SiS Beta Fuel + Nootropics

£72 for 30, scienceinsport.com

Science in Sport’s (SiS) Beta Fuel range is all about maximising the amount of carbs you can get into your body every hour. The gels follow the SiS Beta Fuel carb drink powders by adopting a 1:0.8 ratio of maltodextrin to fructose. This dual-fuel blend uses two different transit systems to help get more carbohydrate into the body. Each 60g gel delivers 40g of carbohydrate. That’s up there with the highest energy gels like Maurten and Precision Fuel & Hydration.

The SiS Beta Fuel gels also pack an added hit of nootropics – supplements that aim to help boost your cognitive performance, focus and motivation. There’s also a 250mg dose of Cognizin Citicoline, a chemical that supports brain function, 200mg caffeine, 1g Taurine and 200mg Theanine, an amino acid which has been shown to increase subjective feelings of alertness. Does it work? It’s hard to say. I can’t say I noticed any perceptible benefits in my tests, even when I used them deep into sixto seven-hour ultraruns where I needed a mental lift. And certainly not more than a regular caffeine gel. When it comes to taste, I tested the lemon and lime. While it’s OK, it’s all very artificial. Not necessarily worse than other artificially flavoured gels, but I can’t say I looked forward to eating them.

The consistency is pretty standard, too, and definitely needed water to wash it down. The 60ml gels are bigger and harder to stash than some regular smaller gels, but you’re getting double the carbs per gel and so may well need to carry less. Taste: ★★★ ★ Energy: ★★★★★ Portability: ★★★★★ OVERALL: ★★★★★