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Brand specs

Energy gels & drink mixes, by the numbers

These are the numbers that actually decide how a fuel performs (carbohydrate, glucose:fructose ratio, and sodium) for 23 popular gels and drink mixes, straight from the labels. Including the one number many brands don't print at all.

15 / 23

fuels publish their glucose:fructose ratio, the number that decides how hard you can fuel before your gut gives out.

The 15 that disclose it range from 1:0.8 to 3:1, with no industry consensus, because the right ratio depends on your rate (Jeukendrup; Hearris et al. 2022). 6 use a multi-source blend but don't state the split; 2 are single-source, so no ratio applies. Where a brand states no number, the cell stays blank rather than a guess.

Fuels compared

How to read this

The ratio is the headline. Glucose alone oxidizes up to about 60 g/h; adding fructose (a second intestinal transporter) lifts the ceiling toward ~90 g/h, and higher with gut training. That's why my editorial "Best for" band caps single-source (glucose-only) fuels lower: not because they're worse, but because the carbohydrate type limits the rate. It's my read, not a manufacturer's claim.

Why the disclosed ratios disagree. They span 1:0.8 to 3:1 because the science moved. 2:1 was the classic multiple-transportable-carb target; ~1:0.8 reflects newer high-rate data (Hearris 2022). A 3:1 fuel (e.g. Näak) is glucose-heavier: fine at moderate rates, less optimal once you're pushing 90 g/h and beyond.

Comparison is per serving (one gel, one sachet, one scoop) because that's how you carry and eat it. Carbs-per-100 g looks tidy but misleads: a drink-mix powder is ~90% carbohydrate before you add water, and gels vary in water content.

Labels carry manufacturing tolerances, and brands reformulate; mixing your own from known ingredients removes the guesswork about what you're actually getting.

Sodium is per serving, but how much you need scales with your sweat rate and sweat-sodium concentration, so these figures aren't directly comparable athlete to athlete. EU labels print salt, converted here to sodium (salt ÷ 2.5). A few values are derived or third-party-sourced where a brand prints no number, all flagged in the sources.

Caffeine isn't shown. The table lists each brand's base carbohydrate product; most also sell caffeinated variants, so check the specific flavour if caffeine matters to you.

Sources & data notes

Every figure links to the brand's own product page. Deep-link any fuel with /compare#slug.

OTE Energy Gel #

Dual-source (maltodextrin + fructose) but no ratio published. Notably low sodium.

OTE Energy Gel — 20.5 g carbohydrate, 11.2 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

GU Energy Roctane Energy Gel #

GU describes the carbs as maltodextrin + fructose but publishes no ratio. Sodium 125–180 mg depending on flavour.

GU Roctane — 19–21 g carbohydrate, 125–180 mg sodium, no ratio published Out of date? Tell me

Huma Chia Energy Gel #

One of the few real-food gels to publish a ratio (2:1 glucose:fructose). Figures are for the standard Original; Plus/variety SKUs differ.

Huma Chia Gel — 21 g carbohydrate, 2:1 glucose:fructose, 105 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Science in Sport GO Isotonic Energy Gel #

Single-source maltodextrin — no fructose, so no glucose:fructose ratio. Sodium ~4 mg from the EU panel (SiS marketing copy says 10 mg).

SiS GO Isotonic — 22 g carbohydrate, single-source maltodextrin Out of date? Tell me

Maurten Gel 100 #

Maurten states the ratio as "0.8:1 fructose:glucose" — i.e. 1:0.8 glucose:fructose, glucose the larger part. Sodium from third-party panels; Maurten shows it only as a label image.

Maurten Gel 100 — 25 g carbohydrate, 0.8:1 fructose:glucose Out of date? Tell me

Näak Ultra Energy Gel #

Näak states a 3:1 glucose:fructose ratio — glucose-heavy relative to the 1:0.8 high-rate camp. Official UTMB fuel.

Näak Ultra Energy Gel — 27 g carbohydrate, 3:1 glucose:fructose, 190 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Torq Energy Gel #

Marketed as "30 g"; the official label states 29 g per sachet.

Torq Energy Gel — 29 g carbohydrate, 2:1 maltodextrin:fructose, 49 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Neversecond C30 Energy Gel #

Neversecond C30 — 30 g carbohydrate, 2:1 maltodextrin:fructose, 200 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Gel #

Electrolyte-free by design — pair with a separate sodium source.

Precision PF 30 — 30 g carbohydrate, 2:1 glucose:fructose, no electrolytes Out of date? Tell me

Styrkr GEL30 Dual-Carb Gel #

Trace sodium only — not an electrolyte product.

Styrkr GEL30 — 30 g carbohydrate, 1:0.8 maltodextrin:fructose Out of date? Tell me

MNSTRY Gel 40 (1:0.8) #

German brand. Sodium converted from the EU salt figure (0.13 g).

MNSTRY Gel 40 — 40 g carbohydrate, 1:0.8 glucose:fructose Out of date? Tell me

Maurten Gel 160 #

Sodium from third-party panels; Maurten does not print a numeric sodium value.

Maurten Gel 160 — 40 g carbohydrate, 0.8:1 fructose:glucose Out of date? Tell me

Science in Sport Beta Fuel Energy Gel #

Sodium from the EU label (salt 0.03 g); the US formulation lists ~30 mg.

SiS Beta Fuel Gel — 40 g carbohydrate, 1:0.8 maltodextrin:fructose Out of date? Tell me

226ERS High Energy Gel #

Cyclodextrin-based; framed as 1:1 complex:simple carbs, no glucose:fructose ratio. Sodium ~40 mg (the "Salty" variant is ~250 mg).

226ERS High Energy Gel — 50 g carbohydrate, cyclodextrin-based Out of date? Tell me

Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 Gel #

Electrolyte-free by design — pair with a separate sodium source.

Precision PF 90 — 90 g carbohydrate, 2:1 glucose:fructose, no electrolytes Out of date? Tell me

Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel #

Dextrose + sucrose; no glucose:fructose split published (sucrose is half fructose, so a clean ratio isn't derivable). Figures per 27 g scoop.

Tailwind Endurance Fuel — 25 g carbohydrate per scoop, 310 mg sodium (dextrose + sucrose) Out of date? Tell me

Maurten Drink Mix 320 #

Maurten publishes a 1:0.8 ratio for its gels but states no ratio for Drink Mix 320. Sodium ~200 mg from third-party panels.

Maurten Drink Mix 320 — 79 g carbohydrate per serving (hydrogel) Out of date? Tell me

MNSTRY Power Carb HEAT (1:0.8) #

German brand. Sodium ~400 mg brand-stated; retail panels imply up to ~480 mg. "HEAT" is the higher-sodium hot-weather variant.

MNSTRY Power Carb HEAT — 80 g carbohydrate per 85 g, 1:0.8 glucose:fructose, ~400 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

OTE Super Carbs Drink Mix #

Dual-source (maltodextrin + fructose) but no ratio published.

OTE Super Carbs — 80 g carbohydrate per 85 g, 360 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Science in Sport Beta Fuel 80 Drink Mix #

Per-sachet sodium not confirmed on the official powder panel.

SiS Beta Fuel 80 — 80 g carbohydrate per serving, 1:0.8 maltodextrin:fructose Out of date? Tell me

Neversecond C90 High Carb Drink Mix #

Neversecond C90 — 90 g carbohydrate per 94 g, 2:1 maltodextrin:fructose, 200 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Styrkr MIX90 Dual-Carb Drink Mix #

Styrkr MIX90 — 90 g carbohydrate per 95 g, 1:0.8 maltodextrin:fructose, 80 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Mountain Fuel Sports Jelly+ #

Sports Jelly+ / Hydro variant (30 g carbs); the base Sports Jelly is ~20 g. Glucose-source only — no fructose, so no ratio applies.

Mountain Fuel Sports Jelly+ — 30 g carbohydrate, 46 mg sodium Out of date? Tell me

Figures verified June 2026 against each brand's official page and one independent source; always check the current label, as manufacturers reformulate. This is an independent, informational comparison. carbsperhour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any brand listed, and nothing here is medical or nutritional advice. Brand and product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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