During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 3 Sep 2026
High5 Energy Gel Aqua 11
A thicker isotonic gel meant to be taken without water, but at $6.79 from the only confirmed US-facing retailer found, it's the most expensive gel per gram of carbohydrate in this catalog -- nearly double even Maurten Gel 100's 15 cents/g -- though the same product runs closer to 17 cents/g (EUR3.62) through Running Warehouse Europe.
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 →
Comparison
6 of 38 gels heldPrices per single sachet at the cheapest box size we track. Best in green, worst in red, across the gels shown.
| Measure | High5 High5 Energy Gel Aqua | Maurten Maurten Gel 100 | Science in Sport SiS Beta Fuel Gel | Precision Fuel & Hydration Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel | NEVERSECOND NEVERSECOND C30 Gel | GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall scoreAn average of the various variables measured. | 11 | 47 | 58 | 49 | 42 | 33 |
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries. | 23 g | 25 g | 40 g | 30 g | 30 g | 22 g |
| Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling. | n/d | 1 : 0.8 | 1 : 0.77 | 1 : 0.5 | 1 : 0.5 | ~ 1 : 0.47 |
| SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat. | 70 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 200 mg | 60 mg |
| ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred. | Not disclosed | Stated | Derived | Stated | Stated | Estimated |
| Price per sachetWhat one costs. Not comparable across sachet sizes. | $6.79 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | $2.00 |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes. | 29.5 cents | 15 cents | 6.3 cents | 10.4 cents | 11.7 cents | 9.1 cents |
| Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- Isotonic, water-mixed consistency -- High5 markets it as needing no extra water, the same positioning as PowerBar's PowerGel Hydro.
- Only 3.3 g of sugar out of 23 g of carbohydrate, the lowest sugar share of any High5 gel in this catalog.
- 70 mg of sodium, higher than High5's own Energy Gel Citrus at 48 mg.
- Includes vitamin B6, uncommon among the gels in this catalog.
What it costs you
- 29.5 cents a gram of carbohydrate at the only confirmed US price found -- 2.7x High5's own Energy Gel Citrus at 10.9 cents/g.
- The same product costs roughly 17 cents/g through a UK/EU retailer (Running Warehouse Europe, EUR3.62/sachet), so the US price reflects a small specialty importer, not the product's typical global cost.
- No caffeine.
- No bulk box option found at the US retailer -- single sachets only.
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.
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 specifically want an isotonic, no-water-needed gel format and are already comparison shopping it against PowerGel Hydro.
- You're ordering from the UK/EU where this runs closer to 17 cents/g rather than the 29.5 cents/g US import price.
Look elsewhere if
- You're price sensitive and buying from the US; High5's own Energy Gel Citrus delivers the same carbohydrate at roughly a third of the per-gram cost.
- You want caffeine in your gel.