What types of sports benefit from energy gels?
A 90-minute soccer match ends with extra time. A cyclist rolls past the 4-hour mark on a long training ride. A hiker scrambles up a ridge 6 hours into a backcountry route. These are very different activities, performed by very different athletes, and yet the same physiological problem eventually catches up with all of them: the body runs out of stored fuel. Energy gels exist to solve this problem, and they solve it across a much wider range of sports than most people assume.
This article walks through the specific types of sports that benefit from energy gels, explains how gels work inside the body, covers practical guidance on timing and gut training, and points to where athletes can test and buy gels in a way that actually makes sense.
Running, cycling, and other long-duration sports
Energy gels were originally designed for marathon runners and road cyclists, and these sports remain the most common use case. The reason is simple: any activity lasting longer than 60 minutes begins to deplete the body’s stored glycogen, which is the primary fuel source during moderate to high intensity exercise. According to Cleveland Clinic dietitian Katherine Patton, energy gels are carbohydrate-rich gels made from a blend of sugars, most often maltodextrin and fructose, and they are designed to provide energy that is quick and easy to digest during exercise.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends consuming 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour during exercise that lasts longer than 1 hour. For long-course triathletes, World Tour cyclists, trail runners, and Hyrox competitors, that recommendation can go even higher, up to 120 grams per hour, and energy gels are one of the most portable and practical ways to reach those numbers.
Swimmers who train or compete in open water events lasting over an hour also fall into this category, as do rowers and cross-country skiers. The common thread here is sustained effort over a prolonged period, which progressively drains muscle glycogen.
Team sports and the half-time advantage
It may seem like energy gels belong only to endurance athletes, but team sports like soccer, rugby, basketball, and handball have adopted them too. The application is a bit different. In these sports, gels are typically consumed at half time or during scheduled breaks, functioning as a concentrated and fast-absorbing energy boost before the second half begins.
A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport and indexed on PubMed found that carbohydrate-electrolyte gel ingestion raised blood glucose concentrations and improved dribbling performance during the extra-time period of simulated soccer match-play. This is a specific, measurable outcome tied to a specific moment in a game where fatigue accumulates.
Alek Gross, Head of Sports Science at Southampton FC, has stated that energy gels are a key part of the club’s fueling plans around and during matches because they supply a convenient and high-dose source of carbohydrate that promotes energy availability in the second half and supports recovery between games.
Caffeine-enhanced gels are also recommended in team sport contexts. Science in Sport specifically suggests a 150mg caffeine gel at half time for sports like rugby and football, as caffeine has been shown in research to increase alertness, delay the feeling of fatigue, and improve both sprint-based and endurance-based performance.
Hiking, skiing, and outdoor adventures
A full day of hiking or mountain biking places the same metabolic demands on the body as a long race, even if the pace feels slower. Glycogen still depletes. Calories still burn. The difference is that outdoor adventurers often do not think of themselves as athletes who need structured fueling, and so they bonk harder and recover slower than they need to.
Energy gels work well in outdoor settings because they are lightweight, portable, shelf-stable, and easy to consume without stopping. You do not need to sit down with a plate of food on a ridgeline. GU Energy Labs markets its Roctane Ultra Endurance Energy Gel specifically for running, biking, hiking, and skiing, which gives a sense of how broadly applicable these products are. Paddlers, backcountry skiers, and long-distance swimmers also fit this category. If the activity is physically demanding and lasts more than an hour, the body benefits from mid-activity carbohydrate intake.
What happens inside the body when you take a gel
Glycogen Stores and Their Limits
Your body stores carbohydrate in the form of glycogen, primarily in your muscles and liver. According to Cleveland Clinic, about 3 quarters of your body’s total glycogen is stored in your muscles, with the rest in your liver and a small amount in your brain. These stores are finite. At half-marathon pace, glycogen runs low after about 90 minutes. At marathon pace, that threshold is closer to 120 minutes. For most marathon runners, this means glycogen depletion hits around the halfway mark.
When glycogen runs out, performance drops. Muscles lose their primary fuel, and cognitive function also suffers, which can affect decision-making and coordination in competitive settings. An energy gel delivers carbohydrates that are absorbed quickly to maintain blood glucose levels and delay this depletion.
How Carbohydrates Get Absorbed
The body absorbs glucose and fructose through different transport proteins in the small intestine. Glucose uses a transporter called SGLT1, while fructose uses a separate transporter called GLUT5. This distinction matters because it means the body can absorb more total carbohydrate per minute when both glucose and fructose are consumed together, compared to consuming either one alone.
Research has shown that glucose or maltodextrin alone can be absorbed at up to 1.0 grams per minute. Fructose alone maxes out at about 0.6 grams per minute. But when you combine them, absorption can reach up to 1.75 grams per minute. This is why most modern energy gels use a blend of maltodextrin and fructose rather than a single sugar source.
