The table above is data gathered from publicly available channels on January 1st, 2025. We found the lowest possible price for each energy gel, but did not include any promotional discounts they may have been offering. We did our best to accurately represent product details of each brand. This information may be inaccurate and we did not intentionally misrepresent any brand in the table above. We also may not have included every energy gel on the market; if this is the case, we did not intentionally do so, we were unaware of the product's existence. We primarily focused on brands offering energy gels in the United States; we intentionally left off products which are not easily available for purchase inside of the United States.

Key Findings

• Carbohydrate density in energy gels: Sports nutrition companies are trending towards higher carbohydrate contents in single energy gel packets. Early on, energy gels typically contained 20-25 grams of carbohydrates per packet with brands such as GU, Hammer, Honey Stinger, and Clif. As research on fueling has progressed, athletes have begun consuming greater amounts of carbohydrates per hour - leading to more companies making products that enable athletes to more easily consume more. Companies like Carbs Fuel, SiS, Amacx, Enervit, 6d, Styrkr, Santa Madre, and Maurten have all launched energy gel products at or above 40 grams of carbohydrates per packet - allowing athletes to carry fewer packets and hit higher fueling targets. Some companies, such as Hammer, GU, and Precision Fuel have launched large pouches and containers meant to be emptied into reusable flasks. Packaging is a major cost driver for sports nutrition companies, so these higher carbohydrate products allow for more accessable pricing, when considering cost per gram of carbohydrate. 

• Best value energy gel: When compared to 2024, there has been no major shift in brands offering better value energy gel products. Carbs Fuel Original 50g Energy Gel remains in a class of it's own for getting the most grams of carbohydrate per dollar spent. While there has not been a push for better value energy gels, there has been a major push toward better value in drink mix. Companies like Formula369 and Solo Fuel (in Canada) have been pushing exceptional value drink mix products, while many consumers decide to make their own drink mix through their preferred blend of maltodextrin, fructose, and flavoring agents. 

Considerations

• Convenience and product density: This industry report entirely focuses on the best value energy gels. A consideration for athletes reading this is the convenience and preferred product density. Some products contain more grams of carbohydrates per packet than others. To some this is a positive - meaning they can more efficiently carry large amounts of fuel and less frequently need to grab packets for consumption. To others this density may be a negative, if they are tight on space to carry an individual energy gel. 

• Number of energy gels per carton: This industry report looks at the cost per gram of carbohydrate across different products, not the total cost of the order. Some products in this report may require very large amounts of product in order to take advantage of the price. For example, Precision Fuel's 300g Flow Gel requires a 5-pack purchase - meaning you must spend $88.99 in order to get their $0.059 cost per gram of carbohydrate. Another consideration is the surprising low-level of commitment required, such as the 6 energy gel pack for the SiS $1.00 per gel deal - for a total of $6.00. Many companies, such as Carbs Fuel, offer a reasonable middle ground of an 18-gel carton for a total cost of $36.00. 

• Ratio of glucose-to-fructose: This report does not share each individual product's glucose-to-fructose ratio. This is an important variable, especially if the athlete intends on consuming more than 60g of carbs per hour. Some brands prescribe to a 1:0.8 ratio (Santa Madre, SiS, Maurten, etc) or a 2:1 ratio (Carbs Fuel, Precision Fuel, Enervit, etc), while some brands exclusively use glucose (First Endurance, UCAN, etc), and others don't communicate any specific ratio (Crank, Hammer, Untapped, etc). We recommend you experiment with various ratios and see what works well for you. Some athletes like to train with 2:1 and race with 1:0.8, while others may find one or the other working best in both scenarios. 

• Simplicity of ingredient list: This report does not look at ingredient lists and how clean they are. This exclusively looks at cost and carbohydrate contents. The important things to consider consuming during exercise include water, carbohydrates, sodium, and caffeine - depending on your goals. It is generally preferable to avoid unnecessary ingredients, as it is more for your body to process. Even within the same ingredient, such as maltodextrin, different companies will use different types and/or sources. Consider simple ingredient lists like what Carbs Fuel, Maurten, or Untapped offer. Also consider the transparency companies offer in regards to their ingredient list, for example, you can read about every ingredient we use and why, here. 

• Flavor and options: This report doesn't consider flavor preferences - it is important athletes enjoy the taste and texture of the energy gel they are consuming. The best fueling strategy is the one you stick to. Some products offer unflavored, neutral tasting products to avoid flavor fatigue (Carbs Fuel, Maurten, Precision Fuel), while others offer a variety of bold flavor options (GU, Honey Stinger, Huma). Experiment with energy gels and figure out which products you enjoy consuming hour after hour.