events

Got a question? Find an answer below. If you’ve read through and we haven’t satisfied your curiosity, feel free to contact us here.

Roctane FAQ's:


GU Energy Gel FAQ's:


GU2O FAQ's


General FAQ’s:



Roctane FAQ’s:

When should I use Roctane?
Roctane is specifically formulated for your most intense training and racing. If you face a hard, multi-hour training session or race (think marathons, ultra-marathons, Iron-distance triathlons, 100-plus-mile bike rides and adventure races), take one-to-two Roctane gels 15 minutes prior to the start, followed by an additional packet every 30-45 minutes along the way. If you compete in short bursts of all-out efforts (think track meets or crew regattas) then go with a packet of Roctane 45 and 15 minutes before, as well as immediately after, your event.

Why is it used just like GU’s original energy gel?
Fundamentally, Roctane is GU, just with more of the stuff that makes original GU so effective (histidine, branched chain amino acids, citrates) plus OKG, an added amino acid complex that lessens damage to muscle tissue during hard training or racing and speeds recovery. You can use GU and Roctane somewhat interchangeably, but Roctane is specifically formulated for your most intense training and racing. The higher concentrations of these key ingredients give you more of what your body needs when you need it most.

How much fluid should I drink with Roctane?
Same as you always should: A couple of big gulps of fluid with Roctane and around 20 to 30 ounces of fluid for each hour of exercise (Don’t drink it all at once, please. Pace yourself.).

Should I use Roctane differently on race-day?
No, make sure to pre-load your body with a packet or two of Roctane and chase with water approximately 45 minutes and 15 minutes before the start.

What happens if I switch to Roctane exclusively for my sports nutrition needs?
If you win a lot because of it, we sponsor you. Seriously though, you may enjoy your best performance ever. Roctane has everything you need to keep on running all day and all night. It was, after all, designed for competitors of 100-mile ultra marathons. However, your stomach or your taste buds might want you to switch things up a bit with different flavors. That’s why Roctane is a perfect complement to an energy program that includes all varieties of GU, as well as GU2O for rehydration.

What is OKG?
Ornithine Alpha-Ketoglutarate is the scientific name of this amino acid complex, and it essentially blunts the catabolic process, a.k.a. the body breaking down muscle in response to extreme physical exertion and the corresponding muscle trauma. Simply put, OKG enhances recovery by protecting your muscle tissue from the damage inherent in extreme athletic efforts.

Why does Roctane have the same amount of calories as original GU?
You find 100 calories of carbohydrates in both Roctane and GU because there’s no reason to add more. The stomach can only absorb so many calories at a time during exercise without disrupting the oxygenated blood flowing to your hard-working muscles. Add too many more calories and the body redirects blood from your muscles to the intestines to digest those calories. And you slow down.

Why doesn’t Roctane contain the antioxidant vitamins in original GU?
Roctane does not contain the vitamin C or vitamin E that is in GU in order to make room for the additional volume of ingredients in Roctane. Since it is fairly easy to obtain your daily recommended intake of vitamins C and E by ingesting one or more packets of original GU, we removed them in favor of accommodating the added OKG and other increased concentrations of ingredients which are beneficial on those really hard days. If you are concerned about getting enough antioxidants, we suggest including a packet of original GU, in addition to Roctane, as part of of your nutrition program during intense training and racing.

Why does Roctane cost more than the original GU?
Roctane costs more because there are up to 10 times the amount of high-performance ingredients in each packet. Consider this analogy: Original GU is like premium unleaded—it’ll power the most sophisticated engines on the planet with no problem. Roctane is our high-octane, racing-grade unleaded. It burns hotter and stronger and will keep an engine running near red-line all day long.

[ Back to Top ]

GU Energy Gel FAQ's

There are only 100 calories per packet, yet I burn through 100 calories in 10 minutes. Shouldn’t I eat more than one every 30-45 minutes?
We limited GU to 100 calories because, in general, the body can digest roughly 350 calories per hour during exercise. If you tried to eat more, the body would divert blood from your muscles— say “buh-bye” to a personal record—to handle the excess food. If your metabolism is slow, then one GU every 45 minutes works fine. If you have an athlete’s metabolism, try ingesting one GU every 30 minutes and see if it agrees with you.

How do you eat GU?
Rip open the top and squeeze the entire packet into your mouth—don’t save half of it for later. GU’s recipe of carbohydrates and amino acids was created to be taken in one shot to provide you with maximum benefits.

How should you use GU to help you recover from hard training or racing?
When you stop, go ahead and eat a pack of GU, even if it’s been less than 30 minutes from your last GU shot. Now that you’ve stopped exercising, your stomach can handle those calories and needs them to start restoring your muscle glycogen—essentially the body’s instant fuel reservoirs.

Can I use GU for a strength workout or even yoga?
Sure. While GU was designed for endurance sports, it can be used anytime you need energy to fuel a workout. It can also serve as a 100-calorie pick-me-up if you’re dragging or simply need a snack to carry you through until your next meal.

How does the caffeine in GU help me?
GU energy gel comes in both caffeinated and non-caffeinated flavors. Strawberry Banana and Lemon Lime do not have any caffeine in them. Orange, Vanilla, Chocolate, Triberry and Plain all have 20mg of caffeine per packet. GU’s Espresso Love flavor has 40mg of caffeine. Caffeine consumption during exercise improves performance in several ways: it sharpens focus and perks you up; but more importantly, it helps the body produce more power, reduce the pain of hard efforts, and may even tap fat for fuel during exercise. All of this prolongs your ability to exercise at a high intensity. We use just enough caffeine to jump start this benefit and no more.

