During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 27 Aug 2026
GU Original Energy Gel 28
A sachet price in the cheaper half of the field, but not the cheapest, and one of the more expensive ways to actually reach 90 g/hr. Four sachets an hour, on a ratio you have to infer.
Score breakdown
The overall score is the average of what's below, each measured against every other gel we've reviewed.
28
Weak
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.64
Carb density ?How much fuel one sachet carries. 90 g is the ceiling here, matching the top of the range cited for multi-transportable-carb intake.24
Sodium ?Sodium carried by the gel itself, on a scale topping out at 1000 mg — the upper end of what's typically lost to sweat in an hour.6
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).45
Gut comfort ?A proxy, not a taste or tolerance test: shorter ingredient lists score higher, from 15 ingredients (0) to 1 (100). Nobody has actually run these through anyone's gut for this score.0
Cost per gram of carbohydrate
$0.091/g
Glucose : fructose · estimated
~1:0.47
Comparison
5 of 22 gels heldPrices per single sachet at the cheapest box size we track. Best in green, worst in red, across the gels shown.
| Measure | GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel | Maurten Maurten Gel 100 | Science in Sport SiS Beta Fuel Gel | Precision Fuel & Hydration Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel | NEVERSECOND NEVERSECOND C30 Gel |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries. | 22 g | 25 g | 40 g | 30 g | 30 g | |
| Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling. | ~ 1 : 0.47 | 1 : 0.8 | 1 : 0.77 | 1 : 0.5 | 1 : 0.5 | |
| SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat. | 60 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 200 mg | |
| ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred. | Estimated | Stated | Derived | Stated | Stated | |
| Price per sachetWhat one costs. Not comparable across sachet sizes. | $2.00 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes. | $0.091 | $0.150 | $0.063 | $0.104 | $0.117 | |
| Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- $2.00 a sachet in a 24 box, cheaper than most gels here but not the lowest unit price.
- 60 mg of sodium, second only to C30.
- Stocked almost everywhere.
- Wide flavour range with caffeinated options.
What it costs you
- 22 g per sachet, the least here.
- The ratio is neither stated nor computable.
- Seventeen ingredients including sunflower oil.
- Amino acids at these doses do nothing during a race.
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 a cheap-side sachet without hunting for it.
- You value being able to buy it anywhere.
- You want caffeinated and non-caffeinated in one format.
Look elsewhere if
- You are targeting 90 g/hr.
- You want a short ingredient list or no added fat.
- You want your ratio as a fact rather than an estimate.