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If you're deep in marathon training right now, clocking up the long runs and starting to think about race-day fuel, this one is written for you. Somewhere past the 90 minute mark, your glycogen stores run low and your body starts asking for carbs, fast. That's what a gel is: a small sachet of quick, concentrated sugar you can squeeze down mid-effort without breaking stride. There are dozens of brands, but among serious runners, cyclists and triathletes, three names come up again and again. Here's what actually sets them apart.
Maurten
The elite darling. This Swedish brand built its reputation on "hydrogel" technology, which wraps the carbs in a gel-like matrix using pectin from fruit and alginate from seaweed, the idea being that it passes through your stomach with less of the dreaded gut distress. The Gel 100 packs 25g of carbs and, unusually, tastes of almost nothing, faintly like watered-down maple syrup. It's the priciest of the bunch, and it's what a lot of the sport's biggest names reach for, including the marathon records everyone was watching. Worth noting: the science on the hydrogel's stomach benefits is still fairly thin, but athletes swear by the feel. Full disclosure, this one is the personal favourite of both of us as co-founders.
SIS (Science in Sport)
The pro-peloton staple. SIS made its name with the GO Isotonic gel, marketed as the first truly isotonic gel, meaning it's formulated to be absorbed without chasing it with water. That sounds minor until you're on a bike or deep into a race and your water and your fuel never quite line up. It delivers around 22g of carbs in a light, easy texture. For bigger days there's Beta Fuel, a higher-carb, dual-sugar formula (40g) built for athletes trying to hit serious hourly carb targets, some versions even spiked with caffeine. This is really the territory for when you're going past two hours of hard, sustained effort, not your average training run.
GU Energy
The original, and still the everyman. GU has been around for decades and is arguably the gel that started the whole category. It uses a maltodextrin and fructose blend with added sodium, around 22g of carbs, and crucially comes in a huge range of flavours, some with caffeine. Its Roctane line ups the sodium, amino acids and caffeine for longer, harder efforts. If Maurten is the minimalist and SIS is the scientist, GU is the reliable friend who has a flavour for everyone.
The one rule that matters more than the brand
Here's the thing nobody selling gels will tell you loudly enough: the best gel is the one your stomach tolerates, and that's deeply personal. What feels fine standing still can feel awful at race pace. So the actual pro move isn't buying the fanciest sachet, it's testing your fuel in training long before race day. Train your gut like you train your legs.
The recommendation we give at Jade Peak is simple: pick one of these three, try it on a few of your long runs well ahead of race day, and let your stomach have the final vote. Whatever survives those sessions is your gel, no matter what the elites are using.
Originally published at jadepeak.com.
