But as a Pittsburgher, I am required to take Heinz ketchup seriously.

(The Heinz label is in the shape of a keystone, in case you havent noticed.

Pennsylvaniais the Keystone State.

The local connection runs deep.)

In the video, they claim that runners swear by ketchup packets to fuel on the go.

Im a runner, and this was news to me.

The response was simply: lol no way.

Whymightketchup make sense as running fuel?

When youre running, even at a fairly slow pace, your body burns through a lot of carbohydrates.

Many of these come from glycogen, a form of carb storage in your muscles.

Runners who carb up tend to feel better and run farther than those who dont.

Fueling with carbs isnt required for short runssay, an hour or less.

We also lose sodium and other electrolytes through sweating, and some gels contain electrolytes as well.

Or you’ve got the option to replace your electrolytes by drinking something like Gatorade or Tailwind.

Marathoners (like our own Meredith Dietz) will get their fueling strategy down to a science.

Salt replacement depends on how much you sweat.

So its basically a gel, right?

Lets check the numbers.

One packet of Gu is 100 calories, with 22 grams of carbs and 50 milligrams of sodium.

One packet of ketchup is 10 calories, with two grams of carbs and 90 milligrams of sodium.

This would, however, supply 990 milligrams of sodium.

If you go through 33 ketchup packets, youd have the same carb intake with2,970 milligramsof sodium.

The recommended daily allowance of sodium is 2,300 milligrams.

Athletes can safely have more sodium than the average person, since theyre sweating so much of it out.

But still … thats a lot.

My original plan was to do a long trail run.

he called after me.

I replied, simply: I wont.

I have done a number of things over the years that one might call a bad idea.

This definitely ranks among them.

I opened the first, and down the hatch it went.

Tangy, salty, sweet.

Definitely a change from the usual cloying gels.

I put the empty packet in my trash baggie.

Weird, but fine.

But I was only two grams of carbs in.

I had to have another.

After four packets I told myself Id, uh, have the rest later.

It was a heartburny feeling.

I did not eat the rest later.

I had had enough.

Would I consider taking a ketchup packet alongside a regular gel?

And I would probably end up regretting that, too.