During-effort fuel · gel · reviewed 3 Sep 2026
Spring Energy Hill Aid 12
At 156 mg of sodium, Hill Aid carries more than double any other Spring Energy gel in this catalog (Canaberry's 60 mg is the next highest), while its 30 mg of caffeine sits below Speednut's 50 mg.
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
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 | Spring Energy Spring Energy Hill Aid | 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. | 12 | 47 | 58 | 49 | 42 | |
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one gel carries. | 20 g | 25 g | 40 g | 30 g | 30 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 | |
| SodiumAgainst 400 to 1000 mg an hour typically lost in sweat. | 156 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 200 mg | |
| CaffeineA preference, not a quality, so it is not scored. | 30 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | |
| ProvenanceWhether that ratio is read off the panel, computed from it, or inferred. | Not disclosed | Stated | Derived | Stated | Stated | |
| Price per gelWhat one costs. Not comparable across gel sizes. | $4.10 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across gel sizes. | 20.5 cents | 15 cents | 6.3 cents | 10.4 cents | 11.7 cents | |
| Gels for 90 g/hrHow many you open an hour to hold a 90 g/hr target. | 4.5 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
Verdict
what it does · what it costsWhat it does well
- 156 mg of sodium, more than double any other Spring Energy gel reviewed here (Canaberry's 60 mg is next highest).
- 30 mg of caffeine, a lift without Speednut's 50 mg dose or the jitters that can come with it.
- Real-food ingredient list (mango, rice, banana, honey, coconut) with no maltodextrin.
- 20.5 cents a gram of carbohydrate, cheaper than Speednut's 36.2 cents and Canaberry's 24.1 cents.
What it costs you
- 20 g of carbohydrate for 49 g of gel weight is a lower carb density than Awesome Sauce's 28 g, more weight carried per gram of fuel.
- No glucose:fructose ratio disclosed.
- 20.5 cents a gram is still pricier than Awesome Sauce's 14.6 cents.
- 6 g of sugars from honey and fruit: not a red flag nutritionally, but worth knowing if you're tracking sugar mid-race.
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 want the most sodium of any Spring Energy gel without adding a separate electrolyte product.
- You want a moderate 30 mg caffeine dose rather than Speednut's 50 mg.
Look elsewhere if
- You want the cheapest carbohydrate per gram in the Spring Energy lineup: Awesome Sauce beats it.
- You need a caffeine-free option: reach for Awesome Sauce or Canaberry instead.