A Cheap Alternative To Energy Gels

At $1 - $3 a package, Energy gels can get quite expensive when your a marathon runner or use them in your training runs. So why pay for what you can make yourself in bulk? I'll show you how.
All you will need is honey, molasses and salt.

14 and 2/3 Tablespoons of Honey
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of Molasses (Blackstrap if you can find it)
1/5 teaspoons of table salt

This will make the equivalent to about 10 gel packets and will be pretty thick (add water to thin out). Make sure to mix everything together, clumps of salt do not always taste the best. In this mixture the honey provides the good carbs and vitamins. The Molasses has tons of potassium in it and the salt of course provides the sodium. One of the best things about this mixture is that it doesn't have to be refrigerated and lasts about a full week this way. Keeping it cold will make it last much longer.

Want a recovery Gel with protein?

12 Tablespoons of Honey
1 and 1/4teaspoons of Blackstrap Molasses
12 and 3/4 teaspoons of Soy Protein Isolate
1/8 teaspoons of salt
3-6 Tablespoons of water (depends on how thick you want it)

This should be kept fresh and not too old because the protein can make it go bad quicker.

Now if you want more flavor you could add espresso, Hersey's chocolate syrup, possibly even jello mixes (haven't tried but could work). One tastier version is 1/2 parts honey to 1/2 parts chocolate syrup.

I would suggest buying a 5 oz plastic flask for gels at your local running store or here. It is very portable and easy to carry on a run or bike ride.

Now you can produce your own energy and save money!