GU Energy Labs, which has pioneered the energy gel category since 1993, has expanded its nutrition offerings with two additions to its product line.
After years of research and development led by Olympic marathoner and GU Vice President of Research, Development & Innovation, Magdalena Boulet, the company has announced that its first energy bar is headed into production and will be available at retail in early 2016.
The GU Energy Stick is ‘a whole-food stick with 200 calories crafted with only a handful of natural ingredients, comprised of 70% organic, gluten-free nutrition.’ According to GU, the product is for morning workouts, long rides and any outdoor activity. This addition to the GU range is seen to complement GU’s existing line of performance products as a fuel for athletes during longer or less-intense endurance efforts.
Roasted organic quinoa forms the basis of the first two flavours, ‘because quinoa is replete with complex carbohydrates and also contains all eight essential amino acids, making for a quality source of both energy and complete protein.’
Crispy Honey Peanut GU Energy Sticks are made from organic dates, organic peanuts, honey, organic quinoa and sea salt.
Crispy Chocolate Almond GU Energy Sticks are made from organic dates, almonds, organic semi-sweet dark chocolate, organic cocoa, organic quinoa, honey and sea salt.
With the addition of healthy fats from almonds, peanuts and cocoa, the Energy Sticks are positioned as a healthy, varied and clean source of complete nutrition for pre-workout meals or as a mid-workout source of energy.
According to GU, the very design of the Energy Stick is maximized for athletes, as the innovative stick shape allows athletes to stash it in a hydration pack or belt, or a bike jersey pocket and to eat a measured amount at a time.
Brian Vaughan, a co-founder and Chief Endurance Officer of GU Energy Labs, said, “Creating a solid has been a long and deliberative process. When we created energy gels in 1993, we were pursuing a singular solution to fueling during high intensity endurance activities. We maintain that GU and Roctane Energy Gels, Chews and Roctane Energy Drink are best in class products for those conditions.
“However, we’ve always believed that solids have a place not only in the daily diets of athletes, but also specifically in lower intensity, longer duration activities when the body has time to reap the rewards of whole foods and when you want to mix it up. Our Energy Stick is a carefully curated sports nutrition experience that fuels well under specific conditions, features easy portion control and tastes great.
“We’re thrilled to offer more solutions to our community of athletes and continue to build a more complete line of performance nutrition.”
GU Energy Sticks will have an MSRP of US$2.50 per stick, or US$30 for a pack of 12. They will be available for sale in specialty retail in spring 2016.
Another new development in the GU line-up is the long-anticipated debut of 15-serving GU Energy Gel and GU Roctane Gel.
Launching concurrently with the introduction of the bulk packaging is the GU Energy Flask — designed in collaboration with Oakland neighbor Hydrapak and optimized for the viscosity of GU Energy Gels.
The soft flask will hold five servings at a time and ‘fit into nearly any hydration equipment and make it easier for athletes to fuel longer efforts.’
As with GU’s recent partnership with TerraCycle to make 100% of its packaging recyclable, the new bulk packaging is designed to reduce litter. As the company points out, fewer packages mean less trash, less material used, and a cleaner environment.
Titled GU Energy Gel 15-Serving Pouch and Roctane Energy Gel 15-Serving Pouch, the jumbo-scaled GU will debut in November 2015 in the following flavours at an MSRP of US$30.00 for both Roctane and Energy Gel:
- Salted Caramel Energy Gel
- Strawberry Banana Energy Gel
- Sea Salt Chocolate Roctane
- Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane
