Running & recovery
Sports drinks, gels and chews: compare equal carbohydrate portions
Published by Benjamin Dickman, HydrateWise · Editorial approach and corrections
A gel sachet, a packet of chews and a bottle of sports drink are different package sizes, not equivalent portions of fuel. Comparing their prices or counting one of each can be misleading. Start with the carbohydrate shown on the label, convert each option to the same amount, and then consider the practical differences: liquid volume, opening, chewing, storage and access during your session. This guide shows the arithmetic using clearly labelled examples and a small dated manufacturer-label comparison. It does not choose an hourly carbohydrate target for you or rank products by performance. The purpose is to help you understand a plan you have selected and rehearsed. Your preferred food, drink and format still need to suit the activity and your own circumstances.
Start with the carbohydrate line, not the packet weight
Read the nutrition panel and identify both the carbohydrate amount and its basis. The figure might apply to one sachet, three pieces, a whole packet, 100 grams of powder or 100 millilitres of prepared drink. Write the basis beside the number. Without it, a comparison can be mathematically tidy but answer the wrong question.
Packet weight is not carbohydrate weight. A sachet weighing sixty grams can contain substantially less than sixty grams of carbohydrate because the contents include water and other ingredients. Likewise, a powder scoop has a total mass that should not automatically be entered as carbohydrate. Use the labelled carbohydrate figure for the measured serving you actually prepare.
For drinks, check whether the label describes powder or the finished mixture. If the instructions specify a sachet in a particular volume of water, follow that preparation method. Do not use this comparison to make a drink stronger in pursuit of a smaller carrying volume. The label analyser helps convert prepared-drink figures to a common basis.
Choose a comparison portion without turning it into a target
Thirty grams of carbohydrate is a convenient example for comparison because the arithmetic is easy to follow. It is not a recommendation to consume thirty grams at a particular interval. You could compare twenty, forty or another amount and reach the same relative cost conclusions, provided every product uses the same denominator.
The formula is: comparison carbohydrate divided by carbohydrate per serving equals the number of servings. If a fictional gel contains twenty-five grams, a thirty-gram comparison portion is 1.2 gels. If a fictional drink contains six grams per hundred millilitres, five hundred millilitres supplies thirty grams. Fractions make the comparison fair even when actual packaging cannot be divided neatly.
Keep two columns: theoretical equivalent and practical portion. The first supports price comparison; the second supports packing. You might calculate 1.2 sachets for equal-carbohydrate costing while choosing one or two whole sachets within a wider rehearsed plan. Do not silently round the theoretical figure and then claim the products still supply identical amounts.
Work through a fictional three-format comparison
The following values are invented to demonstrate the method. They are not labels for unnamed real products, and the example prices later in the article are not current retail offers. Replace the numbers with the exact variant and serving size on your own packaging before making a decision.
| Fictional format | Label basis | Carbohydrate on that basis | Equivalent to 30 g carbohydrate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drink A | 100 ml prepared drink | 6 g | 500 ml |
| Gel B | One sachet | 25 g | 1.2 sachets |
| Chews C | Three pieces | 24 g | 3.75 pieces |
For Chews C, each piece supplies eight grams because the three-piece serving contains twenty-four grams. Dividing thirty by eight gives 3.75 pieces. Counting one piece as one full serving would triple the assumed carbohydrate. Check whether a packet contains several servings before entering packet counts into any planner.
The table tells you about quantity, not comfort or effectiveness. Five hundred millilitres of drink and 1.2 gels can represent the same carbohydrate amount while creating different carrying and drinking arrangements. Do not force extra liquid just to make a carbohydrate total work; reconsider how the food and drink components fit together.
Read real labels as dated examples
Manufacturer information checked on 25 September 2026 provides two concrete examples. Science in Sport GO Isotonic Energy Gel lists twenty-two grams of carbohydrate per gel. Maurten Drink Mix 160 lists forty grams of carbohydrate when the sachet is prepared with five hundred millilitres of water. Check your own market, variant and packaging because formulations and instructions can change.
On that basis, thirty grams is approximately 1.36 of the SiS gels, or three quarters of the carbohydrate in the prepared Maurten serving. The latter corresponds to three hundred and seventy-five millilitres if the prepared drink is evenly mixed. This is label arithmetic, not a suggestion to split dry sachets or depart from the manufacturer's preparation instructions.
These examples are included to make serving-size differences concrete. We have not conducted taste, tolerance or performance testing, and the comparison is not an endorsement. A named product's marketing claims are not needed for the arithmetic. Record the label values, preparation directions and check date; evaluate your own practical experience separately.
Separate carbohydrate, fluid, sodium and caffeine
An equal-carbohydrate comparison does not make products equivalent in every other respect. Two portions can contain the same carbohydrate while differing in liquid volume, sodium, caffeine, ingredients and allergens. Put these in separate columns rather than trying to collapse them into a single “better” score. A product useful for one part of your plan might not serve another.
The Australian Institute of Sport's sports gel guidance describes gels as concentrated carbohydrate products with differing formulations. Check the instructions for the particular gel, including whether it should be taken with water. An isotonic claim on one product does not establish the instructions for every sachet on the shelf.
If a product contains caffeine, record that separately and account for other caffeinated food and drinks. Do not substitute a caffeinated version simply because its carbohydrate number matches. Similarly, a sugar-free electrolyte product should not be assumed to provide the carbohydrate in a sports drink. Our sports-drink label guide explains those distinctions in more detail.