The Ratio That Matters
In 2003, researchers found that specific combinations of carbohydrate could be absorbed faster during exercise. Before that, the assumed ceiling was about 60 grams per hour. The initial recommendation was a 2:1 maltodextrin to fructose ratio, but more recent research has found that a 1:0.8 ratio allows for greater total carbohydrate intake with less gastrointestinal discomfort. A PubMed-indexed study by Rowlands et al. confirmed that a 0.8:1 fructose to glucose ratio delivered the highest exogenous carbohydrate energy and endurance power when ingested at rates of 1.5 to 1.8 grams per minute.
Sports scientist Asker Jeukendrup has added useful nuance here, explaining that there is no single optimal ratio. The best ratio depends on total intake. At 90 grams per hour, a 2:1 ratio works well. At 120 grams per hour, a 1:1 ratio is likely better.
Electrolytes and caffeine in energy gels
Many energy gels include electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. These minerals are lost through sweat, and replacing them helps prevent performance drops related to dehydration. Electrolytes also help the body absorb and retain fluid more effectively.
Caffeine-enhanced gels have become a popular subcategory. Caffeine reduces perceived exertion, increases alertness, and has been shown to improve endurance performance. These effects have been observed across running, cycling, ball sports, and team sports like basketball, handball, football, and rugby. Science in Sport’s GO Energy + Caffeine Gel has been clinically proven to improve performance when taken 10 minutes before exercise.
When and how often to take energy gels
For activities under 1 hour, your stored glycogen is generally sufficient and gels are not necessary. For activities lasting longer than 1 hour, research by Kozlowski, published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, found that athletes benefit most when they consume a gel every 30 to 45 minutes during training or competition lasting 2 hours or more. The study concluded that more frequent intake than what many manufacturers recommend helps maintain blood glucose and preserve muscle glycogen during the final stages of an event.
GU Energy Labs recommends a slightly more frequent approach: take 1 gel 5 minutes before starting, then 1 gel every 20 to 30 minutes during exercise lasting more than 30 minutes. For endurance athletes in events lasting over 2 hours, aiming for 2 to 3 gels per hour to reach an 80 to 120 gram carbohydrate target is a common protocol.
Training your gut to handle the fuel
Gastrointestinal problems are common among endurance athletes. Research has estimated that 30% to 50% of endurance athletes report symptoms like cramping, bloating, nausea, or diarrhea during exercise. This is often related to consuming carbohydrates at a rate that the gut is not trained to handle.
Sports nutritionist Nancy Clark explains that sugars from gels need transport proteins in the small intestine to enter the bloodstream. Too many gels without enough transporters can lead to diarrhea. By training with your race-day carbohydrates during practice sessions, you can increase the number of these transporters over time. Dietitian Amy Goblirsh, speaking to Healthline, emphasizes the same point: training runs are the time to figure out what fuel source works best for your body, because race day is not the time to try something new.
The recommended approach is to start conservatively, perhaps 1 to 2 gels per hour (22 to 44 grams of carbohydrate per hour), and gradually build up to 3 to 4 gels per hour (66 to 88 grams of carbohydrate per hour) over the course of several weeks.
Finding the right gel for your body
Gel preference varies from person to person. Some athletes absorb carbohydrates within 3 minutes; others take up to 15. Texture, flavor, and ingredient sensitivities all play a role. Many brands offer gels that are vegan, gluten-free, and free from common allergens like dairy, nuts, and wheat. Sports dietitians from Alex Larson Nutrition have noted that there is no one-size-fits-all gel, and that having many options to choose from is a real advantage for athletes trying to find what works.
The Feed: To test and buy energy gels
The Feed is an online marketplace built specifically for endurance athletes, and it stocks products from all of the top sports nutrition brands, including Clif Bar, Skratch, Maurten, GU, Bonk Breaker, Honey Stinger, and Precision. The product range covers hydration mixes, protein, recovery shakes, energy chews, energy gels, and bars.
Single-Serve Shopping
One of the most practical features of The Feed is its single-serving model. Athletes can purchase individual gel packets rather than committing to an entire box of 1 flavor. This directly addresses a common frustration and solves a real problem: you can test different products, flavors, and brands during training to find what your body tolerates and what you actually enjoy eating at mile 18 or hour 4. The approach also helps prevent flavor fatigue, which is a documented phenomenon among endurance athletes who grow tired of consuming the same product over long training blocks.
Free Coaching and Fueling Plans
The Feed offers free access to expert coaches who can build a customized fueling plan based on your sport, training goals, and flavor preferences. Athletes can email or chat live with a coach who will walk through product recommendations tailored to their specific needs.
USA Triathlon partnership
In 2024, USA Triathlon announced a partnership with The Feed, giving USA Triathlon members an $80 credit to TheFeed.com when they join the program. USA Triathlon CEO Victoria Brumfield stated that she has been a personal customer for years. The partnership also supports the USA Triathlon high-performance team, ensuring their athletes have access to proper fuel and hydration.
For athletes looking to figure out which energy gel works best for their body and sport, The Feed’s single-serve model allows them to follow what every sports dietitian recommends: trial your nutrition during training, not on race day.
