Energy Gels
Energy gels for running, cycling and long training sessions. Find isotonic gels you can take without water, concentrated 2:1 glucose to fructose gels and caffeine versions. We explain how many you need per hour.Read more →
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Choosing an energy gel for long runs and rides
What an energy gel actually is
An energy gel is a single-serve sachet of fast carbohydrate, usually 20g to 30g per gel. The carbohydrate comes from glucose, maltodextrin, fructose, or a mix of these. Your muscles hold a limited store of glycogen, the body's own carbohydrate reserve. A gel is simply a way to top that reserve up while you keep moving, without carrying food.
The approved European claim for this category is precise: carbohydrates contribute to the recovery of normal muscle function after intensive or long-lasting exercise that empties glycogen stores in the muscle. That is the honest scope, and it is why gels sit in our wider sports nutrition range rather than among daily supplements. A gel fuels work you are already doing.
Three things separate one gel from another
Flavour gets the attention, but the practical differences are the carbohydrate ratio, the water content and whether caffeine is added.
- Concentrated gels: thick, small sachet, high carbohydrate for their size. Take a few sips of water with them.
- Isotonic gels: already diluted, so no water needed. The sachet is bigger and usually holds slightly less carbohydrate.
- 2:1 glucose to fructose gels: two sugar types use two absorption routes, which is why runners aiming above 60g of carbohydrate an hour tend to pick them.
- Caffeine gels: the same carbohydrate plus roughly 20mg to 100mg caffeine. Most people keep these for the second half of a race.
How we choose the gels we stock
We look at three things before a gel goes live: the form, the dose and the combination. We want grams of carbohydrate declared per sachet, not hidden inside a blend, and we prefer gels that state their glucose to fructose ratio, because that is what lets you plan a fuelling target. Where caffeine is added, it is listed in milligrams. We buy directly from the brands, so what you open is what the brand made, and every product passes our compliance team first. We test products ourselves and independent labs spot-check batches. See how we select brands and products.
Who they suit, and who can skip them
Gels earn their place from roughly 60 to 90 minutes of continuous effort. For a parkrun or a 40-minute gym session you do not need one. For a half marathon, a marathon, a long ride or a day on the trails, they are the simplest way to reach 30g to 60g of carbohydrate an hour. Well-practised athletes go higher, but that takes building up.
Be honest about your stomach. A gel is concentrated sugar, and a gut that has never met one at race pace can protest. Build them into your long runs for two to three weeks before you depend on them, and you will know exactly which brand and texture you get on with. Worth knowing too: gels carry carbohydrate, not much sodium. If you sweat heavily or race in heat, electrolyte supplements do a different job alongside them. And if gels never sit well for you, chews, bars and drink mixes deliver the same carbohydrate in another texture, all of which you will find across our range for endurance sports.
Frequently asked questions
They are a portable dose of fast carbohydrate, usually 20g to 30g per sachet, taken during long or hard exercise. Your muscles store only a limited amount of glycogen, the body's carbohydrate reserve, and that store runs low after roughly one to two hours of sustained effort. Carbohydrates contribute to the recovery of normal muscle function after exercise that depletes those stores. A gel is simply the most compact way to take carbohydrate on board while you keep moving.
No. Cyclists, triathletes, trail runners, rowers, hikers and long-course swimmers use the same product for the same reason: continuous effort beyond about 60 to 90 minutes. Runners are the biggest group because carrying a bottle is harder on foot, which is also why isotonic gels are popular with them. On the bike, where a bottle sits in a cage, thicker concentrated gels are easier to manage. For shorter, sharper sessions, energy drinks for sport often suit better.
Most people take the first one around 30 to 45 minutes in, before they feel any dip, rather than waiting until energy drops. Fuelling after you feel empty means playing catch-up, because carbohydrate needs time to be absorbed. Taking a gel an hour or two before the start is generally not useful, since you are not yet using the sugar. If you want something just before the gun, keep it to the final minutes of your warm-up.
A common target is 30g to 60g of carbohydrate an hour, which works out at one to two standard gels. Trained athletes using a 2:1 glucose to fructose mix go higher, but that tolerance is built over weeks, not decided on race morning. Spread them out, one every 30 to 45 minutes, rather than taking two at once. Also count any carbohydrate from sports drinks, or you can easily double up without meaning to.
It depends on whether you will have water to hand, how much carbohydrate you want per sachet, and how your stomach behaves.
| Type | Water needed | Carbs per gel | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrated | Yes | High | Cycling, aid stations |
| Isotonic | No | Moderate | First-time users, runners |
| 2:1 dual-carb | Usually yes | High | High hourly targets |
| With caffeine | As base gel | Same as base | Late-race lift |
Try each format on a long training run before you commit to a box.
With a concentrated gel, yes. It is thick sugar syrup, and your body pulls fluid into the gut to dilute it, which can leave you feeling heavy or queasy. A few mouthfuls of plain water solves that. Isotonic gels are pre-diluted, so they go down without water, which is their whole point. What you should avoid is a concentrated gel washed down with a strong sports drink, because that stacks two concentrated sugar loads at once.
Most caffeine gels contain between 20mg and 100mg per sachet, so check the label before stacking several. EFSA has published reference amounts that raise no safety concerns for healthy adults, and these cover caffeine from every source, including your morning coffee.
| Situation | Caffeine of no safety concern |
|---|---|
| Healthy adults, single dose | Up to 200 mg |
| Healthy adults, per day | Up to 400 mg |
| Pregnancy or breastfeeding, per day | Up to 200 mg |
Single doses of around 100mg can also affect sleep, so evening sessions are a reason to pick a caffeine-free gel.
Usually it is concentration and volume rather than the brand. A gel arrives in your gut as a strong sugar solution, and blood flow to the digestive system drops while you run hard, so absorption slows. Too much at once, too little water, or a high-fibre meal beforehand all add to it. Two practical fixes: use gels on your long runs for two to three weeks so your gut adapts, and choose a 2:1 glucose to fructose gel, which splits the load across two absorption routes.
