Hammer Gel is Powered by Complex Carbs

There are no added simple-sugars, artificial colors or sweetners in Hammer Gel. Complex-carbohydrates and simple-sugars both require water to be digested. Calorie for calorie, simple-sugars require more water to digest than complex-carbs. If adequate water is not consumed with the carbohydrates then your body will rob it from muscles, blood and other tissues. In addition to the negative performance consequences that causes, it also takes time, slowing the rate of digestion until proper fluid can be recruited. This can cause bloating, stomach upset and GI distress in endurance athletes. Complex-carbs can be easily digested at twice the concentration of simple-sugars (6-8% for simple sugars, and 15-20% for complex carbs) requiring less water for digestion. Fueling with complex-carb powered Hammer Gel allows you to obtain the calories you need while reducing the risk of stomach issues or GI distress. 

Maltodextrin Delivers the Boost without the Crash

Maltodextrin is the complex-carbohydrate found in Hammer Gel. Long chain maltodextrin has a GI index of 130 (compare to Glucose at 100 and Sucrose at 62) and provides the energy boost performance athletes are looking for by raising blood sugar levels. Long chain maltodextrin is easily broken down into glucose molecules providing a steady release of glucose without swings in insulin. Stable blood sugar levels avoid the typical crash that results when consuming simple-sugars alone.

Recommended Hammer Gel Consumption per Hour

Endurance athletes burn 600-900 calories per hour depending upon their weight, intensity, and fitness. Yet it would be disastrous to try and consume that many calories while training or racing. Our bodies just don't have the ability to digest that much while focusing on providing energy to muscles and cooling our bodies. Under the best circumstances athletes can assimilate only 200-300 calories per hour. As temperature, humidity and intensity increases, our ability to digest calories decreases. We recommend one gel 15 minutes prior and one gel every 30-45 minutes during.

How Does Hammer Gel Compare to the Competition? 

Hammer Gel has the highest ratio of complex-carbs to simple-sugars of any gel in the marketplace. Maltodextrin is the single source for its complex carbohydrates and also contains 4 amino acids. Espresso has 50mg of caffeine and Tropical has 25mg. For a complete comparison check our our energy gel comparison chart.