.com, and learn more about GU Energy Labs visit www.guenergy.com.   ABOUT NORCALULTRAS NorCalUltras is Northern California’s premiere ultrarunning event management company. NorCalUltras trail races are renowned for providing runners with first class experience from start to finish. Each endurance race features excellent, well-marked courses, a professionally organized race team, top of the line swag and remarkable post-race festivities. For more information visit www.norcalultras.com.   ABOUT GU ENERGY LABS GU Energy Labs strives to help athletes to reach their highest potential with products that deliver the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time. Developed in collaboration with Olympians and age groupers alike, the GU nutrition matrix of Hydration, Energy and Recovery products has helped countless athletes achieve their dreams since its inception in 1993. Headquartered in Berkeley, GU Energy Labs produces all of its Energy Gels onsite with just the right blend of heart and science. Recommit to becoming your best athletic self, learn more about GU products, and discover how nutrition planning can help you get there at www.guenergy.com.  

GU Energy Labs, a leading sports nutrition brand, and recycling company TerraCycle® announces that through the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program they have successfully recycled over one million pieces of performance nutrition packaging waste. “In 1993, we pioneered the Energy Gel and revolutionized the way athletes fuel by using single serve, portable packets. While we love seeing the ways our products help athletes achieve more, there is nothing more deflating than seeing spent gel packets on the road or trail during a ride or run,” said Celia Santi, Senior Brand Experience Manager at GU Energy Labs. “This is where TerraCycle comes in to help divert waste from landfills. In 2020, GU Energy Labs, and all of their over 50 event partners, are taking a significant step towards diverting even more waste by pledging to collect and recycle all wrappers used during races. “We are thrilled that our partners are joining in our commitment to keep waste out of the landfill,” said Santi, “and we are looking forward to getting to two million pieces more quickly!” Initially launched in March 2015, the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program asked athletes to send all single-serve sports nutrition packaging, regardless of brand, to TerraCycle to be recycled for free. This includes gel, chews, stroopwafel, and drink packets. As the program matured, individuals were also given the option to drop-off their empty performance nutrition packaging at a number of participating run, bike, and outdoor shops throughout the United States. Four years later, the partnership has successfully diverted over one-million pieces of packaging waste from the landfill and is still collecting. Once collected, the plastic packaging waste is converted into raw material that is used in plastic products such shipping pallets, bike racks, park benches, and recycling bins. “For the last four years, the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program has offered the active environmentalist a way to responsibly dispose of the endurance foods they love, minus the guilt over the waste generated from the individually-wrapped nutrition packets,” said TerraCycle CEO and Founder, Tom Szaky. “By participating in this program, GU athletes have successfully diverted over one million performance nutrition packets from landfills – this is truly a win for our shared environment.” In addition, with every shipment of packaging waste sent to TerraCycle through the Performance Nutrition Recycling Program, collectors earned points that are available for donation to a non-profit, school or charitable organization of their choice. The Performance Nutrition Recycling Program is ongoing and open to any interested individual, school, office, or community organization.

Morrison Outdoors 

  Morrison Outdoors makes functional and warm baby sleeping bags.   The Little Mo 20° Down Baby Sleeping Bag was designed to help parents rest easier in colder temperatures, the 20° down-insulated sleep sacks provide the perfect sleep environment for little ones as young as 6 months old, up to 24 months old. It uses 800 fill power goose down insulation and weighs less than 9 ounces (245g).   The Little Mo 40° Synthetic Baby Sleeping Bag was designed for comfortable sleep in mild temperatures; it uses high-loft synthetic insulation and weighs just over 1 pound (460g).

QALO

  QALO silicone rings are made specifically for the active lifestyle providing a safe, comfortable alternative to the typical engagement and wedding ring bands. Each of their rings is constructed from high-quality silicone to reduce the possibility of finger or skin irritation drastically. The QALO family is committed to quality, athletics, love, and the outdoors.   Extremely durable and safe silicone rings designed for functionality, comfort, and style. Reduce finger injuries and prevent damage to your precious metal ring.        The rings come in a variety of colors and styles to appeal to just about anyone’s taste. It’s nice to be able to do bike mechanic work and not abuse your ring.   They now have additional silicone-based products, including dog tags, teething necklaces, Apple Watch bands, arm straps, etc.  

