Energy Chews: 5 Runner-Tested Picks to Go the Distance

If you're looking for an easy way to fuel your runs, have you tried energy chews?
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😋Think of energy chews like the made-for-runners version of gummy bears, gummy worms, or Sour Patch Kids.

• They taste good. 
• They're easy to carry and consume on the run. 
• And have just the right mix of ingredients to keep you going.

😲Fun fact: If you Google "energy chews," you'll get 13.2 million results.
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♾️There are a lot of options. You're probably not a professional taste tester, and you'd probably rather go running than much your way through a million energy chews. Right?
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So to make things a little easier, we asked the WeeViews community to help you out.
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👇Check out these 5 runner-tested energy chews to fuel your next run...👇

1. Honey Stinger Energy Chews
2. Pro Bar Bolt Energy Chews
3. KrampKrusher Extreme Training Endurance Chews
4. CLIF Bloks Energy Chews
5. Skratch Labs Energy Chews

"The Honey Stinger chews are my go-to long run fuel," says runner Rachel Kinsella, who loves running roads and trails in Washington state.
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"I find them to be more palatable than any chews I’ve tried."

✅Pros

• Lasting energy
• Texture
• Taste

❌Cons

• Sticky on fingers

😋The Taste Test

"I appreciate that I don’t have to chew forever like I do with granola-type bars," says Rachel. "I don’t feel like I have to wash them down with too much water."
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"They’re a bit softer than a gummy worm in texture, which makes for easy chewing."
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Want to try these energy chews?
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"I suggest getting a variety pack to avoid burnout," says Rachel.
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"All flavors have a honey undertone, but the distinctly different fruit flavors provide a nice variety. These chews last well if you don’t finish the whole pack in a single run."

"These are great energy chews," says Michigan-based runner Rachel Wierenga, who likes running marathons and ultras.
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"I have a sensitive stomach, so I am pretty picky about what I actually bring with me on a long run."

✅Pros

• Good texture
• Great flavor

❌Cons

• Pricey
• Too sweet

😋The Taste Test

"These are usually a good option, but sometimes the sweetness is too much for me," says Rachel.
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Want to try these energy chews?
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"The flavor is good, they aren't too chewy, and they typically go down fine. The only downside is they are pricey, but aren't all chews pricey?"
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And one more thing...
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"Honestly, the pink lemonade flavor can absolutely slap at mile 12 on a long run."

"I went to the store to get the usual chews that I bring on longer runs and decided to give a few other brands a shot," says Texas-based runner Jeff Toda.
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Why not? The name of these energy chews is pretty compelling: KrampKrusher Extreme Training Endurance Chews🤣

✅Pros

• Great Flavor
• Solid texture
• Sweet and salty
• Available at Walmart

❌Cons

• Packaging difficult mid-run due to chews being sticky

😋The Taste Test

"I really dig everything about these energy chews," says Jeff, after testing them out as fuel for an 8-mile run, like this...

• Ate 5 chews before running
• Ate 2 chews during warm-up
• Ate 1 chew during the first mile of running

By the 10K mark, he still fell fresh and decided to run a couple more miles.
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"The solidity of the chews allowed for me to make each one last a mile or more, almost treating them like hard candy slowly getting smaller," says Jeff.
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Want to try these energy chews?
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"I will absolutely use these chews again," says Jeff. "I had several more miles in me after putting in 8 miles."
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"The only downside, there has to be a better packaging solution to make these easier to use mid-run."

So on that trip to the store when Jeff Toda found KrampKrusher Extreme Training Endurance Chews, he also picked up some CLIF Block Energy Chews.
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And he wasn't disappointed...
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"These taste great, they easy to break down, and readily available at a lot of stores," says Jeff.

✅Pros

• Tasty
• Easy to open on the go
• Rapid breakdown with little to no chewing

❌Cons

• Not nutritionally dense
• Caffeine not necessarily a must 

😋The Taste Test

" I really have to admit, these taste better than they should. I was really surprised at mile 4 of a 7-mile run that the flavor was so good."
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Want to try these energy chews?
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"I would recommend these to anyone for long distance running."
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FYI, they're so good..."I will make sure to keep them away from my 13 year old!"

Related: Clif Bloks: Will This Ironman Triathlete's Fueling Strategy Work?

"These energy chews taste good, don't require a lot of chewing, and give you 160 calories per package," says WeeViews editor and ultrarunner Evan Jensen..
"I ate these energy chews during the Mountain Lakes 100 ultra recently, and finished the race for the 7th time."

✅Pros

• Fruity, raspberry flavor that isn't too sweet
• Soft, dissolves easily without a lot of chewing required
• Easy 160 calories to get down

❌Cons

• The packaging isn't ideal for ultrarunning.
• There's just 10 chews in a pack (or two servings)

😋The Taste Test

"Honestly, I think these taste better, they're softer, and have less get-stuck-in-your-teeth chewiness than gummy bears or fruit snacks," says Evan.
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"And they worked well as a carb and calorie source during the 100-mile race."
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Want to try these energy chews?
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"For shorter runs, a pack or two of these in your pocket will be fine," says Evan.
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"But if you plan to run a marathon or an ultra and include these as a fuel source, you might want to repackage them."
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"I put them in snack-sized bags with 30 gummies each for the 100-mile race."
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Tell us about your top picks OR create a WeeView about your favorite energy chews.