Count drink carbohydrate once in the whole-session plan
A common planning error is to work out a gel total and then add a sports drink without counting its carbohydrate. Start with the whole-session amount selected for your plan, subtract carbohydrate from the drink and other food, and only then calculate the remaining gel requirement. The fuel and gel planner follows that order.
For a fictional two-hour session using a self-selected forty-five grams per hour, the total is ninety grams. Five hundred millilitres of Drink A supplies thirty grams, and another planned food supplies ten. That leaves fifty grams, equivalent to two twenty-five-gram Gel B sachets. The numbers demonstrate bookkeeping; they do not establish a suitable target or fluid quantity for an individual runner.
Distinguish packed supplies from consumed supplies. A spare gel belongs in the packing checklist but should not automatically appear in the planned intake total. Afterwards, record what you actually used. This makes the next comparison honest and prevents unused contingency supplies from inflating your estimate of the carbohydrate that felt comfortable during the session.
Compare cost per equal portion and cost per outing
Suppose fictional Gel B costs £1.50 per twenty-five-gram sachet. Its cost per thirty grams of carbohydrate is £1.80: £1.50 divided by twenty-five, multiplied by thirty. If a prepared serving of Drink A supplies thirty grams and costs £0.90, its equal-carbohydrate cost is £0.90. The arithmetic compares only the stated fuel quantity, not all aspects of convenience or suitability.
For multipacks, first divide the amount paid by the usable servings in the pack. Be careful with tubs: the number of servings depends on the measured serving size, not simply the number of scoops you happen to make. Add delivery costs if you want to compare actual purchase totals, and use the same currency throughout.
The fuel cost comparison tool shows both serving cost and equal-carbohydrate cost. Keep a separate estimate of what an outing actually costs using whole portions and the supplies you consume. A theoretical bargain can be poor value if much of a large purchase expires, is disliked or cannot be used within your ordinary routine.
Consider the physical task of using each format
Drinks require accessible containers and a plan for refilling or carrying the prepared volume. Gels require opening the sachet and keeping the wrapper. Chews require taking out an appropriate number of pieces, chewing and storing the remainder. Those actions matter more on a crowded course or technical path than at the kitchen table.
Rehearse each action somewhere safe. Can you open the packaging with cold or wet hands? Does the packet fit back into its pocket? Can you identify the right drink without stopping to inspect identical bottles? Slow down or stop when needed rather than trying to preserve pace at the expense of attention, especially near traffic or uneven ground.
Do not interpret these practical differences as universal rankings. Someone using a bike bottle cage may find a drink straightforward; a runner on a route with reliable water stops may prefer separately carried food. Another person may choose a combination. The useful comparison is between complete workable arrangements for the session, not isolated packets photographed side by side.
Make a repeatable trial rather than a product contest
Pick one question for a trial: whether the packaging is manageable, whether the flavour remains acceptable, or whether the portion count is easy to follow. Keep the rest of the familiar routine reasonably consistent. Changing breakfast, pace, route, drink and gel together makes it difficult to understand what contributed to the experience.
Use a shorter or otherwise appropriate rehearsal and avoid saving a completely new arrangement for a priority event. Record the actual product variant, amount prepared, amount consumed, timing and conditions. Add practical observations in ordinary language, such as “wrapper difficult to open with gloves” or “forgot the second pocket.” Those notes are easier to act on than an unexplained star rating.
The fuelling rehearsal log lets you print or download your notes without creating an account. It is a record of your observations, not a clinical assessment. Persistent or significant symptoms warrant appropriate professional advice; repeatedly changing products is not a substitute for investigating a problem that needs individual attention.
Keep comparison sheets current and specific
Write the full product name and variant, the label date, the portion basis and any preparation instructions on the fuel comparison worksheet. A familiar brand name alone is insufficient when the range includes different carbohydrate quantities or caffeinated options. Photographing your own label can help you check the details later.
Review the sheet when you buy a different package or notice a changed nutrition panel. Do not assume a new scoop, packet size or flavour is identical to the version you used before. Treat online figures as a starting point and the instructions on your actual product as essential information for preparation and storage.
Leave room for practical notes alongside the numbers. Equal-carbohydrate cost answers one useful question, but it does not capture carrying comfort, food preferences or how easily a portion fits your route. A good comparison sheet makes those trade-offs visible without pretending there is a single winning format for every session.
Turn the comparison into a simple packing list
Finish with a list that distinguishes planned portions, backup supplies, drinks and waste storage. Count the whole items you will carry and check that the carbohydrate arithmetic still matches the chosen plan after rounding. If rounding adds more than intended, reconsider the combination rather than hiding the difference behind a precise-looking hourly average.
Put the supplies in the pockets or containers you will actually use and check the order of access. Keep different variants identifiable, particularly where caffeine or allergens matter. Confirm water access and product instructions, then make sure the empty wrappers have somewhere to go. A calculated plan is only useful if its physical arrangement is manageable.
After the outing, note what was left and why. Unused supplies might reflect a sensible backup, an inaccessible pocket or a plan that was too complicated to follow. Use that information to simplify the next version. The comparison has done its job when it helps you understand your choices and rehearse a routine you can repeat.