I think STYRKR have come up with something quite smart here.
Most energy chews give you somewhere around 30-40g of carbohydrate per pack and very little sodium. CEL50 pushes that up to 50g of carbohydrate and includes a meaningful amount of sodium as well, which makes much more sense for longer endurance sessions.
What I really like is the flexibility.
Instead of opening another gel every half an hour, you can simply eat one chew at a time. Each chew gives you 10g of carbohydrate, so it’s incredibly easy to keep track of your fuelling strategy throughout a race or training session.
The sodium is another big plus. People often think hydration is just about drinking water, but sodium plays a vital role in helping your body absorb both carbohydrate and fluid. Having both built into the same product is a nice touch.
Taste is another area where STYRKR seem to have done well. One of the biggest complaints athletes have with gels is flavour fatigue after several hours. Having a chewable option adds a bit of variety and can make it easier to keep fuelling when you simply don’t fancy another gel.
Personally, I’d use these alongside gels rather than instead of them. I think they work brilliantly as part of an overall fuelling strategy, particularly for long rides, marathons, Hyrox/Crossfit events, ultra-distance races or long days in the mountains where maintaining carbohydrate intake becomes one of the biggest factors influencing performance.
The Science:
Carbohydrate supplementation during exercise
Study: This review examined how consuming carbohydrate during prolonged exercise affects blood glucose, carbohydrate oxidation, fatigue and endurance performance.
Journal of Nutrition, 1992
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1542049/
The review concluded that consuming carbohydrate during prolonged exercise helps maintain blood glucose, delays fatigue by 30-60 minutes and supports sustained endurance performance. This directly supports the use of products such as STYRKR CEL50 during longer training sessions and races.
Multiple transportable carbohydrates enhance gastric emptying and fluid delivery
Study: This review examined the benefits of carbohydrate delivery during exercise, including gastrointestinal tolerance, fluid absorption and carbohydrate oxidation.
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 2010
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20574242/
Appropriate carbohydrate feeding during exercise supports sustained energy availability and performance. Combined with sodium, it also assists fluid absorption, reinforcing STYRKR’s approach of formulating carbohydrate and electrolytes together.