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Energy & recovery gels
Wiggle Nutrition Energy Gels - The Full Flavour Collection Wiggle Nutrition Energy Gels.jpg

Wiggle Nutrition Energy Gels - The Full Flavour Collection

9
by Ashley Quinlan
UPDATED Fri, Feb 05, 2016 19:46

First Published Feb 5, 2016

6
£5.00

VERDICT:

9
10
A simple gel with the major performance boxes ticked, at a great price point. Why wouldn't you?
Weight: 
38g
Contact: 
www.wiggle.co.uk
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Wiggle, for some the go-to online store for cycle-related shopping, is offering its Nutrition Energy Gels in a pack of nine – The Full Flavour Collection. These little pouches of easily digestible carbohydrate are good value, pleasant on the palate, and do a great job.

Many energy gels on the market are adding extra salts, minerals and goodies in order to boost their effectiveness out on the road. But Wiggle has shown that a simple solution can often be just as effective.

> Buy these online here

These energy gels rely on a simple maltodextrin carbohydrate source, with added electrolytes in the form of sodium (salt, to you and me). The salt is key to maximising muscle function and replacing that which is lost while sweating, while the maltodextrin provides a multi-source sugar blend for more than just a simple hit of sugars.

Each gel provides 22g of carbohydrate (from a 38g sachet), which is generally enough to supplement your fuelling at regular 20 to 30-minute intervals over the course of a three to four-hour ride. Some, like me, will tailor this requirement to their own needs, making potential cost more manageable. Even though the gels are smaller than some on the market, I do feel this helps you control your intake more efficiently.

The cost is also relatively low – nine gels in this variety box cost just £5, which is better value than any other gel I've seen – despite the size. You might expect taste to be a bit lacking as a result, but it really isn't – all flavours are palatable, with peaches & cream my personal favourite.

Other flavours in the pack include one each of orange, blackcurrant, fruit punch, lemon & lime, strawberry split and lemon meringue for the standard energy gels, while the two additional caffeine gels included come in mocha and citrus. And, if one flavour particularly takes your fancy, you can buy individual flavours in 20-pack boxes at £9.99 – which is slightly better value for money.

With this pack, though, the great thing is you never get tired of flavours – and the caffeine versions offer up a spiky 30mg to keep you alert come the end of a tough training ride or race.

> Check out other road.cc reviews of energy gels here

While I never found any of the flavours cloying, I always took a swig of water post-gel just to clear the palate and help maintain general hydration.

I have really enjoyed using these on my rides. The packaging is easy to open on the move, and the viscosity of the gel is runny enough to swallow easily, yet not so runny that you make a mess over your hands and/or gloves.

Wiggle has produced a simple gel with the major boxes ticked for performance, at a great price, and in a range of flavours, all in one package. Frankly, it makes you wonder why you'd buy gels from anyone else.

Verdict

A simple gel with the major performance boxes ticked, at a great price point. Why wouldn't you?

road.cc test report

Make and model: Wiggle Nutrition Energy Gels -The Full Flavour Collection

Size tested: Flavours: 1 x Blackcurrant 1 x Fruit Punch 1 x Lemon and Lime 1 x Lemon Meringue 1 x Orange 1 x Peaches and Cream 1 x Strawberry Split 1 x Mocha (caffeine*) 1 x Citrus (caffeine*)

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Wiggle says:

"The whole new and improved flavour range! Can't decide which is your favourite flavour? This variety pack allows you to access the full collection of Wiggle Nutrition fruit flavoured carbohydrate gels for an instant energy boost whilst on the move."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Features:

- Each gel delivers upto 22.6g of carbohydrate to provide you with an instant energy boost when you need it most

- Multiple carbohydrate sources - allows more energy to be delivered to working muscles

- Great tasting fruit flavours

- Gentle on the stomach

- Contains electrolytes for maximum water and carbohydrate absorption

- Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans

- Made in The UK

Flavours:

1 x Blackcurrant

1 x Fruit Punch

1 x Lemon and Lime

1 x Lemon Meringue

1 x Orange

1 x Peaches and Cream

1 x Strawberry Split

1 x Mocha (caffeine*)

1 x Citrus (caffeine*)

*Caffeine gels contain 30mg of caffeine to give you a boost of energy and additional mental focus when you need it most

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Packaging is easy to open and store - no complaints.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

There are no special additions in these gels, but for what they do have in them, they're very good indeed.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Gel packs can handle being taken on multiple rides without consumption.

