Best energy gels for running and triathlon

The best energy gels, those small pockets of power, have become a staple in the triathlete’s larder. Where once their viscosity reached such extreme levels that it was like squeezing out the remnants of toothpaste and proved equally hard to swallow, nowadays the best energy gels have struck a palatable balance between fluid and solid.

That makes them ideal for running, where water might not be to hand, though, as you’ll see, many still benefit from a water chaser.

Below we have 14 different energy gels on test, but further down you’ll find a guide on how we tested and when you should take energy gels.

If you prefer a more solid form of fuelling, head to our guide to the best energy bars.

SiS Beta Fuel Gel

Quick specs
Price	$14.99 / £14 for six
Carbohydrates per serving	40g

Beta Fuel’s been around for a while, but only in powder form. The orange gel tested here is made of a newly developed blend of maltodextrin to fructose in a 1:08 ratio, which delivers a hefty 40g of carbs.

SiS’s studies identified this split as optimum, increasing the percentage of oxidised carbs from 62% to 74%. We can’t verify that without a lab, but the texture and taste is great, and it digests smoothly. Impressive.

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Aptonia Energy Gel

Quick specs
Price	£29.99 for 20
Carbohydrates per serving	30g

The first incarnation of this gel was face-achingly sweet, but, thankfully, the Decathlon-distributed brand has since dropped the butter and toned down the viscosity and sweetness to create a delicious burst of energy.

That burst is 23g of carbs (derived from a mix of glucose, fructose and maltodextrin) per 32g gel, which is impressive as, unlike its rivals here, it leaves little volume for water.

Despite that, it’s effortlessly consumed, but you might want to complement it with other gels the longer you train to avoid flavour fatigue, and, as always, test before racing.

It’s also loaded with vitamins B1, B6, B12, E and zinc, stated as 30% RDA for each, and is a fine price. Top stuff.

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Torq Performance Energy Gel

Quick specs
Price	$40 / £35 for 15
Carbohydrates per serving	28g

This new gel from Torq hit the textural sweetspot: not so loose that it flows like fluid, not so thick that it resembles tar.

Its consistency’s apt for its sweet caramel taste, and it’s really rather delicious. Though you might only want a couple per long session before delight turns to distress.

Carbs make up 28g (112kcals) per 45g serving from both maltodextrin and fructose sources.

This sugary blend’s been shown to absorb into the bloodstream via different intestinal pathways, helping to prevent gastro issues while raising the potential to consume greater quantities of carbs.

There’s an 89mg caffeine hit from guarana, and its compact shape fits neatly in your rear pockets on both the bike and run.

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Vala Energy Gel

Quick specs
Price	£44.82 for 20
Carbohydrates per serving	23.8g

Vala hails from Neath in South Wales. The name means ‘chosen’ as, according to the founders, “we want athletes to have a natural choice of gel that helps them to perform at their best”.

That ethos is reflected in the ingredients list, which comprises maple syrup, date paste, lemon juice, lime juice, chia seeds, matcha tea powder and sea salt.

There are no hidden preservatives in a 35g sachet that delivers 102kcals from 23.8g of carbs and a near-negligible amount of good fat. Which is all great on paper but what about texture and taste?

In short, fantastic. The texture resembles paste – not surprisingly when you look at the contents – while the taste leans heavily on the date side, too. It flows smoothly, and though a water-chaser helps it’s not essential, so is great on both the bike and run.

Vala gels are currently unavailable while the owner takes a hiatus from the business.

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Beet It Sport Top Up 100

Quick specs
Price	£27 for 12
Carbohydrates per serving	30g
Nitrates per serving	100mg

‘Top Up’ is key to this energy and nitrate gel from the beetroot people. Let me explain. When you eat or drink nitrate-containing food, it flows  into your stomach and then your  intestine. Nitrate then crosses the intestinal wall to not only your blood, but also into your entero-salivary system. Over the next few hours, salivary glands secrete  nitrate-rich saliva into your mouth. The bacterium in your mouth uses nitrate as a substrate for its own metabolism, breaking down nitrate into nitrite. This is then converted to nitric oxide in the gut, causing, among other things, your blood vessels to widen, which means exercise becomes easier, you can work harder and voilà, you’ve won Ironman Hawaii. Or something like that. 

