During-effort fuel · drink mix · reviewed 26 Aug 2026

4Endurance 2:1 Drink 53

Item: 4Endurance 2:1 Drink
Rating: 53
Author: Lourenço Faria e Maia

4Endurance / 1 scoop (33 g) in 250–500 ml water / 30 g carbohydrate / $0.72

A three-way maltodextrin, dextrose and fructose split computing to a stated 2:1 glucose-source-to-fructose ratio, at the lowest cost per gram of carbohydrate of any drink mix reviewed.

Score breakdown

Each dimension below is scored 0 to 100 against a fixed scale, not against the rest of the catalog, so adding a product never moves this number. The overall score is the average of the dimensions this product declares data for. How the scales are set →

53/100

Mixed

Absorption rate ?How much carbohydrate an hour the glucose-to-fructose blend can move. Scored from the stated or derived ratio (1:0.8 tops out this scale); an Estimated ratio counts the same as a Stated one here.72

Carb density ?How much fuel one scoop or sachet carries. 90 g is the ceiling here, matching the top of the range cited for multi-transportable-carb intake.33

Sodium ?Sodium carried by the mix itself, on a scale topping out at 1000 mg, the upper end of what's typically lost to sweat in an hour.10

Value (cost/gram) ?Price of one gram of carbohydrate. Not physiological: a market-based scale from 15 cents/g (0) to 2 cents/g (100).97

Cost per gram of carbohydrate

2.4 cents/g

Glucose : fructose · derived

1:0.5

Comparison

5 of 17 drink mixes held

Prices per single sachet at the cheapest box size we track. Best in green, worst in red, across the gels shown.

Measure	4Endurance 4Endurance 2:1 Drink	Tailwind Nutrition Tailwind Endurance Fuel	Skratch Labs Skratch Labs Super High-Carb Sport Drink Mix	Maurten Maurten Drink Mix 320	Science in Sport SiS Beta Fuel 80 Drink Mix
Overall scoreAn average of the various variables measured.	53	48	50	65	66
CarbohydrateHow much fuel one scoop carries.	30 g	25 g	50 g	80 g	80 g
Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling.	1 : 0.5	n/d	n/d	n/d	1 : 0.8
SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat.	100 mg	310 mg	200 mg	245 mg	4 mg
ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred.	Derived	Not disclosed	Not disclosed	Not disclosed	Stated
Price per scoopWhat one costs. Not comparable across scoop sizes.	$0.72	$1.03	$2.62	$3.64	$3.87
Cost per gramThe only price that compares across scoop sizes.	2.4 cents	4.1 cents	5.2 cents	4.5 cents	4.8 cents
Scoops for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target.	3.0	3.6	1.8	1.1	1.1

Verdict

what it does · what it costs

What it does well

2.4 cents a gram, the cheapest drink mix here by a wide margin.
2:1 ratio explicitly stated and computed from declared ingredient percentages.
Flexible mixing (250–500 ml) lets you run it more or less concentrated.

What it costs you

100 mg of sodium is modest next to Precision's 500 mg or Tailwind's 310 mg.
2:1 is behind the field-leading ratios on absorption ceiling.
Not sold through US retailers; pricing here is converted from EUR and availability will vary.

Where to buy

Prices and links as last checked. The price next to the name above is per unit at the cheapest box size we track; a single-unit price below may run higher.

Not yet checked at retail.

Who this is for

the numbers, applied

The field tells you what it is. This is who should act on it.

Worth the money if

Cost per gram of carbohydrate is your top priority.
You want a stated ratio at the lowest price in this category.

Look elsewhere if

You want the drink itself to carry a large sodium dose.
You need guaranteed US retail availability.