The Best Energy Gels
The rising popularity of trail runs, triathlons and ultra marathons means there are now more and better ways to drip-feed your body with energy on the go. These high-carb heroes were our panel’s runaway favourites.
BEST ALL-ROUNDER Decathlon Aptonia
Energy Gel Mix, £4.99 for 4 sachets
Score: 8.5/10 Developed by triathletes, these gels provide both fast-acting and long-lasting energy and are designed to be taken every 45 minutes to an hour during distance events, providing you with roughly 90 calories along with added B vitamins. Our panel appreciated that these weren’t overly sweet like some more saccharine gels, adding that the consistency made them easy to knock back in a hurry. They were easy to rip open, too, without coating your hands in gel.
BEST NATURAL BOOST Maurten Gel 100, £32.40 for 12 sachets
Score: 8.4/10
This formula makes use of only six ingredients (essential water, sugars and minerals), while its ratio of fructose to glucose is optimised for efficient absorption. Testers said that the texture is thick enough to avoid a mid-race mess, but dissolves when it hits your tongue. The flavour is fairly neutral – helpful for those without a sweet tooth.
BEST ENERGY CHEWS Veloforte Fresco Energy Chews, £2.49 for 50g
Score: 8/10
Here is another brand with a focus on natural ingredients. Veloforte’s packs of gummy sweets provide a total 42g of quick-acting carbs, which can be rationed for controlled energy top-ups. Our testers liked the lemon and cool mint flavour, made with beet sugar, and lemon juice, plus coconut water and pink Himalayan salt for electrolytes.