All of this takes time; in fact, it’s accepted that for nitrate supplements like Beet It shots to work takes around two to three hours for peak concentration in your body. But recent research out of the University of Exeter – home to the Professor Andy Jones, who’s undertaken many studies in this area – shows that topping up with nitrates (100mg per gel in this case) during exercise maintains blood levels of nitrate and nitrites, plus spares glycogen, for performance gains. 

Just ensure you pre-load with shots beforehand. Without a lab it’s impossible to measure the impact, but I, like many, am a nitrate  convert so don’t have cause to doubt the study’s results. As for energy, you’re looking at 30g via the 2:1 glucose:fructose ratio.

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Precision Fuel and Hydration PF 30

Quick specs
Price	$45.99 / £34.99 for 15
Carbohydrates per serving	30g

Precision Fuel is the energy-delivering arm of Precision Fuel & Hydration, formerly known as Precision Hydration.

That maelstrom of monikers is down to the UK company recently expanding their range from solely electrolyte products to energy drinks, chews and gels. And if the latter’s anything to go by, we’re in for a nutritional treat.

First up, texture, which is thicker than your normal gel but pleasingly (thin) jelly-like rather than cloyingly toothpaste-like. Flavour’s neutral, which is appreciated, especially if it’s a long run and you’re complementing with other flavoured offerings.

Each 51g sachet – compact packaging means you can store many in your tri-suit – contains 30g carbohydrates from a classic 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio. And we appreciate the ‘30g carb’ stamp on the front to clearly monitor your fuelling intake.

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SiS Go Isotonic Gel

Quick specs
Price	$14.72 for 10 / £33 for 20
Carbohydrates per serving	22g

SiS’s product range has grown beyond recognition, but it’s the long-standing Go Gel that continues to eclipse it.

Like times gone by, the Go Gel delivers 22g of carbs per 60ml serving from maltodextrin with water filling out the remainder.

As High5 and OTE’s offerings showed, this easy-flowing composition’s standard these days. But ‘more experienced’ triathletes will remember gels of the past resembling toothpaste.

If you had no water chaser, your gums would cling together. SiS’s isotonic option changed all that.

As for taste, blackcurrant’s tasty and much nicer than the fruit-salad alternative that we’ve tested before. Value’s good, though you’ll need three per hour (£4.95).

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Mountain Fuel Sports Jelly

Quick specs
Price	£30 for 20 (UK only)
Carbohydrates per serving	20g

UK brand Mountain Fuel’s Sports Jelly has a similar texture to that of Maurten’s gels. When you delve deeper, you understand why because both companies utilise hydrogel technology.

The idea is that pectin encapsulates the multi-source carbohydrate – in Mountain Fuel’s case, maltodextrin and glucose – which purports to transport seamlessly through your inners to reduce the chances of gut distress.

Sceptics question the efficacy of this idea, but we’ve enjoyed Maurten’s products for a while and never had any stomach issues.

And we didn’t here, although their traditional Sports Jelly contains just 20g (80kcals) of carbs, among the lowest on test.

That said, the Sport Jelly+ option contains 30g. The orange taste is strong and the jelly’s refreshing enough that washing down with water’s not essential.

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Rawvelo Energy Gel

Quick specs
Price	£38.29 for 20
Carbohydrates per serving	20g

Rawvelo is a progressive sports nutrition company that does its bit for the environment as well as the athlete.

It’s a registered member of 1% For The Planet, which sees brands commit to donate 1% of annual sales revenue to address environmental challenges.

You can also post empty gel wrappers back to the company for recycling. In fact, that wrapper is the only downside in an otherwise good offering as it requires quite the dental wrestling match to rip open.

But once it is, you’re presented with a rather tasty blood orange flavour in an easy viscosity, so it flows down nice and easy.

The relatively liquid consistency is due to this 50g sachet containing just 20g carbs. That’s one of the lowest here. It’s not too much of a concern but it’s something to note when tallying up the calories per pence.

As you’d expect from an ethically sound company, the ingredients list is pretty healthy with standouts including rice syrup, coconut sugar and sea salt with natural flavouring.

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Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100

Quick specs
Price	$50 / £38.95 for 12
Carbohydrates per serving	25g
Caffeine per serving	100mg

Maurten’s USP is down to hydrogel, produced from alginate (from brown algae) and pectin (found in fruits).

