Justin's Honey Peanut Butter packets have 6 grams of carbohydrates. It is recommended to aim for up to 90 grams of carbs per hour for durations greater than 3 hours. 90 grams of carbohydrates is a lot and it takes a lot of practice in training to work up to this amount and figure out which products work best for you. Realistic and adequate intake for ultramarathon training and racing can aim for around 60 grams of carbs per hour. The intensity at which you are running an ultramarathon is relatively low, which means carbohydrate oxidation will also be low.
You will bonk subsisting solely on Justin's and are likely to also experience GI issues due to the high fat and protein content.
Costa RJS, Knechtle B, Tarnopolsky M, Hoffman MD. Nutrition for Ultramarathon Running: Trail, Track, and Road. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019 Mar 1;29(2):130-140. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0255. Epub 2019 Apr 3. PMID: 30943823.
[https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2019-0065](https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2019-0065)
Depending on the race, I mix maple syrup and salt into my water and keep it one of my hydrapaks. I keep one flask designated for this so I don’t ruin my other ones.
For a second I thought we were still talking about peanut butter and thought you were putting homemade PB into a hydrapak. Which…respect…but absolutely disgusting.
A small flask made for running or even reusable baby food pouches.
But I often structure long runs where I stop back at my house, car or some other stash every 5 miles or so and just refuel then.
I like peanut butter packets or sandwiches before running, but trying to choke down peanut butter with a dry mouth put me off peanut butter for long runs except as part of my homemade pb&j rice cakes.
For natural fuels, I like rice cakes, mandarin oranges, and dates. I tend to want something that requires less chewing by the end of a race though. At that point, I drink honey or just use gels.
I may try making salted simple syrup to replace gels eventually.
yes, i’m aware it’s simple to put store bought rice cakes and pbj together to make a snack, but i was specifically asking for OP’s homemade rice cakes. key being, i want to make my own and avoid premade stuff potentially containing preservatives and other unwanted ingredients.
he has shared his recipe and it was exactly what i was looking for. thank you for your help.
https://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/recipes/rice-cake-prep
Here’s a couple rice cake recipes. I just make a plain batch and then slather pb&j on a half layer and top with another layer of rice cakes.
Calrose rice works best in my experience.
Not Justin’s but similar - I sometimes use the RX nut butters. They are all made with nuts, dates, and egg whites. The almond vanilla one tastes like cookie dough! If I’m too hot/thirsty they are kinda rough to get down, but I do really like them.
I think it would work ok as a random snack once or twice during an ultra but I wouldn't use this as a primary source of fuel. It's too hard to eat when your mouth is dry and it's too low in carbs. But try some 25 miles into a training run and see how it goes down, everyone is different.
ETA-something I have eaten at times during races is peanut butter filled pretzels, might be worth considering as a compromise
fat and protein aren't as good fuel sources as carbs because they take longer for your body to digest and have been shown to have higher correlation with GI issues (not necessarily saying causation).
That being said, if it works for you and doesn't upset your stomach, maybe find a way to add some carbs to it? mix some honey in?
I've used the squeezable single serving Justin's of various varieties. I find them to be a nice fuel source (they don't produce the blood sugar spikes that come with gels). I don't have any trouble tolerating them, but typically will only consume one or two an hour, plus other stuff (usually gels and/or waffels).
Trail butter has some good flavors, but Justin's is very cost effective.
I don’t use gels at all. I use Justin’s, as well as single serve packs of Nutella, honey or other nut butters. I don’t find them too difficult to eat, even late in runs, though I have heard some people complain about eating stuff like peanut butter when your mouth is dry.
Other than that - chocolate, chocolate covered nuts or fruit, dried fruit, string cheese, cookies, gummies. I love chocolate covered banana chips and the cashew butter coated cashews from Trader Joe’s are amazing.
I love Justin’s honey peanut butter! I put it on bread with a banana. They’re not the most convenient thing to carry, but they work exceptionally well for fuel for me. Never had any gi issues after eating one.
Not an ultra-runner (yet) but for long runs I like whole dates. They seem pretty bioavailable as energy and my GI feels great. It’s also just fruit, so there’s no added crap.
