Disclaimer: I received UCAN gels and energy bars to review as part of being a BibRave Ambassador. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Ambassador, and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!
With plenty of long runs on the schedule for marathon training, it’s been a great time to try UCAN’s new Pineapple Edge gels, along with other UCAN products.
I received two of the new Pineapple Edge gels, along with two Strawberry Banana Edge gels and two Orange Edge gels.
I first tried a Pineapple Edge gel during a 10-mile afternoon run on Aug. 21. It was warm, and I did notice that the gel seemed a little warm. I think I also forgot to shake it first, which was noted on the package. When I shook the gels on later runs, I noticed a positive difference.
A friend had described the gels as a bit “gritty,” which I also noticed; however, the consistency was good. It was not too thick, which is my biggest complaint with gels. It went down easily.
I then had a Strawberry Banana Edge gel during my nine-miler the next week. It wasn’t bad, but I preferred the new Pineapple Edge flavor. So, if you’ve tried the Strawberry Banana Edge and it wasn’t quite your thing, you might want to check out the Pineapple Edge.
I also used both of these gels for my most recent long run, a 14-miler this past Monday. Since the gels can be used 30 to 45 minutes before exercise, I had one at that time and also one halfway through. The run did take me about three-and-a-half hours, so I could have had another gel or two, but I did feel like the gel provided fuel.
It wasn’t necessary to drink water after having a gel, but I found I preferred drinking water afterward anyway. The gels do seem a little larger than some other gels I’ve tried, but that’s not a bad thing.
Unfortunately, I don’t like oranges or orange-flavored items, so I am planning to share the Orange Edge gels with a friend.
I received two bars each of the UCAN Energy Bar flavors — Cherry Berry Almond, Salted Peanut Butter and Chocolate Almond Butter. I tried my bars at different times throughout the day and evening. I did have one of the bars yesterday while at work, and then I ran my fastest 5K since 2019! While I don’t think the bar was the only contributing factor, I will definitely take that as a positive. I liked all of them, but my favorite was the Chocolate Almond Butter. It tasted like a brownie!
UCAN gels and bars feature LIVSTEADY, which is meant to provide energy over time. Learn more about LIVSTEADY on the UCAN website. The products also don’t include sugar. The Pineapple Edge and Strawberry Banana Edge feature allulose, and the Orange Edge has erythritol.
UCAN has many pro athletes who represent and use their products, which makes me feel confident about using them, too. I thought it was cool that among the pro athletes is Katie Zaferes, who won a silver and bronze medal in the last Olympics and went to my high school (she graduated the year before I did). See the list of athletes here.
I tried to spread out my test of the product, but I am interested in using the gels and bars on a more regular basis to see what the impact is on my training. If you’d like to give UCAN products a try, use code “BIBRAVE25” to save 25% on the UCAN website (no bundles or subscriptions). The code is good through Oct. 9.
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