YETI

  The new YETI V Series Vacuum-Insulated Cooler combines two of YETI’s icons, the cold-holding power of their Rambler Drinkware and their iconic Tundra Cooler. The YETI V Series Stainless Steel Cooler is the result of their relentless dedication to innovation, taking their legendary insulation to the next level in a look that’s a classic nod to the past, but built with downright futuristic technology.     This technology and YETI’s craftwork comes at an $800 price point, ouch! It weighs 35 lbs and can hold 46  cans of beer (2:1 ice-to-can) or 65 Pounds of ice (only).      

GU Energy

  GU brought back their Cola Me-Happy Gel and has added the new Salted Lime Chews.   The Cola Gel has 40mg of caffeine and is naturally flavored.  The new Salted Lime Energy Chews have 125mg of sodium, 400mg of amino acids, and are caffeine-free. Recycling Program   There is nothing more deflating than seeing spent gel packets on the road or trail during a run or ride. GU encourages all athletes to stash their trash, and they are excited and proud to offer their community a way to reduce all of their impacts on the beautiful places we play. They have partnered with TerraCycle to do just that. TerraCycle is a highly-awarded, international upcycling and recycling company that collects difficult-to-recycle packaging and products and repurposes the material into affordable, innovative products. Their program accepts sports nutrition from ALL BRANDS!   Participating is completely free and very easy. There are no signup or participation fees, and we cover the shipping. Follow the steps below to TerraCycle your waste:   1.       Join the program by clicking here 2.      Collect approved performance nutrition packaging and fill up a box or bag. Your shipments must weigh over 2 lbs to receive the TerraCycle point donation. 3.      Download a free shipping label from your TerraCycle account. Click the “Get Shipping Label” under the “Send Your Waste” option in the navigation bar at the top of this page. 4.      Ship the box to TerraCycle by affixing the free shipping label and dropping it off at a UPS location.  

Cake

  Ösa+   The Ösa+ is an electric and modular utility motorcycle with off-road capabilities., that’s a working bench and power station on wheels.   It weighs 65 kg/143 lbs and comes with either a medium 12 kg/26 lbs or a large battery 17 kg/37 lbs. It has a top speed of 100 kmh/63 mph, and a range of 100 km/63 miles with the large battery, and 60 km/37 miles with the medium. It has 10kW of peak power, 42Nm on shaft torque (151Nm on the wheel), and takes approximately 3 hours to charge in a standard outlet. It features an external DC-AC inverter to support all needs for off-the-grid power supply, to use it to power tools, loudspeakers, lights, and other high power electronic equipment.   The 6061 aluminum frame has a dual crown upside-down 120 mm travel fork and 260 mm of rear suspension.

Headsweats

  TruckAir Hat    If you enjoy spending time outdoors, this ‘Bright Stripes’ Performance TruckAir hat is the perfect hat designed to keep you cool, comfortable, and shield you from the sun. This bright and colorful Headsweats TruckAir hat will provide you with a comfortable piece of performance headwear that is both durable and stylish. It is perfect for those who are looking for a custom hat they can wear every day or a performance hat they can wear while they run or workout. This Performance TruckAir hat is made of our Eventure woven fabric, giving you a lightweight and breathable hat that fits comfortably and dries quickly. This TruckAir also includes a moisture-wicking terry sweatband that absorbs sweat keeping it out of your eyes, a black undervisor to reduce glare, and snapback closure with ponytail opening. Go the distance and keep a cool head with this ‘Bright Stripes’ Performance TruckAir Hat!     Long Sleeve Performance Tee Shirt   The Headsweats Long Sleeve Performance Tee Shirt offers incredible comfort during a bike ride, and it’s inexpensive and made from repurposed plastic bottles. Whether you’re training, racing, recreating, or working out, this lightweight and a highly breathable long-sleeve jersey designed to fit an active lifestyle.   It’s made of 100% Polyester Pintec REPREVE fabric, a sustainable and recycled fabric, and this particular garment utilizes the equivalent of five plastic bottles. Repreve itself is only a polyester fiber, and not the material or the finished garment, so a fabric mill purchases the yarn from the manufacturer Unifi and then weaves it into a fabric. Turning recycled bottles and waste plastics into a sustainable piece of apparel offers innovative properties such as moisture-wicking, adaptive warming, and cooling, breathability, and more. Headsweats is proud to be going green with their Repreve tee shirts yet still provide you with superior performance apparel without sacrificing quality.   It comes in a Blue Fade or Blue Orange color scheme, XS to 3XL sizes, and retails for a mere $24.

