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
6 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 | GU Energy Labs GU Original Energy Gel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall scoreAn average of the various variables measured. | 12 | 47 | 58 | 49 | 42 | 33 |
| CarbohydrateHow much fuel one gel carries. | 20 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. | 156 mg | 20 mg | 30 mg | not declared | 200 mg | 60 mg |
| CaffeineA preference, not a quality, so it is not scored. | 30 mg | 0 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 | Estimated |
| Price per gelWhat one costs. Not comparable across gel sizes. | $4.10 | $3.75 | $2.50 | $3.12 | $3.50 | $2.00 |
| Cost per gramThe only price that compares across gel sizes. | 20.5 cents | 15 cents | 6.3 cents | 10.4 cents | 11.7 cents | 9.1 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 | 4.1 |
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.