Maurten is a brand that like to solve problems. Want to get carbohydrate into your system without irritating your stomach? They invented the Maurten drink mix, which turns into a hydrogel when it hits your stomach (read more about it). OK, that’s good but what if runners want something a bit more portable, so they don’t have to rely on carrying bottles of drink around? So they invented the Maurten GEL 100, a gel using the same hydrogel science as the drinks, but easy to carry (here’s our review of the gel). Maurten’s next venture is the caffeine gel. So what do they need to solve here?
A question of taste
Caffeine tastes bitter. The sports nutrition industry has historically tried to hide the bitterness in gels by adding flavors and acid, or by simply just having low levels of caffeine. But a lot of runners don’t want artificial flavours added. And they do want sufficient levels of caffeine. So, Maurten decided to simply circumvent the problem. By harnessing their Hydrogel Technology they’ve ‘built a biopolymer matrix that is dense enough to encapsulate both the caffeine and the carbohydrate mixture. The result: GEL 100 CAF 100 – a true GEL with low bitterness, low sweetness, an effective level of caffeine and a lot of energy.’
The GEL 100 CAF 100 contains 100 mg of caffeine – that’s the equivalent of 1.5 espressos – or one cup of brewed coffee. That’s a lot, compared to many of the traditional gels out there. It delivers 25 grams of carbohydrates through their unique blend of fructose and glucose (ratio of 0.8:1) which enables uptakes of up to 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour. It packs a high weight to energy ratio and doesn’t contain any added flavors, preservatives or colorants. Just like all Maurten products, it’s vegan friendly.
Studies have shown that our bodies can make use of up to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Recent science has shown that the 0.8:1 fructose to glucose ratio enables even greater uptake – up to 100 grams per hour. The GEL 100 is developed by using this ratio and packs a lot of energy. One serving contains 25 grams of carbohydrates.
What’s the benefit of caffeine to runners?
Caffeine has been shown to increase alertness and reduce perceived effort. These are properties that can be beneficial in sports performance. The GEL 100 CAF 100 can be used for building up caffeine levels – on its own, together with regular coffee – or to achieve sufficient caffeine levels during activity.
Find out more about the new Maurten GEL 100 CAF 100
We’ll be trying some out and coming back with our review as soon as possible.