GU Energy Labs will refuel participants at two on-course Energy Zones

  The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour introduces GU Energy Labs (GU) as the Official Energy Gel and Chew. GU will refuel participants at two on-course Energy Zones which will be stocked with gels and chews. Austin Marathon has also taken GU’s TerraCycle pledge to upcycle all sports nutrition wrappers and divert them from the landfill. The 29th annual Austin Marathon, owned and produced by High Five Events, will take place on February 16, 2020.   “GU Energy Labs is thrilled to fuel all Ascension Seton Austin Marathon runners with GU Energy ROCTANE Gels at the on-course Energy Zones,” said Bridgette Travis, Experiential Marketing Manager at GU. “Prior to the race you can stop by the GU expo booth to taste test all 30 flavors of our Energy Gels to make sure there will be an on-course gel flavor that suits your palate.”  

Austin Marathon takes GU’s TerraCycle pledge

  On race day, GU will provide the following ROCTANE Energy Gels, Vanilla Orange (35 mg of caffeine), Chocolate Coconut (35 mg of caffeine), Blueberry Pomegranate (35 mg of caffeine) and Pineapple (no caffeine) on course. GU Blueberry Pomegranate Energy Chews (no caffeine) will also be available. In addition to other green initiatives, Austin Marathon has taken the GU TerraCycle pledge. TerraCycle-labeled bins will be available throughout race weekend in an effort to divert as many sports nutrition wrappers from the landfill as possible. This free recycling program is in addition to other green efforts. Austin Marathon also recycles, donates additional food and water, and donates discarded clothing to local nonprofits.   “We’re excited for our two-year partnership with GU because it expands beyond Feb. 16th and will allow us to enhance our community engagement efforts,” said Jack Murray, co-owner High Five Events. “GU’s race-day initiatives will support more than 17,000 participants at their Energy Zones while we reduce our event’s footprint.”   The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 29th year running in the capital of Texas in 2020. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 30+ countries around the world. The start and finish locations are just a few blocks apart. They are within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants. The finish line is in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol. Austin Marathon is the perfect running weekend destination. Registration is currently open.   Tags: 2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour, 29th annual Austin Marathon, Ascension Seton Austin Marathon, Austin, Austin Gives Miles, Austin Half Marathon, Austin Marathon, Austin Marathon's Official Energy Gel and Chew, Austin running, Bridgette Travis, GU, GU Energy Chews, GU Energy Gels, GU Energy Labs, GU's TerraCycle pledge, half marathon, High Five Events, marathon, ROCTANE Energy Gels, Run Austin, Run Austin 2020, running, Texas half marathon, Texas marathon

