We Tried It: GU’s Newest Flavors

Last month, GU Energy Labs launched two new flavors—Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Gel and Black Cherry Chomps—and the Triathlete staff gave them a try.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Gel
The new Chocolate Peanut Butter joins GU’s lineup of 12 other energy gel flavors, which range from Salted Watermelon and Espresso Love to Salted Caramel. In the taste test, testers noticed that the peanut butter was a little stronger than the chocolate flavor, but it was a pleasant mix. It’s a smooth and strong flavor, but there’s no hint of caffeine’s bitterness (even though there are 20 milligrams per 1.1-ounce packet). The viscosity, like other GU flavors, is easy to eat on the move—not too watery and not too thick and sticky.

Each packet contains 100 calories, as well as elevated electrolytes (more than other flavors)—125 milligrams of sodium and 60 milligrams of potassium. There are also 20 grams of carbs and antioxidant vitamins C and E in each gel.

This particular flavor is also part of the “GU Gives” program—a portion of each sale of Chocolate Peanut Butter goes toward funding charities such as the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Available in stores and online: $11.60 for box of eight 1.1-ounce gel packets, Guenergy.com

Black Cherry Chomps
The Black Cherry flavor of Chomps joins seven other flavors such as Peach Tea and Strawberry. The taste is very sweet with a strong cherry flavor and masks the caffeine bitterness pretty well (not as well as the gel flavor). We liked that the chews’ flavor didn’t linger—they had a clean finish.

In each four-chew serving (two servings per package) are 90 calories, 50 milligrams of sodium, 40 milligrams of potassium, 23 grams of carbs and full servings of vitamins C and E.

Available in stores and online: $31.75 for box of 16 2.1-ounce Chomps packages, Guenergy.com