During-effort fuel · drink mix · reviewed 26 Aug 2026
Tailwind Endurance Fuel 48
A nine-ingredient dextrose-and-cane-sugar mix with no fructose at all, so no dual-transporter absorption ceiling to speak of, but 310 mg of sodium built into every scoop at $0.041 a gram.
Score breakdown
The overall score is the average of what's below, each measured against every other drink mix we've reviewed.
48
Mixed
Based on 3 of 4 measures ?A dimension a product doesn't declare is left out of its average rather than counted against it -- so this score reflects fewer measures than a product with a full panel.
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.28
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.31
Value (cost/gram) ?Price of one gram of carbohydrate. Not physiological -- a market-based scale from $0.15/g (0) to $0.02/g (100).84
Cost per gram of carbohydrate
$0.041/g
Glucose : fructose · not disclosed
n/d
Comparison
5 of 14 drink mixes heldPrices per single sachet at the cheapest box size we track. Best in green, worst in red, across the gels shown.
| Measure | 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 | Precision Fuel & Hydration Precision Fuel & Hydration Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one scoop carries. | 25 g | 50 g | 80 g | 80 g | 30 g | |
| Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling. | n/d | n/d | n/d | 1 : 0.8 | 1 : 0.5 | |
| SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat. | 310 mg | 200 mg | 245 mg | 4 mg | 500 mg | |
| ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred. | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Stated | Stated | |
| Price per scoopWhat one costs. Not comparable across scoop sizes. | $1.03 | $2.62 | $3.64 | $3.87 | $2.13 | |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across scoop sizes. | $0.041 | $0.052 | $0.045 | $0.048 | $0.071 | |
| Scoops for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 3.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 3.0 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- 310 mg of sodium per scoop, meaningfully more than most drink mixes here.
- $0.041 a gram of carbohydrate, among the cheapest of any product reviewed.
- Simple, widely trusted formula with a large following in ultra-distance racing.
What it costs you
- No fructose in the formula, so there's no glucose:fructose ratio and no dual-pathway absorption advantage at higher intake rates.
- 25 g of carbohydrate a scoop means more scoops to reach a high carb target than the 80 g sachets from Maurten or SiS.
- All-sugar formula (dextrose plus cane sugar) with nothing masking the sweetness across a long session.
Where to buy
Prices and links as last checked.
Who this is for
the numbers, appliedThe field tells you what it is. This is who should act on it.
Worth the money if
- You want high sodium built into your carb source without adding a separate tab.
- You're fuelling at a moderate rate and value cost per gram.
Look elsewhere if
- You're targeting 90 g/hr and want to minimize scoops per bottle.
- You want a stated glucose:fructose ratio for the absorption ceiling it implies.