Professional running gear tester Kieran Alger has spent months gulping down the latest batch of the best running gels for fuelling your endurance efforts…
If you want to train and perform at your best, you need to fuel your sessions and races right. For high intensity or long endurance efforts that means getting enough carbohydrates on board to fuel your muscles. That’s where the best running gels come in.
When you need a quick, portable energy hit, they’re a great option. But with so many to choose from, it can be hard to work out what’s best for you. With 53 marathons under my belt and a handful of ultras, I’ve tested dozens of gels from all kinds of brands. These are the ones that came out on top…
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These are the best running gels
- PF30 Gel (£29.99 for 15 gels – not available in the US), amazon.co.uk
- Maurten Gel 100 ($50 / £32.95 for 12), amazon.co.uk
- Vala Energy Gel (£23.65 for 10 – international shipping available), valaenergy.com
- Veloforte Energy Gel (£29.99 for 15 – international delivery available), amazon.co.uk
- UnTapped Athletic Fuel ($36.95 for 20 – international shipping available), untapped.cc
- 33Fuel Chia Energy Gel ($30.21 / £23.99 for 10), 33fuel.com
- SiS Beta Fuel + Nootropics (£72 for 30 – not currently available in the US), amazon.co.uk
1. PF30 Gel
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Pros:
- High carb content
- Neutral flavour
- Easy on the stomach
Cons:
- No flavour options
Taste: 4/5
Energy: 5/5
Portability: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
In my tests the Precision Fuel PF30 Gel really hit the spot. With a 30g dose of carbs per 51g sachet, it has one of the best energy-to-weight ratios around. It gets delivery and consistency just right too, with an even energy boost that avoids the rush and crash of some gels. It has a pleasant, fairly neutral flavour, too, so it won’t give you taste fatigue if you consume a marathon’s worth.
Read our full PF30 Gel review
2. Maurten Gel 100
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Pros:
- High carbs
- Neutral flavour
- Easy on the stomach
Cons:
- No flavours
- Quite expensive
Taste: 4/5
Energy: 5/5
Portability: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
I found the Maurten Gel 100 offered one of the more pleasant energy-ingesting experiences, with a neutral flavour that’s easy on the stomach. A blend of fructose and glucose (with a ratio of 0.8:1) gives you a smooth and relatively crash-free power-up in a jelly that slips down well, even without water.
Read our full Maurtens Gel 100 review
3. Vala Energy Gel
£23.65 for 10 – international delivery available
Reviewed by Kieran Alger
Pros:
- Only simple, real-food ingredients
- Steady energy boost
- Compact and stowable
Cons:
- Very sweet
- You have to like dates
- Fairly expensive
Taste: 4.5/5
Energy: 4.5/5
Portability: 5/5
OVERALL: 4.5/5
Vala Energy Gels are well worth considering if you’d prefer a natural alternative to the plethora of fake flavour energy gels that are available. Made primarily from date paste, they’re thicker than most gels too, so I found they’re easier to consume during longer endurance efforts rather than high intensity ones. But if you want to pack one of your five a day into your mid-workout energy boost, you can’t really go wrong with Vala.
Read our full Vala Energy Gel review
4. Veloforte Energy Gel
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Pros:
- Real-food ingredients
- Compact and portable
- Slips down easily
Cons:
- Some challenging flavours
- Quite expensive
Taste: 4/5
Energy: 4/5
Portability: 5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Veloforte is another option for those seeking a gel made from natural ingredients. Its liquid-like consistency means you can add it to water to make a carb drink. Even on its own, however, I found it’s easy to swallow, fresh on the palette and light on the gut. I actually looked forward to consuming the date, lime and ginger flavour mid-session.
Read our full Veloforte Energy Gel review
5. UnTapped Athletic Fuel
($36.95 for 20 – international shipping available)
Pros:
- 100% natural
- Steady energy release
- Clean, delicious taste
Cons:
- Not particularly pocket-friendly
- Pricey in the UK
Taste: 4/5
Energy: 4/5
Portability: 3/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Maple syrup is the key ingredient in UnTapped’s gels. It’s naturally high in carbs from sucrose and contains complex sugars which have a much lower glycemic index than regular sugar and maltodextrin. In theory they should burn slower and I did feel that the even energy release negated the rush and dreaded crash of some gels.
Read our full UnTapped Athletic Fuel review
6. 33Fuel Chia Energy Gel
$30.21 / £23.99 for 10
Pros:
- Only simple real-food ingredients
- Taste great
- Even energy release
Cons:
- Need pre-filling
- Resealable caps can break off
- Difficult to stash
Taste: 5/5
Energy: 3.5/5
Portability: 3.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Energy gel ingredients don’t get much simpler that the four natural ones used in 33Fuel’s Chia Energy Gels. As well as the titular chia, there’s just coconut palm sugar, organic vanilla and Himalayan pink salt. You have to hydrate this dried ‘gel’ yourself (you can use milk, fruit juices or coconut water) but with a resealable top you don’t have to use it all in one go.
Read our full 33Fuel Chia Energy Gel review
7. SiS Beta Fuel + Nootropics
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Pros:
- Big hit of carbs
- Fast acting
- Added nootropics
Cons:
- Artificial taste
- Not easily stashable
- Full of preservatives
Taste: 3.5/5
Energy: 4/5
Portability: 3.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
The nootropics in this gel from Science in Sport are good for boosting mental alertness and decision-making, ideal if you’re at the end of a big endurance effort. There’s a whopping 40g carbs in each sachet, and two different transit systems allows you to get more carbs into the body than usual. I found they may be too sweet for consuming throughout a marathon, but are ideal for leaving until you really need a caffeine boost.
