I Drank Ketchup Packets While Jogging for Science.

Even before I swallowed my first ketchup packet of the workout, I knew I was falling for Heinz’s stupid publicity stunt. But as a Pittsburgher, I have a responsibility to take Heinz ketchup seriously. I can easily pull this thing out of any glass bottle, I won’t eat Hants and I refuse to call Heinz Field whatever the hell its new name is . So, being a runner as well, I’m the perfect target audience for Heinz’s new trick: convincing athletes to use ketchup packets as fuel.

Heinz announced in a video that they are creating cornerstone-shaped running routes in major cities, adding maps to running apps like Strava and MapMyRun to help runners access ketchup packets on the go. (Heinz’s label is shaped like a keystone, in case you haven’t noticed. Pennsylvania is a keystone state . The local connection runs deep.) In the video, they claim that runners swear by ketchup packets to fuel them on the go. .

I’m a runner and this was news to me. It’s not the idea to eat weird things while running; Carrying candy or gels for energy on very long runs is normal, and in a marathon you may even be offered chips or cola towards the end. Ultramarathons sometimes offer even more snacks; people who run more than 26 miles end up with the strangest food cravings. So I asked an ultra-runner I know if he’d ever used ketchup packets on a run, or if he knew anyone who had. The answer was simple: “lol, no way.”

Why might ketchup make sense as a fuel?

When you run, even at a fairly slow pace, your body burns a lot of carbohydrates. Many of these come from glycogen, the storage form of carbohydrates in muscles. You can add more carbohydrates into the mix by eating sugary or starchy foods before or during your workout . Runners who eat carbohydrates tend to feel better and run further than those who don’t.

Carbohydrate refueling is not necessary for short runs—say, an hour or less. But if you’re running 10 miles on the weekends or training for a marathon or marathon and a half, you’re bound to get into territory where gels can help. Gels are the most convenient way to get light carbohydrates on the run; these are packets containing a few tablespoons of syrupy sediment ( Gu is the appropriately named brand) that you can easily swallow on the go.

We also lose sodium and other electrolytes through sweating, and some gels also contain electrolytes. Or you can replace your electrolytes by drinking something like Gatorade or Tailwind. Marathon runners ( like our own Meredith Dietz ) have their fueling strategy down to a science. For best results, it is recommended to consume 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour; some athletes will strive for even more. Replacing salt depends on how much you sweat.

Reality: Ketchup makes no sense as a fuel

Ketchup is predominantly corn syrup and salt and comes in convenient little packets. It’s essentially a gel, right? Let’s check the numbers.

• One package of Gu contains 100 calories, 22 grams of carbohydrates and 50 milligrams of sodium.

• One container of ketchup contains 10 calories, two grams of carbohydrates and 90 milligrams of sodium. Oh.

To get the same amount of carbs as one packet of Gu (which you should take about every 45 minutes), you would need 11 packets of ketchup. However, this will provide 990 milligrams of sodium.

If you eat, say, three Gus on a run, that’s 66 grams of carbohydrates and 150 milligrams of sodium. If you eat 33 ketchup packets, you’ll get the same amount of carbohydrates with 2,970 milligrams of sodium. The recommended daily allowance for sodium is 2,300 milligrams. Athletes can safely consume more sodium than the average person because they sweat it out. But still… it’s a lot.

I tested ketchup packets

Undaunted by math and common sense, I decided to test how ketchup packets work in the real world. My original plan was to run a long course. But I’d been busy all day and didn’t have a chance to go out until it got dark, so I went for a short run on a well-lit local highway. My husband kindly bought 20 ketchup packets for me from a store somewhere; I stuffed 10 of them into my leggings pockets and, somewhat reluctantly, headed for the door. “Have fun!” he called after me. I answered simply: “I won’t.”

Over the years, I’ve done a number of things that could be considered bad ideas. This is definitely one of them. After running just one mile (in an attempt to whet my appetite, since we runners eat things on the run that we don’t touch in our daily lives), I stopped to snack on a few bags.

My right pocket was stuffed with ketchup packets; To my left was an empty Ziploc garbage bag. After all, it takes 11 ketchup packets to make one gel, so that’s a lot of sticky little wrappers. I opened the first one and it flew into the hatch. Spicy, salty, sweet. Definitely a replacement for the usual sugary gels. I put the empty bag in the trash bag. Strange, but ok.

But I only had two grams of carbs. I needed one more. And another. And another. After four bags, I told myself that I would eat the rest later. I returned to the track feeling… well, like someone who had just drunk four packets of ketchup. It was a feeling of heartburn. I’ve never had stomach problems from eating on the run, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.

I didn’t eat the rest afterwards. I’ve had enough. Ketchup packets are too small, too salty, too sour and generally too gross to replace your running fuel. But I’m a little curious what it would be like to eat just one ketchup packet at the end of a run after you’ve already eaten a bunch of gels and are craving something tasty, like real food. Can I take a ketchup packet along with my regular gel? I probably would have done that. And I’ll probably regret it too.

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