GU Roctane Energy Review

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GU has long been a household word for the running community. The founder created the first running gel back in 1993 trying to find a nutrition solution for his ultra-running daughter. Since then, GU has provided race nutrition of all kinds. From gels to gummies to energy drinks, its likely that you could easily find something to fit your specific fueling needs. In anticipation of the 2024 Leadville 100 Trail Run, I ordered GU Roctane Energy Drink Mix. GU Roctane is the drink supplied at the Leadville 100 and I want to train how I will fuel during the race.

As a supplement to the GU Roctane, I also ordered some GU Liquid Energy Gels. I thought they would be a nice alternative energy source rather than the thick gels that can sometimes be hard to swallow late in an ultra-marathon. Read on to get the full skinny on both products.

GU Roctane Enery Drink: What makes it different?

I’ve been competing in the ultra world for about 7 years. In that time, I have tried many different drink mixes for the long runs and race days. I’ve tried a plethora of drink mixes, including one that I put together myself from ingredients I bought on Amazon. While anything that contains water, sugar and salt will be helpful in keeping you moving, it’s important to look closely at your own needs and how your body reacts to each.

When I looked closely into what GU Roctane contained, I found that the added branched-chain amino acids (BCAA’s) were the one thing that set it apart from it’s competition. I read that somewhere in my research but didn’t really know what it meant to me as an endurance athlete, so I dug deeper. I learned that added BCAA’s stimulate the building of protein in muscle and possibly reduce muscle breakdown. They are also commonly used to improve athletic performance and prevent fatigue. Those are things essential to a competitive run in an ultra. GU Roctane contains 1900mg of their BCAA blend per serving of energy drink.

Why are the BCAA’s important. Because they prolong the endurance that your mind and body can endure. GU Roctane was created with the endurance athlete in mind. When we take on the daunting tasks of running 100 or 200 miles, an Ironman or a ride that takes us to our limits, we will be glad for the extra boost from GU Roctane.

The Rest of the Ingredients in GU Roctane

I chose the GU Roctane Energy Drink in Grape Flavor. While many of the Roctane options contain caffeine, there are a couple flavors that do not. It was nice to have the option if I chose to use caffeine. One serving is 65g of the powdered drink mix (2 scoops) and it contains a whopping 250 calories and 320mg of sodium. The recommended concentration is 2 scoops to 21 ounces of water. I found the concentration to be very palatable and not overly sweet. The grape flavor I chose was actually delicious and reminded me of Grape Crush from when I was a kid.

In addition to the sodium, sugars and BCAA’s, Roctane contains natural flavors and a little added color from vegetable juice. They also add in a little malic acid to slightly increase the acidity of the drink. I was pleased that there weren’t any ingredients that I wasn’t familiar with or that had me scratching my head. All in all, there is nothing in GU Roctane that I wouldn’t be willing to put in my body as an athlete.

Easy to Use with Great Solubility

The directions recommend two scoops of powder with 21 oz. of water. This created a very tasty drink that wasn’t too sweet. I didn’t need to alter the concentration whatsoever to fit my taste preference. I have found other endurance fuels to taste overly sweet, especially at the end of a race when you have palate fatigue.

It’s important to mention that GU Roctane has a great solubility! There’s nothing worse that mixing up your drink mix quick at an aid station then sucking chunks at the bottom of your bladder because it didn’t dissolve all the way, yuck! It’s something I have experienced with a few other brands, so I was happy that Roctane’s great taste dissolved quickly and uniformly.

Partner with Your Other GU Favorites

While I would love the thought of finishing the Leadville 100 Trail Run on a liquid drink mix alone, I know myself well enough to know that other supplemental nutrition is sometimes necessary. Since I was trying the GU Roctane, I thought I would also try the GU Liquid Energy Gels. I ordered Lemonade flavor which is caffeine free.

GU Liquid energy gel has a similar sugar/sodium content as the classic GU Gels we have all come to know and love. The difference with the liquid energy gel is that it is watered down and runnier consistency. While this does increase the weight and size some, it wasn’t enough of a difference to scare me away. I found the consistency to be very pleasant, a liquid, and it was super easy to suck out of the single serve packet. Sucking out the last of the liquid made the packet really flat and prevented the sticky mess of the gel left on the opening. It was a great experience and a refreshing change from hard to swallow gels.

The one downside of the Liquid Energy Gels is that you can’t consume just half a pack while running. Because it is liquid, it will spill or squirt out if you try to hold it in your hand too long while running and it can’t be folded up an put away half full. Once it’s open, you are committed!

Flavor Options:

Gu Roctane Energy Drink Mix:

• Grape
• Strawberry Hibiscus
• Lemon Berry (with caffeine)
• Summit Tea (with caffeine)
• Tropical Fruit (with caffeine)

Gu Liquid Energy Gels

• Lemonade
• Strawberry Banana
• Coffee (with caffeine)
• Orange (with caffeine)
• Cola (with caffeine)

Final Thoughts on Gu Roctane and Liquid Energy Gels

GU has long been a leader in sports nutrition and GU Roctane is no exception. After taking a deep dive into the ingredients and using the Roctane for the last 2 months of training, I have to give it a solid gold star. My energy is level and sustained during my long runs and I don’t feel the extreme highs and lows of using gels alone. The mix is easy to use with the included scoop (that is small and doesn’t spill on your bottle). Coupled with the Liquid Energy Gels, I am feeling stronger than ever on my long runs. As I strive to leave the middle of the pack and advance my performance in the ultra world, I will definitely be bringing GU along to fuel my tank.

The GU products are very reasonable priced. The Roctane is priced at $54 for 55 ounces. The Liquid Energy Gels are priced at $25.50 for a box of 12. Take a look at all GU has to offer. If you are interested in the GU Roctane Energy Drink Mix or GU Liquid Energy Gels, check them out on www.amazon.com or at www.rei.com.