After derby I would always do a hot shower and a cold beer.

A bottle of Gatorade after a rough practice but before a short ice bath was my nightly ritual after roller derby practice, and I could definitely tell that I felt a lot better immediately after the Gatorade, but those were 2+ hour practices with 3lb weights on each foot, often in sweltering heat, as you’re combining…

In the right weather, sports drink after 1 hour, start energy gels before 2 hours, but only if I’m planning to be out for more than 2 hours (or if I’m experimenting for a future race longer than 2 hours).

Yep, and they’re easier to keep in your pocket and eat on the run than a lot of homemade options. They’re useful, if you know when and how to use them.

For short distance, the energy gels do not help. Once you get over 2hours running...you have to replace some of your glycogen stores or you’ll bonk hard. Those gels are high concentrated sugars, so for that purpose they do work. Not a sham, just maybe overused by some people. You could also eat a banana or something,…

Yeah I don’t get the hype. And the new power gels etc. It ALL seems too clitchy and scammy to me. I highly doubt a well-trained athlete is going to do any better because he gulped down a few ounces at the end leg of a race and then shot off like a bat out of hell to shave minutes off hit time. lol....#shamwow!