When I began training for my marathon about 6 months ago, I was exploring the world of running fuel and stumbled upon the Honey Stinger brand.
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I’ve heard of people eating candy during long runs to give them a bit of energy, and hey, that may work for some people. A downside to that method, though, is you get a sugar rush and will most likely crash soon after. That’s when I learned about the power of honey.
When you eat honey, your blood sugar rises gradually. With the refined sugars in candy, you get more of a spike in blood sugar. Therefore, honey is a more sustainable energy source and makes great fuel for workouts.
Lucky for me, the wonderful people at Honey Stinger sent me a variety of their products to try out.
I couldn’t believe all the fun stuff they sent me! Throughout my training, I tried at least one of each product. My favorite? The Organic Energy Chews.
The pink lemonade flavor is so tasty. What I really liked about the chews were the fact that they weren’t too chewy at all. The thought of eating real food while running seems difficult to me, but the chews were actually quite easy.
Regarding the energy bars and protein bars, flavor is definitely not missing.
(Pretty sure I could eat 10+ coconut almond protein bars without a problem.)
They have a great variety to choose from, and they’re an easy way to get a little extra energy before a workout or get some protein post-workout. I suppose if you’re really intense you could eat a bar mid-workout. I just tried them before and after, though.
Next up? Organic Energy Gels!
In my marathon recap yesterday, I mentioned that I had the Acai Pomegranate gel. I was really surprised how good that was too. Energy gels tend to be pretty “blah” in my opinion, but it actually tasted pretty good! Maybe I’m just getting used to the strange texture, so I can finally appreciate the flavors. I don’t know if you technically drink or eat an energy gel, so I’ll just say consuming the energy gel at about mile 19 of the marathon was no problem for me. They’re a convenient fueling method for both carrying and drinking eating consuming.
And last but not least? Organic Stinger Waffles.
These were very new to me. I had heard of energy chews. I had heard of energy gels. But waffles? ‘Twas an interesting concept to me. The taste was of course there like every other product I had of Honey Stinger, but the wafers were pretty chewy, which would make them somewhat difficult to eat during a run. HOWEVER, I took a break mid-run when I tried the Honey Waffle, and it was completely fine. I could see waffles being great while biking, hiking, or another activity, but I wouldn’t choose to eat one during a run because they are more solid.
I feel so lucky to have been able to try so many refueling options during my marathon training. I would definitely recommend Honey Stinger for long runs or whatever sport you’re into. Personally, I liked the energy chews and energy gels the best, but everything was great.
If only I could eat some Honey Stinger deliciousness to help my insane post-marathon soreness. I mean…holy lactic acid, Batman! My legs hurt. Don’t get me wrong—being sore can be pretty satisfying when you’ve worked hard enough to feel a workout that much. Stairs just aren’t my friends for awhile. Especially going down them. All I can say is [day-um].
Have a great rest of your Tuesday, Friends!!!
Disclaimer: I was sent the Honey Stinger products for free to review. All opinions are my own.
How do you fuel/refuel before/during/after workouts?
Have you ever had Honey Stinger products? What did you think?
All Seasons Cyclist says
The Honey Stinger Waffle is simply my favorite food item for cycling! In the winter I put a chemical hand warmer in my pocket with them so they will stay warm (they are pretty hard to eat they are frozen solid).
Gettin' My Healthy On says
That could be why mine was so chewy. It was pretty cold outside when I had it. Good to know!
pickyrunner says
Wow these are all really great! I think I need to try them out. I feel like I would really enjoy the waffle. Before workouts I usually eat a Kashi protein and fiber bar which is basically a healthified rice krispy treat but afterwards I just eat a meal (with chocolate milk, of course!)
Gettin' My Healthy On says
Love Kashi products. And chocolate milk is probably my favorite thing after a workout!
lindseyandtish says
These look good – any idea what major stores carry their products?
Gettin' My Healthy On says
I’ve seen them at a lot of running and sporting goods stores, like REI, Roadrunner, and Dick’s. Stores like that are a pretty safe bet.
noshingonasphalt says
Honey Stingers (the chews & gels) have been my go-to fuel ever since I started running. I adore that they are all natural and nothing like that GU junk. And I might occasionally sneak a chew every now and then when I’m not running; they’re just too darn good. (Cherry blossom is my fav.)
I just wanted to let you know that I received the Vi gels in the mail yesterday. 🙂 Super excited to try them; and who knows, maybe they’ll replace the Stingers as my favorite.
Gettin' My Healthy On says
Yay!! I’m so glad. Hope they work well for you!!
Mona. W says
finally healthy Candy for my kids, i always have the hardest keeping candy away frm them. i think i will jst switch and be a Nice MAMA 🙂