Gels

Common questions

Gels questions

• How many gels per hour?

  Most gels deliver 20 to 30 grams of carbs each. To hit 60 to 90 grams of carbs per hour for long endurance work, that's 2 to 4 gels per hour. Pace by clock, not by feel; once you feel hungry, you're already behind.

• Should gels be taken with water?

  Standard gels yes, hydrogel gels (Maurten) no. Standard gels are concentrated sugar and need water to digest cleanly. Hydrogels encapsulate carbs in a softer matrix and tolerate being taken without water. Each PDP notes texture and water requirement.

• Caffeine gels mid-race — how much is too much?

  Most published research caps performance benefit around 3 to 6 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight, taken across the session. Stacking caffeine gels on top of a caffeinated drink is how athletes blow past that and end up jittery or GI-distressed. Each gel PDP lists caffeine per serving.