During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 26 Aug 2026
NEVERSECOND C30 Gel 42
One of the few standard-size gels with sodium worth counting: 200 mg a sachet. At 90 g/hr it delivers 600 mg an hour.
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 →
42/100
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 sachet carries. 90 g is the ceiling here, matching the top of the range cited for multi-transportable-carb intake.33
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).26
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.36
Cost per gram of carbohydrate
11.7 cents/g
Glucose : fructose
1:0.5
Comparison
5 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 | NEVERSECOND NEVERSECOND C30 Gel | Maurten Maurten Gel 100 | Science in Sport SiS Beta Fuel Gel | Precision Fuel & Hydration Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel | GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall scoreAn average of the various variables measured. | 42 | 47 | 58 | 49 | 33 | |
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries. | 30 g | 25 g | 40 g | 30 g | 22 g | |
| Glucose : fructoseGoverns how fast you absorb it. More fructose, higher ceiling. | 1 : 0.5 | 1 : 0.8 | 1 : 0.77 | 1 : 0.5 | ~ 1 : 0.47 | |
| SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat. | 200 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 60 mg | |
| ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred. | Stated | Stated | Derived | Stated | Estimated | |
| Price per sachetWhat one costs. Not comparable across sachet sizes. | $3.50 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $2.00 | |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes. | 11.7 cents | 15 cents | 6.3 cents | 10.4 cents | 9.1 cents | |
| Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- 200 mg of sodium per sachet, roughly ten times Maurten.
- 600 mg an hour at three sachets.
- Publishes the ratio.
- Pectin set with no gums.
What it costs you
- 2:1 ratio caps your ceiling.
- 11.7 cents per gram, nearly double Beta Fuel.
- The salt is noticeable in the flavour.
- If you already carry tabs, you pay twice for the same sodium.
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 are a heavy or salty sweater racing in heat.
- You would rather carry one product than two.
- You are fuelling at 60 to 75 g/hr.
Look elsewhere if
- You are chasing 90 g/hr or more.
- You already carry electrolyte tabs.
- You are cost sensitive across a long season.