Nutrex Lipo-6 Keto goFAT Gel: Energy Gels for Low Carb Athletes

Anyone who’s ever done a triathlon, marathon, or merely entered a sporting good store has definitely seen those “goos” and “energy gels” that come in disposable packets. Meant for carbohydrate-fueled athletes on the run (literally), they can be used during training or competition to increase some quick glycolytic energy.

Launching in two flavors (this one’s probably the favorite), Nutrex Lipo-6 Keto goFAT Gel provides a nice shot of MCT with supporting ingredients and 25mg caffeine!

But over the past five years, we’ve seen an explosive wave of low-carb and ultra-low carb athletes, many who are primarily fat- and ketone-fueled, and perhaps only using carbohydrates sparingly for pre workout energy or recovery.

These athletes and dieters who are looking to burn their own fat do not want to take carbohydrates before or during training because carbohydrates will temporarily displace fat oxidation,^[1] as the body is primarily forced to handle the carbs before getting back to burning fat. As such, there is no place for those cheap maltodextrin-based “goos” and “energy gels” for the average low-carb dieter.

This presented an opportunity. And Nutrex Research seized it.

Introducing the Nutrex Lipo-6 Keto goFAT Gel: Quick, Portable Energy for Low-Carbers!

The idea is simple: Nutrex took those carbohydrate gels, swapped out the carbs for high-quality MCT oil, avocado oil, some supporting ingredients like choline and carnitine, and tossed 25mg caffeine in for good measure.

What’s left are their new Lipo-6 Keto goFAT Gels, which are energy for low-carb athletes, touting 35 calories, 30 of which are from fat. There’s just one net carb, and the flavors are phenomenal, making for more than just athletic gels, but on-the-go energy or a craving-curbing sweet-tooth satisfying “dessert”.

Our breakdown is below, but first check out PricePlow’s coupon-powered Lipo-6 goFAT Gel prices and sign up for Nutrex Alerts, especially if you’re into this kind of stuff, because we have a feeling they’re only getting started (after the recent Lipo-6 Keto powder):

Lipo-6 Keto GoFat Gel Ingredients

Shown in the label below, each 1oz (30mL) serving brings 35 calories from 3.5g fat (3g saturated), 2g carbs (1g fiber, so 1 net carb), and 25mg caffeine, in a proprietary blend that’s relatively easy to unpack.

Since the MCT and Avocado are the obvious stars of the show, this article will focus on those:

• Medium Chain Triglyceride Powder 70% (as goMCT)

  

  A low-calorie quick burst of energy for low-carb dieters on the go! 25mg caffeine per packet

  Medium chain triglycerides are extremely healthy saturated fats that come in liquid form, hence their common name of MCT Oil. They easily and quickly convert to ketone bodies, helping to increase energy and focus for athletes and workaholics alike. They also help with various weight management strategies.

  goMCT: High-Quality C8 and C10 MCTs only

  Nutrex partnered with ingredient specialists Compound Solutions to not only license their goMCT ingredient, but the entire goFAT name – as it’s used right there in the product name.

  This is important because goMCT is a very high-quality form of MCT oil, since it contains only the shortest and fastest-digesting chains, C8 (caprylic acid) and C10 (capric acid).^[2] This translates to “almost instant energy” that nearly operate like carbs, since they bypass the gut and go straight to the liver via the portal vein.^[3] This process allows for the rapid generation of ketone bodies, which are the primary fuel supply for athletes who are on ultra low carb diets or glycogen-depleted.

  Further, goFat does not contain lauric acid (C12), which is technically an “MCT”, but many still consider it to be more of a “long chain fatty acid” because it does require a pit stop in the liver.

  MCT Oil Benefits

  MCTs provide four main benefits to all dieters, in that they can:

  • Increase the metabolic rate as well as energy expenditure^[4,5]
  • Decrease body fat mass^[6]
  • Increase overall fat oxidation^[7,8]
  • Improve insulin sensitivity and lipid panels^[9]

  And as mentioned above, for low-carb dieters / athletes, you get ketone generation!^[7]

  Why run on fats?

  

  C8 MCT Oil does some amazing things compared to the other fatty acid chains over the next few hours!^[10]

  Many users, especially those who are hyperinsulinemic or heavy insulin secreters, have a tough time burning fat when carbs are overabundant in the diet. They simply take too long to process the carbs, and never shift back into a state of fatty acid oxidation. So when you ditch those carbs, you begin to run primarily on ketone bodies instead of glucose.

