GU Energy Labs
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| Founder | Bill Vaughan |
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| Headquarters | Berkeley, California, United States |
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Key people
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Brian Vaughan, president |
| Products |
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Number of employees
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50 (2011) |
| Website | guenergy |
GU Energy Labs is a company based in Berkeley, California, that produces performance sports nutrition products, most notably energy gels. Usually consumed during endurance events, the gels are designed to be quickly and easily digested. Other products include energy chews, drink mixes (called "brews"), brew tablets, and a Roctane Ultra Endurance line that includes an energy drink mix and gel. The company was founded in 1994 by Bill Vaughan, who began creating an energy gel product in 1990. GU is considered the first major distributor of energy gels. The company has grown over time, and in 2011 its corporate headquarters and 50 employees relocated to a larger space in Berkeley's 4th Street shopping district. It is now run by Bill's son, Brian Vaughan, who serves as president.
Sports energy gels emerged in the United Kingdom in 1986 as a "convenient, prewrapped, portable" way to deliver carbohydrates during endurance events. Gels have a gooey texture and are sometimes referred to as "goo" generically. Bill Vaughan, a biophysicist at University of California, Berkeley, began working on an energy gel product in 1990. He established GU Energy Labs in Berkeley, California, in 1994. GU Energy Labs is regarded as the first major distributor of energy gels, supplying products at the Ironman World Championship in 1996. GU is now run by Bill's son, Brian Vaughan, who serves as president.
In June 2011, GU moved its corporate operations and 50 employees from a 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m2) space to one with twice as much floor space. The larger, 26,000-square-foot (2,400 m2) space, located in Berkeley's 4th Street shopping district, affords the company an increased production capacity, with room for additional growth. GU's 2011 relocation was the first time in five years that all of its employees operated from a single location; previously, the company's operations, shipping, and marketing were executed from multiple buildings throughout Berkeley. GU outsourced its shipping operations to a third party provider, "for improved service and response times".
GU Energy Labs produces a variety of performance sports nutrition products, intended to increase the endurance of athletes. Its products include GU Energy Gel, GU Chomps (energy chews), drink mixes (branded as "Brews"), and a line of Roctane Ultra Endurance products. Their energy gel contains carbohydrates (maltodextrin and fructose), an amino acid blend, electrolytes (sodium and potassium) and, in some flavors, caffeine. Gel packets provide 100 calories and come in a variety of flavors, including blackberry, chocolate, mandarin orange, peppermint stick, raspberry, salted caramel, strawberry banana, triple berry, and vanilla. The energy chews, created in 2009 and based on the gel formula, are made from similar ingredients but also include antioxidants and come in a chewable form.
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