Does GU freeze?
Yes, but well below zero. It does thicken in cold weather, so keep GU close to your body to keep it warm.

How long does GU take to work?
The fructose converts quickly into an energy molecule that your muscles can tap within minutes. The maltodextrin, which makes up 70-80% of the carbohydrate blend (depending on flavor), takes several minutes longer. Because of this delay, your muscles enjoy a steady stream of energy instead of one gigantic sugar rush and a corresponding crash.

Is GU safe for children?
Yes, if they’re playing sports, on a hike or just being active, GU will help kids just as much as it helps you. You’d probably want to keep them away from the flavors that contain caffeine; no need to make them more hyperactive.

Can my dog eat GU?
We don’t recommend it. Maltodextrin is corn-based and corn is not recommended for dogs—many are actually allergic to corn.

[ Back to Top ]

GU2O FAQ’s:

Why GU2O when original GU is already great?
They’re two different products, designed to work in tandem. GU2O keeps you hydrated by replenishing the electrolytes your body sweats out during exercise. GU provides your body with energy to exercise and to maintain your effort during long workouts and events. The two products serve different, but equally important, functions. Most of our elite athletes carry both GU energy gels and GU2O with them during training and racing.

GU2O tastes lighter than some of the other sports drinks I’ve tried. Does this mean it’s less effective?
No! Many sports drinks on the market are full of sugary sweeteners and other unnecessary additives. Large amounts of sugar in your drink can lead to bloating in your belly. With GU2O, we give you only the stuff you need to stay hydrated and none of the extra fluff.

How much should I drink each hour?
Approximately 20-30 ounces will do it. On hot days, you may even want to drink twice as much.

Will GU2O recharge my body faster than gu energy gel?
Try it, every person will react differently. However, we don’t suggest you forgo eating GU or Roctane altogether. These gels pack valuable amino acid formulas that reduce fatigue and sharpen your mental state.

Our sports drink was designed to work in tandem with the regular intake of GU Energy Gel and Roctane. How long does gu20, once mixed into a beverage, remain stable? Does it need to be refrigerated? Ideally GU2O should be mixed just prior to exercise or competition. If you know you’re going to need more than one bottle of GU2O, we suggest you carry it along in powder form and mix it with water when needed.

Should I dilute GU2O?
No! GU2O was specifically formulated to deliver the energy and electrolytes you need to perform your best, hour after hour. Diluting GU2O weakens it and could weaken you.

Is it affected by heat if warmed up for use on cold days?
It is not affected by heat, but some people like the taste of hot GU2O while others don’t. You’re welcome to try it, or stick to eating a GU or Roctane and washing it down with warm-to-hot water.

Are there any foods or drinks to avoid while using GU2O that would stunt or block the effectiveness of the ingredients?
All food, when taken simultaneously with GU or GU2O, will diminish their powers. GU and GU2O are designed to be used on an empty stomach (at least 3 hours after the last meal). All GU products deliver a high dose of calories in a rapidly digestible form that takes up minimal space in your stomach. This way you can keep fueling even when you’re pushing yourself to the max without worrying about slowing down to digest food.

[ Back to Top ]

General FAQ’s:

How do I best combine GU2O GU Energy Gel and Roctane on a long day of exercise?
The answer depends on each person. Some people may be able to run all day eating nothing but Vanilla GU and drinking water. Others might need to rotate between all the flavors of Roctane and GU washed down with different flavors of GU2O over the course of a full-length triathlon or ultramarathon. You’ll need to experiment to find out what works for you. How do you know what works? You want to be able to consistently take in calories and electrolytes on a reGUlar basis throughout a long day of training or racing.

Does GU sponsor teams and athletes?
Yes, to find out more go here

Will GU sponsor my race?
We’ll certainly consider it. Our sponsorship page details all that information.

Are GU packets recyclable?
The type of packaging necessary to keep GU fresh is not recyclable. However, we do maintain a customer loyalty program called Stash your Trash which encourages environmental awareness through keeping trails free of litter.

Can I buy GU in bulk?
No. We manufacture 100% of our gels in-house on custom machinery, formatted specifically to accommodate our unique packaging design. In order to maintain this process, and thus maintain the highest quality control standards of any gel on the market (read more about The GU factory), we manufacture in single-serving packets only. If you prefer to train and race with bulk gel, we recommend squeezing several packets into a GU gel flask.

Have you considered a “litter leash” style tear tab for GU packets?
We did consider an early prototype of this style of packaging. However, we found that the volume of packaging necessary to do so was excessive. In fact, we’ve studied the packaging of every competitive gel on the market and determined that our unique design utilizes 20-40% less material than any of our competitors’ packets. That’s a whole lot of raw material, when you consider the quantity of individual gel packets we produce each year! It’s actually quite simple to keep track of your GU tear tabs: either rip the top only partially open to consume your GU, or else tear the top fully off and roll it up with the rest of the packet, toothpaste-tube-style, as you go. Then drop your empties in the nearest trash bin or stash them in your jersey pocket or under your bike short leg grippers for later disposal. One final note on packaging: the fact that GU’s unique design has the smallest possible profile enables comfortable, convenient portability of multiple gels in jersey pockets, jog bras, bento boxes – wherever you store your GU.

[ Back to Top ]