  There are two main ways to get those ketone bodies – from your own body fat, or from diet.

  When you’re burning your own fat for energy, such as during a fast, ketone bodies get generated using a process known as beta-oxidation. But we’re not fasting all the time – we do like to eat and need to keep the essential fatty acids around.

  So low-carb and keto dieters typically follow a strategy of eating essential proteins to build and repair muscle, while getting the majority of their energy from fats (especially the essential fatty acids like omega-3s) – both exogenous dietary fats and their own body fat. There are no essential carbohydrates – the minimum required is 0.

  When you don’t over-consume those dietary fats, it’s far easier to switch back into “fat burning mode”, as you’re merely going from beta-oxidizing dietary fat to body fat, with far fewer cravings, blood sugar rollercoastering, or “hangover” symptoms. Once adapted, this is where intermittent fasting, such as taking 16 hours off of eating, becomes a very special tool for low carb dieters, who really start to burn liver and body fat towards the end of those fasts.

  When it’s time to supplement more fats

  

  Made by Compound Solutions, Inc, goMCT does not use the slower-acting C12 (lauric acid) – just C8 and C10 for maximum speed and ‘digestive comfort’

  There are times we’re good burning our own fat — such as when we’re sleeping. But sometimes, we need a bit of extra fast-acting fats. And the fastest way to get them is from the shorter-chain MCTs, due to the fast-digesting, gut-skipping process explained above. Ultimately, this leads nearly instant energy for the mitochondria, the “powerhouse” cells that generate ATP, the “energy currency” of your cells!

  The long and short of it is that MCT is an incredible tool for low-carb dieters looking for quick, “carbohydrate-like” energy with minimal digestion. And there aren’t any energy gels using it like this!

  A bit more on the dose

  Given the fact that there’s 3g saturated fat on the label, and MCT oil is the only saturated fat in this product, we can assume there’s roughly 3g of fat coming from around 4g 70% goMCT inside (there could be some rounding).

  This is of course not a monster dose by any means, and ultimately yields fewer calories than most carbohydrate energy gels, so keep that in mind.

• Avocado Powder 75% on Tapioca (DE) (as goFAT Avocado)

  

  Lipo-6 Gels are sold in boxes of 12 but you can try them separately as well!

  Another Compound Solutions ingredient, this time we get the ultimate in monounsaturated fats from avocado! Although expensive, it’s tough to dismiss the research backing up regular avocado consumption with improved diet quality, reduced metabolic syndrome risk, and better food choices^[11] (this may also be a case of “healthy user bias”, but the fact remains – monounsaturated fats are seemingly very low-risk choices).

  While many low carb dieters naturally shift into higher-fat diets, the question is how much saturated fats should be consumed. This seems to be an independent decision based upon blood work and how you analyze it, but it’s a wise idea for new low-carb dieters to increase monounsaturated fats due to the fact that they do not increase lipid and lipoprotein concentrations^[12] (which is of concern if triglycerides are high and HDL is low, which will be the case for many who are just beginning their journey).

  In addition, monounsaturated fats seem to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol oxidation,^[13] which is indicative of a serious problem for anyone who’s been on a high-carb, high omega-6 Standard American Diet.

  The dose

  Given the (potentially rounded) 0.5g of unsaturated fat on the label, we’re guessing there’s about ⅔ to ¾ gram worth of goFAT Avocado inside.

• Choline Bitartrate

  The biggest question mark on the label is the dosage of choline bitartrate, which is an essential nutrient often found in foods like eggs, salmon, and cruciferous vegetables.

  Normally, we discuss the focus-boosting qualities of choline, since it gets converted into acetylcholine, dubbed the brain’s “learning neurotransmitter”. But due to this being a proprietary blend, we can’t know the dose, and don’t want to speculate on any focus-boosting benefits. We’ll never say no to choline though, and any extra acetylcholine is better than none.

  Synergistic for carnitine retention

  

  Bring your snack on the go and keep that appetite down just that much longer!

  Instead, we think this is a “supporting ingredient” for the 3.5g fats at hand — not a supporting dose for your entire diet (so you’ll still need to eat your whole eggs!) — but enough to help out with the fats in this packet.

  Reason being, choline is synergistic with carnitine in that it increases your carnitine retention,^[14-16] and carnitine is a key player in fatty acid mobilization.

