How To Use Maurten Gels In Your Training

There is a reason Maurten's own ad tells you not to try their gels on race day: the point is to try them first, and often, in training. You have heard the rule a hundred times. Nothing new on race day, from your helmet to your gels. This guide covers how to use Maurten in training so your fueling is dialed in before the start line.

There is no one-size-fits-all fueling plan, but with deliberate testing you can build one that works for you. Maurten gels let triathletes take on high-carb fuel at race intensity while lowering the risk of stomach trouble. In 2023, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Sam Laidlow both fueled World Championship wins with Maurten.

Why Gels Are The Cleanest Fuel

Carbohydrate is the most important fuel for endurance athletes, but there is a catch. "The human body is not designed to digest foods during exercise," says Tobias Christensson, Head of Nutrition at Maurten. Blood goes to your working muscles, not your gut, which lowers how much food and fuel you can tolerate.

That is why gels are one of the best ways to take on carbs. They go down easily, need no chewing or extra fluid, and are light to carry. Maurten was built to refine how those carbs move through the body. "You want them in your intestine, where you have uptake," Christensson explains.

Maurten's Hydrogel Technology, Explained

Maurten's patented Hydrogel Technology has fueled world records and gold medals, so it is proven at the highest level. It uses natural food ingredients, made under precise timing and temperature, to form a structure that behaves like a sponge: tiny pores hold a glucose and fructose blend.

That hydrogel wraps the carbohydrates and protects them from stomach acid, moving them faster to the intestine where they are absorbed. The result is high-carb intake that stays easy on the stomach. It is also clean fuel: just six ingredients, with no colors, no preservatives, and no heavy added flavors.

The Maurten Gel Lineup

Maurten uses a modular system, so you pick the format and carb amount that fits the moment. All three gels use the same Hydrogel Technology and an 0.8:1 fructose-to-glucose blend, which supports uptake of up to 100 grams of carbs per hour.

Train With It, Not Just On Race Day

Training is where fueling really matters. Sports fuel works alongside real food, not as a replacement, and longer or harder sessions lean on it to get carbs through the stomach quickly. The more you train with your race-day products at race intensity, the more you learn about your energy, your gut comfort, and what your body will tolerate.

Maurten Fuel Guides are a good starting point. They show how to fuel for different sessions, from tempo runs to long rides, so you get the most from each workout. Use them as a reference and adjust as you learn how your body responds.

Build Your Plan And Test It

Coaches recommend the same approach as your swim, bike, and run: make a fuel plan, test it in training, and stick to it on race day. Put it together as early as you can in your training block.

"We test our race fuel plan by integrating it into all key workouts in the months leading up to the race," says Susan Kitchen, board-certified nutritionist and IRONMAN Certified Coach. "These workouts simulate race day in either intensity or duration, like long runs, long rides and bricks, tempo runs, and long swims followed by rides."

Start by aiming for about 1 gram of carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight per hour. GEL 100 and GEL 100 CAF 100 each have 25 grams of carbs, and GEL 160 has 40 grams. Track your intake each session to build a picture of what works. Fuel the whole session, especially the long ones. Training should leave you tired, not empty, weak, or nauseous.

Race nutrition is personal, but it does not have to be a mystery. Plan and test your fueling over many sessions with exactly what will be on course, and it will pay off on race day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Maurten is the Official Gel of the IRONMAN Global Series. Visit maurten.com/ironman for exclusive offers.