We hate running late with our reviews, but the past two weeks have been a blur. Last weekend we participated in the Palmetto200, an endurance relay from Columbia to Charleston. Pretty fun stuff. The bad new is that put us behind on reviews. The good news is that we had a great chance to test a few products from Honey Stinger and other companies during the race.
About Honey Stinger:
Honey Stinger makes a wide range of products for endurance and athletic lifestyles. We are currently testing their Honey Stinger Gold Gels, Honey Stinger Waffles, and Organic Energy Chews. Their products include all natural honey as the main ingredient.
About Honey Stinger Energy Gels:
Honey Stinger Gold is the classic honey flavored energy gel. The gels are also available in Banana, Strawberry, Chocolate, and Ginsting. Ha! Since we’re purists here at FitEgg.com, we decided on the Gold.
Each serving of Honey Stinger Gel contains 120 calories, 50mg Sodium, 85mg Potassium, 29g of total carbs, all from sugar, and 25% of your DV of Vitamin B.
Testing the Honey Stinger Energy Gels:
In a first for FitEgg, we had 6 testers for this product. We packed the samples, thanks Honey Stinger, in our kit for the Palmetto 200. The first thing a few people commented on was the flavor. Exactly like honey. Not terribly surprising, but testers reported no strange aftertastes or odd flavors. This was important to a few testers because they don’t generally use energy gels. Since most people know what honey tastes like, there was no adjustment period for first time users. Adding the Honey Stingers the day of the race could have been an issue, but thankfully there were no complaints about stomach issue.
For our testers that used gels before, many commented that the gel was less thick than GU Gels or Hammer Gel. One tester complained of a bit of stomach discomfort after first taking the gel, but reported that the discomfort subsided within 10 minutes. He tried another later that day without issue.
A few testers reported really liking the less thick gel because it didn’t require as much water to wash down and didn’t leave a residue in their mouth.
Most testers used the Honey Stinger in the same way they use other gels, ingest one about every 15 minutes during exertion.
Our Thoughts on Honey Stinger Energy Gel:
Pleased, overall. The one report of stomach discomfort could have been due to other factors, but it’s worth reporting. Most people were indifferent or liked the consistency. Since the gels basically taste like honey, we only recommend this for people who enjoy that flavor.
We’re partial to Hammer Gels, personally, but didn’t notice any difference in energy levels when using Honey Stinger Gels. The longest run we used these on was about 10 miles and they provided continual energy during the entire run. We did not use these gels during recovery.
Bottom Line: These gels provide the right number of calories to keep you going. The taste isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of Honey, these are great for you. If you’re looking for a more natural, less additive energy gel, this might be your ticket.
Review Overview
Price
Flavor
Performance
Summary : Very natural gel with no serious additives, but with a strong honey flavor, of course.
“29g of total carbs, all from sugar” is the BIG red flag!
All simple carbs is a no-no for anyone but especially anyone managing (or that should be managing) thier sugar metabolism. That’s why the best in-flight fuels are weighted toward complex carbs w/fewer simple carbs. Really surprised you did not raise this question at all?!