Best Energy Chews for Running 2024

Buyer's Guide | Fleet Feet

Updated on

Energy chews and sports beans are an easy, portable way to give you a boost during your workout or between races at the track. Plus, who doesn’t love the reward of a gummy or jelly bean as you power up a hill or reach a certain mileage?

When you are out running or exercising for more than an hour, your body needs additional fuel to keep you going strong. Consuming carbohydrates during activity enhances performance by providing your body with additional energy to help you go further.

Tip: It is always best to wash down your nutrition with water for maximum absorption and to minimize stomach issues.

Everyone’s nutrition is personal and it takes some trial and error to find the perfect combination. To start, a good rule of thumb is to take in about 100 calories for every hour of running. No matter your tastes, there is a consistency and flavor for everyone - from watermelon jelly beans to margarita chews, you can find the perfect nutrition for you.

Here are our best energy chews for running:

[This is part of our Best Running Gear & Accessories Guide 2024. If chews or beans are not your favorite type of nutrition, check out our guides to the best gels, energy bars, or best electrolyte drinks]

Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews

Shop Now

Harness the power of honey to help you perform your best with the Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews. These gummies give you the energy you need to keep going thanks to numerous sources of carbohydrates: glucose, fructose, maltose and sucrose.

They are tasty, easy to digest, include 70% of your daily recommended Vitamin C and have sodium to help with your electrolytes. To help you through your runs, Honey Stinger chews also contain organic tapioca syrup alongside honey to give it great flavor without the sugar crash.

Clif Shot Bloks

Shop Now

Clif Shot Bloks are a semi-solid, easy-to-chew source of carbs to keep you running strong. These cube-shaped gummies are each 33 calories, with each having at least 8 grams of carbs and 16mg of sodium, so it makes it easy to track your calories.

These gummies come in an easy-to-carry package so you can take them on the go. Plus, with delicious flavors such as margarita and tropical punch, these energy chews taste like a treat!

Jelly Belly Sports Beans

Shop Now

Jelly Belly Sports Beans may taste like your typical jelly beans, but they have been formulated to fuel your body during intense exercises. These delicious beans are loaded with carbohydrates, electrolytes and vitamins to maintain fluid balance, optimize energy release and protect cells against oxidative damage.

They come in resealable 100 calorie pouches that are perfect for eating during a run or snacking on in between races at a track meet. These come in both regular Sports Beans and Extreme Sports Beans. The Extreme versions have caffeine, which has been shown to provide a wide range of sports performance benefits including alertness, endurance, agility, sprint speed and power output.

GU Energy Chews Singles

Shop Now

Tasty and easy to carry, GU Energy Chews will help you sustain energy to run those long distances. These gummies are chewable, bite-size pieces packed with energy-dense calories so you can eat them while you are running. Each packet is 90 calories total.

Each chew contains carbohydrates to top off the glycogen stores and give you energy, sodium to give you electrolytes and keep your fluids in balance, and branched-chain amino acids that may reduce mental fatigue and muscle damage. Some flavors also include caffeine to give you an extra boost. With yummy flavors such as blueberry pomegranate and strawberry, Gu Energy Chews are so tasty you’ll go on a run just for an excuse to eat one.

How We Picked the Best Energy Chews for Running

With more than 45 years of experience, Fleet Feet is the expert in running. What makes the ideal running chew for a runner comes down to your personal experience, goals, preferences and style. At Fleet Feet, we have been helping runners pick out the right gear for decades and want to pass that knowledge on to you.

We use a combination of real-life use, quality of materials, seasonal trends and our own top-seller lists to pick out the best energy gels for running. With all that in mind, we picked gear that lived up to our personal (and professional) expectations and we think they will live up to yours as well.

Standing Behind Our Picks

We picked the best energy chews based on what we think will work for the most people in most situations. If you buy any gear from us and you don’t love the way it looks, fits or performs, bring them back within 60 days for a full refund. That’s our Happy Fit Guarantee.

Plus, we offer free shipping on all orders over $99 on fleetfeet.com, and we’ll match a lower price from a qualifying retailer.