During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 26 Aug 2026

PowerBar PowerGel Original 52

Item: PowerBar PowerGel Original
Rating: 52
Author: Lourenço Faria e Maia

PowerBar / 41 g sachet / 26 g carbohydrate / $1.96

PowerBar states its 'C2Max' ratio outright, at a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose blend a full generation behind the field-leading 1:0.8, but carries 200 mg of sodium, matching NEVERSECOND C30 and among the higher doses of any gel here.

PowerBar PowerGel Original 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 →

52/100

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.29

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).57

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.50

Cost per gram of carbohydrate

7.5 cents/g

Glucose : fructose

1:0.5

Comparison

5 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	PowerBar PowerBar PowerGel Original	Maurten Maurten Gel 100	Science in Sport SiS Beta Fuel Gel	Precision Fuel & Hydration Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel	NEVERSECOND NEVERSECOND C30 Gel
Overall scoreAn average of the various variables measured.	52	47	58	49	42
CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries.	26 g	25 g	40 g	30 g	30 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 : 0.5
SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat.	200 mg	20 mg	30 mg	not declared	200 mg
ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred.	Stated	Stated	Derived	Stated	Stated
Price per sachetWhat one costs. Not comparable across sachet sizes.	$1.96	$3.75	$2.50	$3.12	$3.50
Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes.	7.5 cents	15 cents	6.3 cents	10.4 cents	11.7 cents
Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target.	3.5	3.6	2.3	3.0	3.0

Verdict

what it does · what it costs

What it does well

Publishes its C2Max 2:1 ratio openly, no inference required.
200 mg of sodium, among the higher doses here (only Nrgy Gel 45, Huma Ultra and PowerGel Hydro carry more).
Six ingredients, no gums.

What it costs you

2:1 is the older generation of carb-ratio science, capping absorption well below the field leaders.
7.5 cents a gram for a ratio that's outdated relative to SiS's 1:0.77 at a lower price.
41 g of sachet for 26 g of carbohydrate, meaning more product to carry per unit of carbohydrate than leaner blends.

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.

SwimOutlet $1.99 Visit →

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 the sodium built into the gel itself.
You're fuelling at a moderate rate and don't need the top-tier ratio.

Look elsewhere if

You're targeting 90 g/hr or above.
You want the best available ratio at any price.