The theory is that hydrogel shields the energy composition from the acidic environment of your stomach, which results in smoother transport of carbs to the intestine where the carbs are absorbed and assimilated into the bloodstream and sent off to working muscles.

Not only does this reduce gastro distress, say Maurten, but it ups the amount of carbs you can ingest each hour. Hence, one of the first products the brand launched comprised a whopping 80g of carbs.

This is a much smaller sugar hit, coming in at 25g per 40g sachet. We enjoyed its neutral taste but, more uniquely, its jelly-like texture, sitting halfway between an energy block and a traditional energy gel.

As for caffeine, 100mg is a strong enough hit to start stimulating potential ergogenic benefits. It’s nearly all good but you can’t ignore that heavy price. 

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Veloforte Desto

Quick specs
Price	$33 / £24.19 for 12
Carbohydrates per serving	22g
Caffeine per serving	75mg

We’re big fans of Veloforte’s range of energy bars that are packed with real fruit and nuts, but this is the first time we’ve tried a sachet from the gel range, in this case tart cherry and guarana.

Each gel contains 22g carbs from two sources – fructose and glucose – to aid absorption and assimilation. They’re housed within a compact 33g sachet, so very easy to stow.

The ingredients list is appreciatively minimalist: brown rice syrup, fruit juice concentrates, water, maple syrup, guarana extract and Himalayan salt.

The latter two provide 75mg caffeine and 110mg sodium respectively, contributing towards more power and hydration.

We also appreciate the lack of hyperbole and sensationalism as tart cherry’s shown to accelerate recovery. But not in the volume here.

Viscosity is low so, recommends Veloforte, you can also squirt its contents into 250ml of water, or two to a 500ml water bottle, for an energy drink. That’s fine but it’s nicer as a gel.

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High5 Energy Gel With Slow Release Carbs

Quick specs
Price	£24.49 for 14 (US pricing N/A)
Carbohydrates per serving	23g

High5 is known for stirring up credible products at good prices. These work out at around £1.75 each, which isn’t bad, but they’re also around 40p more expensive than a standard High5 gel. So why the price hike?

Firstly, is the addition of isomaltulose, which has a lower GI than glucose and is digested more slowly. This stream of sugar avoids blood spikes so you can sustain a higher effort for longer.

Without access to a lab that’s hard to assess, but we didn’t experience any stomach problems (23g per 62g sachet leaves plenty of room for water) or bonking.

The gel has also been enhanced with 70 ocean minerals for electrolyte top-up, albeit trace amounts. Still, it’s a credible addition.

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OTE Lime and Lemon

Quick specs
Price	£39.20 for 20 (UK/EU only)
Carbohydrates per serving	20.5g

The viscosity of this lemon and lime gel’s similar to High5, so flows smoothly.

It’s also rather tasty thanks to the fruit-juice concentrate, but thanks to the alchemy of food science, that concentrate features lemon and apple rather than lime.

Each 56g sachet comprises 20.5g of carbs via fructose and maltodextrin.

That’s the lowest on test, which raises the palatability stakes but lowers value for money as, if you’re aiming for a pretty standard 60g carbs per hour, you’ll need three of these (or £6).

Ease of use is OTE’s byword with two opening options – tear to sip or tear to gulp. Because of its fluid-like status, we always tend to gulp. That’s a personal thing, but worth noting.

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High5 Electrolyte Energy Gel

Quick specs
Price
Carbohydrates per serving

High5’s forged a reputation for great value since they were founded by triathletes back in 1994.

Nearly 30 years in the volatile sports-nutrition business is impressive but understandable when this gel’s nearly £2 cheaper than the most expensive here.

Then again, it’s a more rudimentary composition than the Maurten, delivering 23g carbs from glucose and maltodextrin.

It flows down nicely, but is a little looser than we’d like; that said, this simply might be a perception thing as the SiS gel contains a similar ratio of sugar to sachet and felt a touch more viscous.

Of course, this is all subjective and arguably that greater fluid hit is appreciated on the run if you don’t have a drink to hand.

A sprinkling of sodium, magnesium, potassium and chloride is appreciated, as is High5’s recycling programme.

Buy a box and the UK company includes a pre-paid envelope so you can return your empty wrappers. It’s a great idea and one that should be commended.

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How we tested the best energy gels

Every energy gel that’s been included here has been personally tested by author, sports science writer and former 220 Triathlon editor James Witts.

