38 gels reviewed
Energy gels, compared on the numbers
Two numbers explain most of the difference here: the glucose-to-fructose ratio, which sets how much carbohydrate your gut can absorb an hour, and cost per gram, the only price comparable across servings from 12 g to 300 g of carbohydrate. Sodium is shown but not scored; that's an electrolyte product's job. Sort any column, or run a duration through the calculator.
Full comparison
| Product | Carbohydrate | Ratio | Sodium | Caffeine | Cost / gram | For 90 g/hr | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nrgy Gel 45 (Electrolyte-Free)4Endurance | 45 g | 1 : 0.8 | 0 mg | none | 3.3 cents | 2.0 gels | 77 |
| Precision Fuel PF 90 GelPrecision Fuel & Hydration | 90 g | 1 : 0.5 | 0 mg | none | 6.6 cents | 1.0 pouch | 74 |
| PF 300 Flow GelPrecision Fuel & Hydration | 300 g | 1 : 0.5 | 0 mg | none | 7.3 cents | 0.3 pouches | 72 |
| Nrgy Gel 454Endurance | 45 g | 1 : 0.8 | 460 mg | none | 3 cents | 2.0 gels | 65 |
| Nrgy Gel 45 with Caffeine4Endurance | 45 g | 1 : 0.8 | 460 mg | 65 mg | 3.4 cents | 2.0 gels | 62 |
| 2:1 Gel4Endurance | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | 100 mg | none | 2.9 cents | 3.0 gels | 60 |
| SiS Beta Fuel GelScience in Sport | 40 g | 1 : 0.77 | 30 mg | none | 6.3 cents | 2.3 sachets | 58 |
| Nrgy Gel 22.54Endurance | 22.5 g | 1 : 0.8 | 0 mg | none | 5.9 cents | 4.0 gels | 58 |
| Maurten Gel 160Maurten | 40 g | 1 : 0.8 | 30 mg | none | 11.5 cents | 2.3 sachets | 58 |
| PowerBar PowerGel OriginalPowerBar | 26 g | 1 : 0.5 | 200 mg | none | 7.5 cents | 3.5 sachets | 52 |
| Clif Shot Energy GelCLIF Bar & Company | 24 g | n/d | 90 mg | none | 7 cents | 3.8 sachets | 51 |
| Precision Fuel PF 30 GelPrecision Fuel & Hydration | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | not declared | none | 10.4 cents | 3.0 sachets | 49 |
| Honey Stinger Organic Energy GelHoney Stinger | 23 g | n/d | 60 mg | 32 mg | 7.3 cents | 3.9 sachets | 48 |
| Maurten Gel 100Maurten | 25 g | 1 : 0.8 | 20 mg | none | 15 cents | 3.6 sachets | 47 |
| Energy Gel With BCAA4Endurance | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | 191 mg | none | 5.4 cents | 3.0 gels | 47 |
| Honey Stinger Caffeinated Organic Energy GelHoney Stinger | 24 g | n/d | 60 mg | 70 mg | 7 cents | 3.8 gels | 46 |
| Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100Maurten | 25 g | 1 : 0.8 | 20 mg | 100 mg | 17.3 cents | 3.6 sachets | 45 |
| TORQ Energy GelTORQ | 28 g | 1 : 0.5 | 49 mg | none | 10 cents | 3.2 sachets | 44 |
| SiS Beta Fuel + Nootropics GelScience in Sport | 40 g | 1 : 0.8 | 12 mg | 200 mg | 10.4 cents | 2.3 sachets | 44 |
| Huma Ultra Energy GelHuma | 40 g | n/d | 245 mg | none | 9.4 cents | 2.3 pouches | 43 |
| NEVERSECOND C30 GelNEVERSECOND | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | 200 mg | none | 11.7 cents | 3.0 sachets | 42 |
| TORQ Energy Gel with CaffeineTORQ | 29 g | 1 : 0.5 | 49 mg | 89 mg | 10.5 cents | 3.1 tubes | 42 |
| NEVERSECOND C30+ GelNEVERSECOND | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | 200 mg | 75 mg | 11.7 cents | 3.0 sachets | 40 |
| PowerBar PowerGel HydroPowerBar | 25 g | 1 : 0.5 | 204 mg | 100 mg | 11.6 cents | 3.6 pouches | 39 |
| Huma Plus Chia Energy GelHuma | 24 g | n/d | 105 mg | 25 mg | 10.4 cents | 3.8 sachets | 35 |
| 4Endurance 4Energy Gel4Endurance | 20.6 g | n/d | 66 mg | none | 8.1 cents | 4.4 sachets | 35 |
| GU Original Energy GelGU Energy Labs | 22 g | ~ 1 : 0.47 | 60 mg | none | 9.1 cents | 4.1 sachets | 33 |
| High5 Energy GelHigh5 | 23 g | n/d | 48 mg | none | 10.9 cents | 3.9 sachets | 31 |
| GU Liquid EnergyGU Energy Labs | 23 g | n/d | 75 mg | none | 10.9 cents | 3.9 packets | 29 |
| SiS GO Isotonic Energy GelScience in Sport | 22 g | n/d | 4 mg | none | 9.9 cents | 4.1 sachets | 28 |
| High5 Energy Gel CaffeineHigh5 | 23 g | n/d | 16 mg | 30 mg | 8.5 cents | 3.9 sachets | 28 |
| Spring Energy Awesome SauceSpring Energy | 28 g | n/d | 45 mg | none | 14.6 cents | 3.2 sachets | 21 |
| SiS GO Energy + Electrolyte GelScience in Sport | 22 g | n/d | 118 mg | none | 12.9 cents | 4.1 sachets | 20 |
| Spring Energy CanaberrySpring Energy | 17 g | n/d | 60 mg | none | 24.1 cents | 5.3 gels | 13 |
| Spring Energy Hill AidSpring Energy | 20 g | n/d | 156 mg | 30 mg | 20.5 cents | 4.5 gels | 12 |
| High5 Energy Gel AquaHigh5 | 23 g | n/d | 70 mg | none | 29.5 cents | 3.9 sachets | 11 |
| GU Roctane Energy GelGU Energy Labs | 21 g | n/d | 125 mg | none | 14.3 cents | 4.3 sachets | 9 |
| Spring Energy SpeednutSpring Energy | 12 g | n/d | 6 mg | 50 mg | 36.3 cents | 7.5 sachets | 4 |
Questions
Multiply your carbohydrate target per hour by your expected finishing time, then divide by the carbs in one gel. At 75 g an hour (the calculator's middle tier), a 3.5-hour marathon is about 260 g: roughly 11 gels at 25 g each, or 7 at 40 g. The calculator does this for every gel here. Practise your number in training first.
Most standard gels are concentrated, and their makers recommend taking them with water. Isotonic gels, like SiS GO Isotonic, are pre-diluted and designed to be taken without it, as are Maurten's hydrogel gels. Each review notes which kind a gel is.
An isotonic gel is already mixed with water, so it goes down without a drink but carries fewer carbs for its size: SiS GO Isotonic is a 60 ml sachet with 22 g of carbs. A regular gel packs more carbohydrate into less weight but usually wants water alongside.
Not sure which of these fits? Answer a few questions and we'll rank the catalog for your race instead of just the numbers.