19 gels reviewed
Energy gels, compared on the numbers
Every gel on this page claims to be the best fuel for endurance racing. The label rarely says why. Two numbers explain most of the real difference: the glucose-to-fructose ratio, which sets how much carbohydrate your gut can actually absorb in an hour, and cost per gram, the only price that's comparable once sachets range from 22 g to 90 g. A 1:0.8 blend supports a meaningfully higher intake rate than one built on maltodextrin alone or an older 2:1 ratio — the field's ceiling sits around 90 g/hr, and the table below shows exactly where each product lands against it. Sodium is shown when a gel carries any, though most carry little to none on purpose; that's what a dedicated electrolyte product is for, which is also why gels aren't scored against a sodium target here. Sort any column, or run a duration through the calculator to see how many sachets an effort actually needs.
Full comparison
| Product | Carbohydrate | Ratio | Provenance | Sodium | Price | Cost / gram | For 90 g/hr | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precision Fuel PF 90 GelPrecision Fuel & Hydration | 90 g | 1 : 0.5 | Stated | 0 mg | $6.66 | 7.4 cents | 1.0 pouch | 72 |
| SiS Beta Fuel GelScience in Sport | 40 g | 1 : 0.77 | Derived | 30 mg | $2.50 | 6.3 cents | 2.3 sachets | 58 |
| PowerBar PowerGel OriginalPowerBar | 26 g | 1 : 0.5 | Stated | 200 mg | $1.96 | 7.5 cents | 3.5 sachets | 52 |
| Clif Shot Energy GelCLIF Bar & Company | 24 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 90 mg | $1.67 | 7 cents | 3.8 sachets | 51 |
| Precision Fuel PF 30 GelPrecision Fuel & Hydration | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | Stated | not declared | $3.12 | 10.4 cents | 3.0 sachets | 49 |
| Honey Stinger Organic Energy GelHoney Stinger | 23 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 60 mg | $1.67 | 7.3 cents | 3.9 sachets | 48 |
| Maurten Gel 100Maurten | 25 g | 1 : 0.8 | Stated | 20 mg | $3.75 | 15 cents | 3.6 sachets | 47 |
| Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100Maurten | 25 g | 1 : 0.8 | Stated | 20 mg | $4.80 | 19.2 cents | 3.6 sachets | 45 |
| TORQ Energy GelTORQ | 28 g | 1 : 0.5 | Derived | 49 mg | $2.80 | 10 cents | 3.2 sachets | 44 |
| NEVERSECOND C30 GelNEVERSECOND | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | Stated | 200 mg | $3.50 | 11.7 cents | 3.0 sachets | 42 |
| NEVERSECOND C30+ GelNEVERSECOND | 30 g | 1 : 0.5 | Stated | 200 mg | $3.50 | 11.7 cents | 3.0 sachets | 40 |
| Huma Plus Chia Energy GelHuma | 24 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 105 mg | $2.50 | 10.4 cents | 3.8 sachets | 35 |
| 4Endurance 4Energy Gel4Endurance | 20.6 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 66 mg | $1.67 | 8.1 cents | 4.4 sachets | 35 |
| GU Original Energy GelGU Energy Labs | 22 g | ~ 1 : 0.47 | Estimated | 60 mg | $2.00 | 9.1 cents | 4.1 sachets | 33 |
| High5 Energy GelHigh5 | 23 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 48 mg | $2.50 | 10.9 cents | 3.9 sachets | 31 |
| SiS GO Isotonic Energy GelScience in Sport | 22 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 4 mg | $2.49 | 11.3 cents | 4.1 sachets | 24 |
| Spring Energy Awesome SauceSpring Energy | 28 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 45 mg | $4.10 | 14.6 cents | 3.2 sachets | 21 |
| GU Roctane Energy GelGU Energy Labs | 21 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 125 mg | $3.00 | 14.3 cents | 4.3 sachets | 9 |
| Spring Energy SpeednutSpring Energy | 12 g | n/d | Not disclosed | 6 mg | $4.35 | 36.3 cents | 7.5 sachets | 4 |
Not sure which of these fits? Answer a few questions and we'll rank the catalog for your race instead of just the numbers.