  So our current standing theory is that when we see monster doses of choline (such as 2g) contribute to weight loss, the mechanism is really in assisting with the carnitine stores.

  Back to the dose, our guess is we’re seeing 200mg here. Enough to possibly feel good (especially if you’re deficient), and enough to help keep just a dash more carnitine around, but not enough to rock and shock.

• Natural Caffeine (Coffee Arabica) – 25mg

  Many of the competing carbohydrate-based energy gels include a dash of caffeine, for just a quick hit of on the-go-energy. This is especially true for athletes who are mid-race, and their pre-training formulas may be wearing off. It also may give just an ever-so-slight bump to fatty acid turnover, which we won’t complain about as dieters.

  In true Nutrex fashion, they added some caffeine as well, but not anything to break the stimulant budget — just 25mg. If you take a few of these throughout a race, you’ll get an acceptable (but not overwhelming) amount. If you take one, it’s about half of a diet soda – you may or may not feel it.

  As you’ll see below in our “use cases”, this is a supplement that has been used as a “dessert” in the evening to satisfy the sweet tooth and start the next intermittent fast. The 25mg caffeine at around 6-7pm is just enough to get over the evening hump for one last spurt of work.

  If you need more caffeine, you can check out the Nutrex Outlift powerhouse pre workout, or Nutrex Lipo-6 Keto powder

• L-Carnitine Base

  

  Need more ketone bodies, caffeine, and choline? Optimize your weight loss results with this bad boy!

  L-Carnitine is a compound that is most widely known for its ability to bind to long-chain fatty acids and transport them to the mitochondria for oxidation.^[17]

  While the body can produce carnitine (from two essential amino acids in lysine and methionine), it does a whole lot better when getting more through diet. In an era of vegan diets, this is one whose supplementation should be heavily considered. However, most studies use 2g,^[18] and we know that there is a maximum of 25mg here.

  So similar to choline above, we believe this is merely a supporting ingredient for the avocado powder included above. Enough to perhaps help with the longer-chained monounsaturated fat (the MCT does not need such help), but again, not enough to supplement your entire diet.

  So if you see this and are not eating carnitine-based foods such as meat, do not think your dietary requirements are done. You’ll need to supplement a whole lot more, or get back to eating animal foods.

The use cases

On first thought, most will look at these for athletic purposes, since they’re modeled after the carbohydrate-based energy gels and “goos” that are used during races and practices. That’s definitely valid, especially if you feel a bonk coming and don’t feel that you’re re-generating glycogen quickly enough (energy generation from carbs is definitely faster than generation from fats). Once the “tank is empty”, MCT is an ultra-quick energy source that is not a carb, a salty BHB salt (although that cucumber melon flavor of Lipo-6 Keto powder is awesome) or alcoholic-tasting ketone ester.

However, thanks to the great taste, these can be used in a pinch to satisfy a sweet tooth in a “moment of crisis”, such as when desserts are presented.

Incredibly enjoyable treats, if you have a sweet tooth, this may be all it takes to satisfy it!

They’re also great to have in the car, in the case that your fast goes too long, you’re feeling ravenous, but are somewhere without presentable high-protein, low-carb options. MCTs have appetite suppressing capabilities for some users, and this may just hit the spot and get you over the hump until you have a real meal.

And anytime you’re feeling like 25mg caffeine, they’re nice, although that’s an extremely expensive way of ingesting caffeine. It’s all about the MCT.

Flavor available

Nutrex has Lipo-6 Keto goFAT Gels available in the following flavors:

So far, it’s tough to pinpoint the best one. They’re both extremely good, but Acai may be the current winner.

Conclusion: goFAT Gels are a unique play

It’s actually quite surprising that nobody else has thought of this (or executed it), after four years of meteoric rise of these ultra low carb diets. Nutrex may have been a bit late to the game, but they’ve already innovated more than most of the “me too” companies in this space have, which is promising for the future, because we have a feeling there’s more to come.

At the end of the day, it’s a flavorful shot of MCT with a dash of caffeine, and both of these have great purposes for low-carb dieters. It may seem silly to anyone using carbs, but once dieters get a feel for the focused and clean energy effects from ketone bodies, they often start tinkering with ways to generate more, and this is a great way to get them.

Stay tuned to our Nutrex alerts, we have a feeling that there’s more of this kind of stuff coming: