During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 28 Aug 2026
Spring Energy Awesome Sauce 17
A whole-food gel that adds 7 g of fat from MCT and avocado oil alongside its carbohydrate — a macronutrient mix no other gel in this catalog carries — at $0.146 a gram of carbohydrate, less than half what Spring's own Speednut charges for the same nutrient.
Score breakdown
The overall score is the average of what's below, each measured against every other gel we've reviewed.
17
Weak
Based on 4 of 5 measures ?A dimension a product doesn't declare is left out of its average rather than counted against it -- so this score reflects fewer measures than a product with a full panel.
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.31
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.5
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).3
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.29
Cost per gram of carbohydrate
$0.146/g
Glucose : fructose · not disclosed
n/d
Comparison
6 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 | Spring Energy Spring Energy Awesome Sauce | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one sachet carries. | 28 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. | 45 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. | $4.10 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | $2.00 |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across sachet sizes. | $0.146 | $0.150 | $0.063 | $0.104 | $0.117 | $0.091 |
| Sachets for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.1 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- 28 g of carbohydrate and 180 kcal from real-food ingredients — apple, rice, sweet potato — rather than maltodextrin.
- $0.146 a gram of carbohydrate, well under half the price of Spring Energy's own nut-based Speednut.
- 45 mg of sodium and 120 mg of potassium declared, a genuine electrolyte contribution without added synthetic salts.
What it costs you
- No glucose-to-fructose ratio stated; the carbohydrate comes from apple juice, rice, and maple syrup rather than a controlled blend.
- 7 g of fat per sachet is unusual for a during-effort gel and may sit heavier on some stomachs than a standard carb-only formula.
- Currently sold as a single seasonal flavor (Cinnamon Apple Pie); no year-round core flavor is listed alongside it.
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 genuine whole-food gel and don't mind added fat calories alongside your carbohydrate.
- You like Spring Energy's format but want a better cost-per-gram of carbohydrate than the nut-based Speednut.
Look elsewhere if
- You want a fast-digesting, fat-free gel for high-intensity racing.
- You need a stated, verifiable glucose:fructose ratio to plan your intake rate.