Rate the product for value:
 
10/10

Nine gels for £5, or 20 for £10 if you know what flavour you want? Bargain.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Practically, just as well as any premium brand gel by my reckoning. Great.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Value and taste are very, very good.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing. I can't blame them for not being the most 'advanced' on the market because I can't really tell the difference – I doubt you will either. The size won't appeal to some, but I think 38g is ample.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 25  Height: 188cm  Weight: 83kg

I usually ride: Specialized Allez Sport  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding

Wiggle Nutrition Energy Gels - The Full Flavour Collection 2016
Wiggle 2016
Wiggle

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6 comments

Avatar
thereandbackagain | 8 years ago
1 like

"Each gel provides 22g of carbohydrate (from a 38g sachet), which is generally enough to supplement your fuelling at regular 20 to 30-minute intervals over the course of a three to four-hour ride..."

 

Surely no-one actually consumes gels at that rate? Even say you've eaten sufficient to cover your first hour, that's between 5 - 11 gels per ride! Unless you're absolutely spanking along, or you have zero fat-burning ability, caning the sugar to fuel you is a horrible way to ride.

 

Avatar
ped replied to thereandbackagain | 8 years ago
0 likes
thereandbackagain wrote:

Surely no-one actually consumes gels at that rate? Even say you've eaten sufficient to cover your first hour, that's between 5 - 11 gels per ride! Unless you're absolutely spanking along, or you have zero fat-burning ability, caning the sugar to fuel you is a horrible way to ride.

Nevermind how nasty that would be to consume, does anyone really want to carry that many sachets on a ride? I know of another energy supplement's marketing guy being left lost for words when asked if they really expected ultra-distance athletes to carry 72 of these things for a 24 hour event. 

If gels work for you, then surely they make more sense as a close-to-bonking emergency pick me up, than they do a proper fuelling strategy. 

And, if I read 'gentle on the stomach' alongside 'ingredients: maltodextrin' one more time I may barf. Pun intended. 

 

Avatar
crazy-legs replied to thereandbackagain | 8 years ago
0 likes
thereandbackagain wrote:

"Each gel provides 22g of carbohydrate (from a 38g sachet), which is generally enough to supplement your fuelling at regular 20 to 30-minute intervals over the course of a three to four-hour ride..."

Surely no-one actually consumes gels at that rate? Even say you've eaten sufficient to cover your first hour, that's between 5 - 11 gels per ride! Unless you're absolutely spanking along, or you have zero fat-burning ability, caning the sugar to fuel you is a horrible way to ride.

I was reading the "fuelling strategy" disgram on the back of a similar box of energy product from another manufacturer which had a 4hr ride as consuming one bottle of "pre-exercise" drink an hour beforehand then 8 gels of various flavours/types throughout the ride while also having another 2 bottles of energy drink during the ride and a bottle of protein recovery shake immediately afterwards!

Insane stuff, it's a way of conning people into thinking that they are a pro rider because they "need" specialist fuel. Frankly most people would be better off with a coffee and a bacon sandwich mid-ride unless you're doing a proper hardcore 4hr road race.

Even during a 2hr race I doubt I'd have more than one gel.

Avatar
Dan S replied to thereandbackagain | 8 years ago
1 like
thereandbackagain wrote:

"Each gel provides 22g of carbohydrate (from a 38g sachet), which is generally enough to supplement your fuelling at regular 20 to 30-minute intervals over the course of a three to four-hour ride..."

 

Surely no-one actually consumes gels at that rate? Even say you've eaten sufficient to cover your first hour, that's between 5 - 11 gels per ride! Unless you're absolutely spanking along, or you have zero fat-burning ability, caning the sugar to fuel you is a horrible way to ride.

Triathletes tend to try to get as much of their fuelling as possible done on the bike, so especially on a longer distance event you may well take one every 20-30 minutes.  Take Triathlon X, for example, which features a 3.8km swim in Windermere, followed by the Fred Whitton, followed by a full distance marathon run up Scafell Pike and back.  I suspect that lots of gels get glugged on that!

 

Avatar
mrmo | 8 years ago
1 like

Question, when you tear the top off, does it remain attached or does it rip clean off? From a litter point of view the tops have a tendancy to get dropped. 

On another related point, i assume that the wrapper is non biodegradeable???

Avatar
stenmeister replied to mrmo | 8 years ago
0 likes
mrmo wrote:

Question, when you tear the top off, does it remain attached or does it rip clean off? From a litter point of view the tops have a tendancy to get dropped. 

On another related point, i assume that the wrapper is non biodegradeable???

 

These look identical to Torq gels in terms of the packaging. With those gels I usually just rip it clean off. 

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