Setting out for a backpacking trip and then stuffing your bag with energy bars and freeze-dried meals wrapped in plastic is one of the best examples of cognitive dissonance in outdoor recreation. Leave No Trace has preached “pack it out,” but then what? It comes out of the backcountry only to get tossed in with the billions of tons of plastic waste sitting in landfills or getting swept into oceans.   We are trashing our planet, and nature lovers are part of the problem. So where are all the green companies doing compostable packaging for backpacking food?   It turns out that revamping packaging systems is more complicated than people in the food industry realized when they first set out to tackle the issue. Even Patagonia Provisions—one of the outdoor industry’s leaders in sustainability efforts—is struggling. “You have to consider the producer of the product, the machinery they have, the waste-management end of it, and, in the case of food, the barriers the packages provide to keep the food safe,” says Birgit Cameron, Patagonia Provisions’ managing director.   Ever since Patagonia Provisions launched its fruit bars in 2015, it’s been working toward a compostable wrapper. The company is currently on the fourth iteration, and there are still problems. One issue is that the compostable film is just different enough from traditional wrappers that it slows down the manufacturer’s packaging equipment. “The texture and thickness work differently on the machines,” says Cameron. It doesn’t slip as seamlessly through the production line, and that means it takes longer to package the bars, which means the manufacturer has to charge more—since the process is holding up that production line. And price is important: sustainable food should not just be for the rich.   Then there are the other problems. When Kate Flynn left corporate America in 2017 to start Sun and Swell Foods, a snack-food company based in Santa Barbara, California, a big part of her goal was to run a responsible business. She formed Sun and Swell as a B Corp and signed on with 1% for the Planet, an organization of companies that have pledged to donate at least 1 percent of annual sales to environmental nonprofits. “But we were still contributing to the problem of single-use plastics,” she says. “About once a month, I’d  do these really aggressive Google searches, trying to find a solution.” Finally, TIPA Corp, a company based in Israel specializing in compostable packaging, popped up in her search results.   In March of 2019, Flynn committed to all-compostable packaging, intending to have her entire line wrapped in the material by the end of the year. That hasn’t happened. “What we learned is that there are so many more complexities than we ever knew. People think it just costs more, but really that’s the least of the concerns,” she says.   Sun and Swell’s biggest issue has been the life span of the wrappers. TIPA guarantees them for nine months. “But that’s [from] when it comes off the line at the printer. Our experience is that it has been a little less than nine months,” Flynn says. The packages have a little transparent window on them, and as the packages age, the window starts to get milky and look funky. Then, of course, customers are hesitant to buy them. “It turns into a food-waste issue,” she says.   And this is the thing about plastic that makes the whole debate so complicated: it’s been hugely helpful in reducing our global food waste—another massive driver of global emissions. Take, for example, grapes. When they’re packaged in plastic bags, their shelf life is 120 days. Left loose, their shelf life would be ten days. Until we can change our system so we’re more reliant on local food, plastic will be a necessary evil.     There’s also the fact that sealing up food is one great way to ensure that it is safe. When Ashley Lance started her vegan, eco-conscious backpacking meal business Fernweh Food Company last year, she really wanted it to be zero-waste. But Lance’s local USDA officer, who helped her get her products certified as safe to sell, wasn’t convinced that zero-waste sales could ever get the regulatory thumbs-up. “For the USDA to sign off on it, it has to be in an airtight, waterproof container,” she says. For local orders, she stores her company’s food in jars. But because jars are heavy and breakable, shipping them doesn’t make much sense for smaller companies like Lance’s.   Her work-around is shipping each item in reusable muslin bags. Those bags are then sealed into a compostable outer package, which satisfied the USDA. It’s not quite zero waste, but it’s as close as Lance feels she’s going to get with the current regulations. Of course, users can’t make their meals directly in the bags—they’ll need a pot. But Lance says most of her customers see that as a feature, not a bug. On the trail, she dumps her dinner into a reusable silicone bag and adds hot water. She keeps one for sweet things and one for savory in her pack. At the end of her trips, she has almost no plastic garbage to unload.   The fact that small companies like Fernweh and Sun and Swell are devoting themselves to this mission is great, but we really need systematic change. One current problem with compostable packaging is that “compostable” is a nebulous term. Things that compost quickly in an industrial system may take months in your backyard compost pile. And a lot of cities don’t offer compost pickup at all, so these wrappers just sit in landfills. “We have a waste system set up. The problem is that it isn’t quite working,” says Cameron.   Patagonia Provisions is actively looking at whether it can use its Tin Shed Ventures—the company’s venture-capital fund—to kick-start a system purpose-built for compostable wrappers. This might include building industrial composting facilities and encouraging manufacturers to invest in machines that seal compostable packages just as fast as plastic ones. “Like anything we do, being in a system fully so we can work on it to figure out how to change it is sort of what we’re up to,” says Cameron. And because Patagonia Provisions is large, it may be able to create a lucrative market for entrepreneurs making more eco-friendly packaging. “What often happens is that people start to adopt what we find,” she says.   In the meantime, a handful of outdoor brands are engaging with a recycling company called TerraCycle. Brands pay TerraCycle to collect and recycle wrappers and other hard-to-recycle stuff. Right now, Backpacker’s Pantry, Clif Bar, Gu, and Mountain House all participate. TerraCycle will send individual consumers an envelope that they can use to return their wrappers. Those become recycled plastic pellets, which can be melted down and reused. While this is definitely better than packaging going to a landfill, it’s not a perfect system, since it takes energy to melt and ship them. Still, it’s a good step for companies who want to move toward zero waste but are hesitant—or unable—to jump completely in.   But let’s hope that more companies adapt and move toward zero-waste practices sooner rather than later, so we can start enjoying our meals in the mountains without a side of guilt.

