Protein Rebel Energy Gels Review

Protein Rebel Maple Energy Gels Review

At this point, I've tried and tasted more energy gels than I care to remember but recently, a package popped through my letterbox that genuinely piqued my interest. 

I’ve got to be honest. I’m already a massive fan of maple syrup, so when Protein Rebel sent me their Maple Ignite and Maple Coffee gels to test out and review, I was keen to give them a go. The idea of fuelling my ultra and trail runs with something that actually resembles real food was definitely appealing.

Size Does Matter

The first thing I noticed was the physical size of these things. Each gel is only 36g, making them almost half the size of your standard SiS Go Isotonic gel. This is a massive bonus for me. When you’re packing for a long ultra marathon, every gram counts, and I’m always looking for ways to shed additional weight and free up space in my running vest.

Despite the smaller footprint, they pack a decent punch. You get 24g of carbs in the Maple Ignite and an impressive 27g in the Maple Coffee variant. Considering your generic standard energy gel usually hovers around the 22g mark, you’re getting more fuel in a significantly smaller package.

Practicality on the Move

While we’re talking about the packaging, it’s worth mentioning the design. Instead of the fiddly double tabs you find on many other brands, these feature a clever "hook" design that makes them a lot easier to tear open.

This might seem like a small thing, but when you’re hours into a run, hands cold or sweaty, and trying to keep moving, it’s one less thing to battle with. It just works.

Protein Rebel Taste and Texture

Taste-wise, they are great, though that won't come as a surprise if you’re a maple fan like myself. The Maple Coffee adds a nice kick that isn't too overpowering, just a smooth blend that gives you the extra caffeine hit (45mg).

In terms of consistency, they're much thinner and less viscous than your typical chemical gels. This makes them a lot smoother and quicker to get down without the lumpy texture. The only minor drawback to this runnier consistency is that it’s easier to get it on your fingers or gloves if you’re not paying attention. To be honest, I didn’t really find this an issue, but it’s something to be mindful of.

Natural Ingredient Energy Gels

If you look at the ingredients list, it’s refreshing. They're made of only two or three natural ingredients: Canadian maple syrup, coffee extract, and sea salt. This makes them extremely gut-friendly and naturally vegan.

The popularity of sports nutrition with natural ingredients seems to be growing as more people begin to analyse what it is they’re actually consuming. If you’re one of those people, then Protein Rebel is definitely worth looking at, providing you like maple syrup, of course!

One thing I was initially unsure about was whether I’d get a massive sugar peak and end up crashing half an hour later. However, according to Protein Rebel maple syrup is predominantly sucrose. This breaks down and delivers glucose to your system the moment it enters your bloodstream, but because it has a lower glycaemic index than other processed sugars, it continues to break down over a longer period. The result? You stay fuelled for longer without the drama of a crash.

Sustainability

Another tick in the box is sustainability. The maple syrup is sourced from Canadian maple trees, making them a very sustainable fuel source. In a world where we’re all trying to be a bit more conscious of our environmental impact, this is a big win.

Price

Now, in terms of cost, at £2.75 for a single gel, they are definitely on the steep side compared to some other options. However, you can bring that price down to a much more palatable £1.72 per gel if you commit to buying in bulk (packs of 36). While they aren't the cheapest on the market, you are paying for premium, natural ingredients which some runners may be happy to pay a little extra for.

Nutrition (Maple Ignite Flavour)

The Verdict: Are Protein Rebel Energy Gels Good For Runners?

It's safe to say I’ve been impressed with both the Protein Rebel energy gels. If you're happy to pay the premium price tag, I would definitely recommend them if you're looking for an all-natural energy gel that tastes great and is half the size of normal gels. 

A Note on Recovery: Run Easy Marine Collagen

In additional to the Protein Rebel energy gels, I’ve also been testing out their Run Easy Marine Collagen for the past month, which is designed to help runners strengthen joints and ligaments to reduce the risk of injury.

Run Easy is a pure, unflavoured marine collagen powder with no added sweeteners, preservatives, gums, or fillers. This ensures it is fast-acting and easy to digest. Being hydrolysed (broken down into tiny peptide particles), it’s absorbed easier by the body, with marine collagen being up to 1.5 times faster acting than bovine or porcine collagen.

I’ve been mixing it into my morning coffee as a bit of a routine. With it being flavourless, I honestly wouldn't even know it’s there, which makes it incredibly easy to consume and work into your daily life. Unfortunately, it’s early days to determine if the collagen is in fact helping to strengthen my joints and ligaments, but for now I’ll trust the science and report back at a later date.