James puts each product through a handful of tests, using multiple samples, including consumption on the go to check how easy they are to open and if any gastric distress becomes noticeable.

Other metrics we rate the best energy gels on are taste, consistency, value for money, carb content, quality of ingredients, eco credentials and whether or not there are any additional bonuses such as caffeine or sodium.

When should you take energy gels?

Energy gels have become a staple in the triathlete’s larder, their culinary convenience meaning you can bike and run to your heart’s content loaded. But when exactly should you use these speed-and-stamina sachets?

It’s a broadly sweeping brush but they’re not really needed unless you’re exercising for over 90mins.

That’s based on your glycogen stores being at capacity through a healthy, energising daily nutrition plan, which highlights that supplements like these aren’t maximised unless you’re fuelling proficiently as the norm, not on occasions.

That means good-quality carbs, muscle-repairing and rebuilding protein, good fats, and vitamins and minerals.

How many gels should you consume on longer sessions or racing? The ideal is an individualised prescription or, more likely, through trial and error in training.

Start with around 50g of carbs an hour (about two gels) and slowly consume more if you can stomach it over time. More calories delays fatigue resulting in a PB.

What do energy gels contain?

Besides a combination of sugars, energy gels can contain added caffeine, extra B vitamins, electrolytes and antioxidants.

A typical energy gel provides 23-28g of carbohydrates. Some contain twice this amount, such as Styrkr’s Gel50.  Energy gels with added caffeine deliver 20mg-100mg of caffeine. For context, a double espresso contains about 150mg of caffeine.

• Maltodextrin

This carbohydrate molecule is made of short chains of glucose molecules. Compared to glucose and fructose, it’s less sweet and can stop energy gels from becoming overpoweringly sickly. 

• Fructose

Fructose is simple sugar derived from fruit, which provides sweetness and (in combination with maltodextrin) a 2:1 carbohydrate blend.

Studies show that, compared to single sugar sources, you absorb more carbohydrates from a 2:1 blend of glucose and fructose. Evidence suggests that you can tolerate even more carbs from a 1:0.8 ratio of maltodextrin and fructose. More brands are using this formula as a result. 

• Water

Gels need some water to make the consistency less viscous so you can slurp them down. Higher-carb, more concentrated contain less water and therefore thicker. 

• Sodium

Some gels incorporate electrolytes like sodium to aid glucose uptake and increase water retention to keep you hydrated. 

• Citric acid

Citric acid provides a zesty kick, making the gel taste less sweet and preserves its contents. 

Some experts recommend shunning citric acid, though, because the combination with sugar is bad for your teeth. 

• Flavouring

Used by some brands to make the gel more palatable, flavourings can be natural or artificial. 

Which energy gels should you buy?

Costing between £1 and more than £3 a go, energy gels can get expensive if you use them daily. Try to buy in bulk or limit their use to harder training sessions and races. 

Alternatively, try making your own from diluted honey or agave syrup.

Taste is clearly very important because you won’t want to get sick of the flavour mid-session or race.

Experiment with different gels to find one you can open easily when running and cycling. 

How to take energy gels

It’s best to chase down energy gels with a glug of water. This helps prevent dehydration and it’s better for your teeth to wash the sugar off soon afterwards. 

The hotter it is, the more water you’ll need to drink with your energy gels. 

Don’t overload on energy gels while drinking an energy gel because you might cause gut distress by overconsuming sugars. 

What about caffeine energy gels?

Scientific evidence supports a caffeine intake of 3mg per kilo of body weight to stave off fatigue during endurance exercise. 

 Having had pre-event caffeine, from coffee for example, you could use a caffeine energy gel to top up your levels of the stimulant. 

Go easy though and trial this approach thoroughly in training. 

How many energy gels should I take?

To achieve a carbohydrate intake of 60g per hour as recommended for sustained moderate-intensity exercise, you’ll need three energy gels containing 20g of carbs each.

If you’re going easier for less time, one or gels will be fine. 

Obviously if you’re consuming other forms of carbs at the same time you’ll need fewer gels. 

To consume more than 60g of carbohydrates per hour, you might need sports nutrition with a 1:0.8 maltodextrin to fructose ratio, such as Beta Fuel. 

• Energy gels versus energy bars: what’s the difference?
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