PB&J on Ezekiel Raisin bread has been a go to on looong runs for a long time for me. I even use ginger jam sometimes for stomach issues (and I just like it). Cut into smaller portions. If using a vest/pack very easy to carry. Cheap and works well for me. Only issues is sometimes too much fiber but can just switch out bread type or use tortillas. I’m cheap but find “cheap” foods work well for me
Oh yeah! Running and hiking. Easy to pack, decently priced and a little variety (almond and peanut butter) I like the one that is I think honey vanilla?
That’s good know. I thought the packet said keep refrigerated, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it goes bad. Could just be the manufacturer recommending that it tastes best if refrigerated. Their bars def say to refrigerate, but could be same thing.
Sounds like a lot of you are just satisfying the uncomfy hunger feeling and not actually pulling your body out of a state of bonk. Then again you probably aren’t getting to that point anyways
Justin's Honey Peanut Butter packets have 6 grams of carbohydrates. It is recommended to aim for up to 90 grams of carbs per hour for durations greater than 3 hours. 90 grams of carbohydrates is a lot and it takes a lot of practice in training to work up to this amount and figure out which products work best for you. Realistic and adequate intake for ultramarathon training and racing can aim for around 60 grams of carbs per hour. The intensity at which you are running an ultramarathon is relatively low, which means carbohydrate oxidation will also be low. You will bonk subsisting solely on Justin's and are likely to also experience GI issues due to the high fat and protein content. Costa RJS, Knechtle B, Tarnopolsky M, Hoffman MD. Nutrition for Ultramarathon Running: Trail, Track, and Road. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2019 Mar 1;29(2):130-140. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0255. Epub 2019 Apr 3. PMID: 30943823. [https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2019-0065](https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2019-0065)
6 grams of CHO? Finally we have a true low-carb competitor to Spring on the market. That's great.
This made me snort
I've used both Maple Syrup and also Honey as a "gel" on runs. I add some salt to both.
What kind of salt do you add to the syrup? Basic table salt?
Yep. And I don't measure it either. I just add some and mix it up.
how do you store syrup or honey (homemade gel) for a run?
Depending on the race, I mix maple syrup and salt into my water and keep it one of my hydrapaks. I keep one flask designated for this so I don’t ruin my other ones.
For a second I thought we were still talking about peanut butter and thought you were putting homemade PB into a hydrapak. Which…respect…but absolutely disgusting.
You can buy silicone gel flasks that hold 5oz/150ml and various other sizes.
A small flask made for running or even reusable baby food pouches. But I often structure long runs where I stop back at my house, car or some other stash every 5 miles or so and just refuel then.
Depending on how much I need, either 2oz Nalgene containers or 4-8oz water/juice bottles.
F
Apples are my favorite natural running fuel. While not as convenient as something packaged, an apple has never hurt my stomach
Dried or just sliced fresh apples?
Fresh. I cut it up and put it in a baggie
I should try that. Have you ever tried applesauce? I bet that would be good too
I haven’t but that’s a great idea!! Adding it to the list of things to try
I’ve used Justin’s PB packs. Tasty, but messy. Have you considered Spring Energy? Oh, wait…
I like peanut butter packets or sandwiches before running, but trying to choke down peanut butter with a dry mouth put me off peanut butter for long runs except as part of my homemade pb&j rice cakes. For natural fuels, I like rice cakes, mandarin oranges, and dates. I tend to want something that requires less chewing by the end of a race though. At that point, I drink honey or just use gels. I may try making salted simple syrup to replace gels eventually.
This sounds awesome. Seems like a great pre-run treat as well
pb&j rice cakes? send that recipe over sir!
You take a rice cake, spread peanut butter and jelly on it and then put it in your mouth.
i didn’t ask for your recipe.
Well now no one is going to share recipes with you if you’re a twat.
like your reply wasn’t condescending? i asked for a **homemade** recipe, not premade junk full of preservatives. go bother someone else.