Last Saturday, I was hauling my bike and carcass up a fire road approximately 12,500 feet above the altitude I live — and 12,400 feet above the altitude my lungs wanted to be. For some reason, the very limited operating capacity of my brain wasn’t focusing on cadence, or gear selection, or even the view. Nope, there I was in the middle of the Leadville Trail 100 fixating on a gel wrapper that I’d seen dropped on the trail.   The impact that our outdoor fun has on outdoor spaces shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s not just the wrappers we leave, or the trails we erode, or even the carbon we generate flying around the country to have fun outside. The gear we use also has a huge impact on the planet we enjoy.   During my 100-mile mountain bike misadventure, I had ample time to consider the ways we can reduce that impact — and broadly break them down into three categories.   The first is simply buying less stuff, which might mean spending more money, but hopefully less often. How many charge cables or pairs of headphones have you tossed in the past five years? Well they are all in landfills now, possibly being pulled apart by kids for the wire inside, permanently damaging their hands. The second is buying used stuff or stuff made consciously to reduce its impact: you might want those color pop trail shoes, but that dye might mean your grandchildren don’t have trails to run on. The third is limiting the waste from what we do burn through, recycling gel wrappers or using a reusable bottle instead of a disposable one.   Of course, most of the change has to come from all of us, changing our everyday habits. But in the spirit of supporting people who do things right, I wanted to assemble a short list of companies who place a high value on sustainable practices. That way, when you do buy new gear, you can vote with your wallet to support the kind of outdoor future that you want to see, hopefully one without gel packets on the trail. And yes, on the way back down I picked it up.

1. GU/TerraCycle

Forget hops or birthday cake, we want coffee! And now GU has delivered, with a new Cold Brew Coffee flavor energy gel that bumps the caffeine per serving to 70mg. That’s about double a normal gel, and it’s part of the Roctane family, which means added amino acids. Each gel provides 1,425mg of BCAAs, taurine & beta alanine; 125mg sodium; and other electrolytes, with 100 calories of carbs from maltodextrin and fructose. GU has offered their Roctane Protein Recovery drink mix for years, but like so many others that have been on the market for a bit, they leaned toward a 3:1 or 4:1 carbs-to-protein ratio. Now that more science is showing that the actual ratio doesn’t matter quite as much as originally thought, at least for most athletes that aren’t competing or training at peak levels daily, they’ve listened to those of us wanting more protein per serving. The new formula (on sale now, packaging looks the same) bumps up to 20g protein per serving, up from 10g. Retail is $45 for the 15-serving bulk bag, or $35 for a 10-pack of single serving bags. All GU packaging is recyclable through TerraCycle. Tailwind Nutrition has a new Cola flavor of their endurance fuel. It, too, adds caffeine, plus their electrolyte and carb mix that’s designed for longer distances when you need both hydration and fuel to power through the miles. As in, 50+ miles, without worrying about stomach upset.

Forget hops or birthday cake, we want coffee! And now GU has delivered, with a new Cold Brew Coffee flavor energy gel that bumps the caffeine per serving to 70mg. That’s about double a normal gel, and it’s part of the Roctane family, which means added amino acids. Each gel provides 1,425mg of BCAAs, taurine & beta alanine; 125mg sodium; and other electrolytes, with 100 calories of carbs from maltodextrin and fructose. GU has offered their Roctane Protein Recovery drink mix for years, but like so many others that have been on the market for a bit, they leaned toward a 3:1 or 4:1 carbs-to-protein ratio. Now that more science is showing that the actual ratio doesn’t matter quite as much as originally thought, at least for most athletes that aren’t competing or training at peak levels daily, they’ve listened to those of us wanting more protein per serving. The new formula (on sale now, packaging looks the same) bumps up to 20g protein per serving, up from 10g. Retail is $45 for the 15-serving bulk bag, or $35 for a 10-pack of single serving bags. All GU packaging is recyclable through Terra Cycle.

Tailwind Nutrition Cola hydration fuel

Tailwind Nutrition has a new Cola flavor of their endurance fuel. It, too, adds caffeine, plus their electrolyte and carb mix that’s designed for longer distances when you need both hydration and fuel to power through the miles. As in, 50+ miles, without worrying about stomach upset.