I was contacted by the team at Energy Bytes to see if I wanted to try a sample of their caffeine enriched gummies. A long time ago, when I first got into ultras, I was a frequent user of similar products that had caffeine in them. I’ve tried a lot of different nutritional products and more recently have just stuck to electrolytes and more basic foods in races. When I was contacted I was preparing for two races that were each about 100km and both started at night, the second of which I was likely to carry on well into the second night. So I thought ‘why not?’ and gave them a try…
Energy Bytes is a small and recently formed company. On their website you can read about their journey and how these gummies came to be – https://energybytes.co/pages/our-story As of 2024 there are 4 different flavours of gummies available: Berry Blast, Atomic Apple, Wild Strawberry and Orange Crush. The gummies themselves are soft sweets, kind of like a more tender version of a classic fruit pastel. They may be small, but they are mighty with 40mg of caffeine per gummy. This is slightly more than a typical 330ml can of coke, half a strong espresso and about a quarter of the caffeine you can expect to find in a leading brand of caffeinated energy drink. This is also about 10% of the safe daily intake recommendation for caffeine (according to BUPA). So it’s strong, but not strong enough for a single gummy to be causing any worrying side effects.
Besides the caffeine, the Energy Bytes are also vitamin ‘enriched’ (vitamins B (B6, B12 and B3), A and D) and made from plant based ingredients (so are they are vegan friendly). The suggested use is to take 1-2 bytes per serving and no more than 5 bytes per day. So its worth being conscientious and not devouring a whole load of them as they are rather tasty! Here are the ingredients and nutritional information (which can be found on the website when ordering – https://energybytes.co/ ) for those more interested in the specifics…
One of the main benefits of these caffeine gummies, is their simplicity to use and their quick-release formulation. There is a really informative and useful blog post on the Energy Bytes website that describes the absorption process and how it differs for gummies compared to energy drinks of coffee – https://energybytes.co/blogs/news/why-caffeine-gummies-work-faster-than-energy-drinks. In basic terms, by chewing the gummy, the caffeine is absorbed through the gums and by-passes the digestion process, meaning it enters the bloodstream quicker.
The simplicity is what enticed me to try the gummies. With my passion for ultra running, I often have a need for a quick burst of energy, something to keep me going and tide me over until a more opportune moment for a rest and reset. Numerous times in ultras I’ve ‘bonked’ or struggled to keep my eyes open whilst trying to move forward (the experience at Istria 100 earlier this year being a perfect example) and often I don’t have the time or the frame of mind to wait for a coffee to be consumable (either access to one, or waiting for it to cool down) or want to drink a lot of additional fluid to get a caffeine kick. So the idea of a gummy that quickly releases the caffeine seemed like a winner to me!
I was kindly sent a sample box of each of the four flavours available. The samples came in really convenient 2-gummie servings which were great for my needs of carrying on the go. You can buy the gummies in 4 packs (each pack containing 15 gummies) in either single flavours or variety packs of all four.
I tried the gummies out on a number of runs including the two ultras: the 110km Ultra Trail Hungary and the Vucko Trail in Bosnia.
My first experience was at the Ultra Trail Hungary. They say not to try something new on a race day, but I don’t care about that. Part of ultra running is overcoming obstacles and adapting on the go. I drink quite a lot of coffee anyway, so I wasn’t concerned about any ‘side effects’. This race started at 10pm at night. I’d be running for close to 20 hours and with little chance of sleep before the start of the race, I expected I’d be tired during the night. It was about 20km in, after about 3 hours of running that I tried a gummy. At around 01:00, I thought this would be a good opportunity as the tiredness was starting to hit. I tried the Berry Blast gummy and I was very pleasantly surprised. I found it to be very soft and easy to eat (hardly needed to chew) and the flavour was very juicy and tasty. I could taste the caffeine, but I didn’t find it too overpowering. Its hard to substantiate the ‘impact’ of the caffeine though as there are so many factors at play in ultra running. I tried the gummy when I stopped at an aid station, so it was taken with other food, it was the first time we’d stopped/rested in 3 hours, the next section was a lovely gentle downhill through the forest and I was generally having a great time. So I couldn’t say if I particularly noticed an energy boost and even if I did if it were to be purely down to the energy byte. Likewise when a few hours later, when dawn was starting to break, I tried the Atomic Apple gummy. At this point I get a natural high and energy boost in races when the sun starts to rise and daylight breaks through.
What I did notice though was the flavour of the Atomic Apple was more ‘punchy’ and it had a stronger twang and after taste than the Berry Blast. I assume this is the flavour and caffeine coming through differently. I still liked the taste, but a personal preference was already clear for me – Berry Blast > Atomic Apple!
I took the Orange Crush and Wild Strawberry with me on the Vucko Trail in Bosnia. I mixed the flavours in their packets to try both at different times, one pack on me and one in the drop bag I had at half way. The experience was similar to what I had in Hungary but I think I needed and appreciated the caffeine a little more on this one. With an earlier start time (beginning at 10pm) I was a little more fatigued during the night when I first took one (the Orange Crush) and I did feel a temporary boost. I liked the flavour as the citrus taste was refreshing. It wasn’t until the next night I tried the Wild Strawberry gummy, which I really liked. I think this is my favourite flavour. Of the four I felt it had the least ‘twang’ of caffeine and was the most juicy. I was much more fatigued this night and my heavy eyelids felt lighter for a short while afterwards. If I had more with me, I would have devoured them all through that second night!
What I like
- Flavours – Juicy, tasty and a nice variety of options. Personal favourite was the Wild Strawberry
- Packaging – the sample packs were great for carrying on the go
- Texture – Really soft and easy to consume – far nicer than sticky, chewier products available
What I didn’t Like
- The after taste on some flavours – the twang on the Atomic Apple in particular. This is clearly a personal preference though, some people will enjoy this kick and stronger taste
If you’re looking for a fast release, energy boost with Caffeine, then I would recommend the Energy Bytes. Simple, tasty and effective. You can buy them through https://energybytes.co/ in the four pack options (and subscribe to save 20%!).
If I were to continue using caffeine enriched products for my running adventures, I’d serious consider these gummies! As with all foods for ultra running though, a single product alone isn’t a solution. Whilst these gummies would be good for every day use and quick energy hits, you couldn’t run an ultra-distance race purely on them and need to find a balance for your fuelling needs.
Run With Dai 