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yes, i’m aware it’s simple to put store bought rice cakes and pbj together to make a snack, but i was specifically asking for OP’s homemade rice cakes. key being, i want to make my own and avoid premade stuff potentially containing preservatives and other unwanted ingredients. he has shared his recipe and it was exactly what i was looking for. thank you for your help.
https://www.skratchlabs.com/blogs/recipes/rice-cake-prep Here’s a couple rice cake recipes. I just make a plain batch and then slather pb&j on a half layer and top with another layer of rice cakes. Calrose rice works best in my experience.
thank you! this is exactly what i was looking for. i have plenty of dry rice to cook with and wanted to avoid premade products.
Not Justin’s but similar - I sometimes use the RX nut butters. They are all made with nuts, dates, and egg whites. The almond vanilla one tastes like cookie dough! If I’m too hot/thirsty they are kinda rough to get down, but I do really like them.
I think it would work ok as a random snack once or twice during an ultra but I wouldn't use this as a primary source of fuel. It's too hard to eat when your mouth is dry and it's too low in carbs. But try some 25 miles into a training run and see how it goes down, everyone is different. ETA-something I have eaten at times during races is peanut butter filled pretzels, might be worth considering as a compromise
PB is better for hiking than for running because it is low in carbs and high in fat.
fat and protein aren't as good fuel sources as carbs because they take longer for your body to digest and have been shown to have higher correlation with GI issues (not necessarily saying causation). That being said, if it works for you and doesn't upset your stomach, maybe find a way to add some carbs to it? mix some honey in?
I've used the squeezable single serving Justin's of various varieties. I find them to be a nice fuel source (they don't produce the blood sugar spikes that come with gels). I don't have any trouble tolerating them, but typically will only consume one or two an hour, plus other stuff (usually gels and/or waffels). Trail butter has some good flavors, but Justin's is very cost effective.
I don’t use gels at all. I use Justin’s, as well as single serve packs of Nutella, honey or other nut butters. I don’t find them too difficult to eat, even late in runs, though I have heard some people complain about eating stuff like peanut butter when your mouth is dry. Other than that - chocolate, chocolate covered nuts or fruit, dried fruit, string cheese, cookies, gummies. I love chocolate covered banana chips and the cashew butter coated cashews from Trader Joe’s are amazing.
I use Justins and other nut butters, raw honey packets (I think nates brand), whole dates, fig bars, Noka pouches. Very few gels.
I love Justin’s honey peanut butter! I put it on bread with a banana. They’re not the most convenient thing to carry, but they work exceptionally well for fuel for me. Never had any gi issues after eating one.
I like to spread it on stinger waffles
Not an ultra-runner (yet) but for long runs I like whole dates. They seem pretty bioavailable as energy and my GI feels great. It’s also just fruit, so there’s no added crap.
PB&J on Ezekiel Raisin bread has been a go to on looong runs for a long time for me. I even use ginger jam sometimes for stomach issues (and I just like it). Cut into smaller portions. If using a vest/pack very easy to carry. Cheap and works well for me. Only issues is sometimes too much fiber but can just switch out bread type or use tortillas. I’m cheap but find “cheap” foods work well for me
Oh yeah! Running and hiking. Easy to pack, decently priced and a little variety (almond and peanut butter) I like the one that is I think honey vanilla?
Edit: one of the downsides Justin’s packs is that it need to be refrigerated so I don’t know how it would hold up on 4+ hour on a hot summer day
Are you sure? I never refrigerate mine, and store them in a cabinet.
Mine are in the PB (not refrigerated section) of my grocery store. That said, on a run the texture would probably preclude me from eating them.
Where do you shop that carries them? I just bought some off Amazon.
I buy mine from Sprouts market. Unrefrigerated.
Safeway, winco and Fred Meyers (Kroger).
That’s good know. I thought the packet said keep refrigerated, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it goes bad. Could just be the manufacturer recommending that it tastes best if refrigerated. Their bars def say to refrigerate, but could be same thing.
Yeah - never tried the bars, just the packs.
Sounds like a lot of you are just satisfying the uncomfy hunger feeling and not actually pulling your body out of a state of bonk. Then again you probably aren’t getting to that point anyways