Fuel Finder

During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 3 Sep 2026

Maurten Gel 160 58

Maurten  /  65 g sachet  /  40 g carbohydrate  /  $4.58

The same stated 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio as Gel 100, in a bigger 65 g sachet with 40 g of carbohydrate -- at 11.5 cents a gram, cheaper than Gel 100's 15 cents.

Maurten Gel 160 sachet package

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 →

58/100
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.95
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.44
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).27
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.64
Cost per gram of carbohydrate
11.5 cents/g
Glucose : fructose
1:0.8

Comparison

6 of 38 gels held

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

Measure Maurten Maurten Gel 160 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.584758494233
CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries.40 g25 g40 g30 g30 g22 g
Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling.1 : 0.81 : 0.81 : 0.771 : 0.51 : 0.5~ 1 : 0.47
SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat.30 mg20 mg30 mgnot declared200 mg60 mg
ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred.StatedStatedDerivedStatedStatedEstimated
Price per sachetWhat one costs. Not comparable across sachet sizes.$4.58$3.75$2.50$3.12$3.50$2.00
Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes.11.5 cents15 cents6.3 cents10.4 cents11.7 cents9.1 cents
Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target.2.33.62.33.03.04.1

Verdict

what it does · what it costs

What it does well

  • 1:0.8 glucose to fructose, the same stated ratio as Gel 100.
  • 40 g of carbohydrate a sachet versus Gel 100's 25 g, so fewer sachets for the same hourly carb target.
  • 11.5 cents a gram of carbohydrate, cheaper than Gel 100's 15 cents despite the identical ratio and hydrogel formula.
  • Six ingredients, the same clean label as the rest of the Maurten gel line.

What it costs you

  • 40 g in one sachet is a lot to take down in one go; there's no built-in way to split a dose the way a smaller gel allows.
  • 30 mg of sodium is still negligible -- a separate sodium source is necessary in heat, same caveat as Gel 100.
  • Still pricier per gram than SiS Beta Fuel (6.3 cents) or Precision PF 30 (10.4 cents).
  • No caffeine option in this size; Maurten's caffeinated gel only comes in the smaller 40 g Gel 100 Caf 100 sachet.

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, applied

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

Worth the money if

  • You want Gel 100's ratio but fewer sachets to carry for the same total carbohydrate.
  • You've already tolerated Maurten's hydrogel and want a bigger single dose.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want the lowest cost per gram in the category; SiS Beta Fuel and Precision PF 30 both beat it.
  • You want a caffeinated Maurten gel; that only comes in the smaller Gel 100 Caf 100 sachet.

Ingredients as declared. Water, Glucose, Fructose, Sodium Alginate, Gluconic Acid, Calcium Carbonate.

Every derived figure on this page is computed from the declared nutrition panel, never entered by hand.