Expert Guide to Maurten Drink Mix and Gels

Athletes have always struggled to find the perfect way to fuel their bodies and sustain a hard effort during training and racing. Traditional sports drinks are high in sugar, and our gut doesn't tolerate this high concentration very well, which often results in stomach distress.

Maurten's goal was to fill this gap with their revolutionary take on sports fuel. They've harnessed hydrogel technology and developed natural, carbohydrate-rich sports drinks and energy gels that our bodies can actually tolerate and have no stomach distress.

The list of athletes that have used Maurten to propel them to their best performances is nothing short of impressive. On September 16, 2018, Eliud Kipchoge set a new World Record in the marathon, fueling exclusively with Maurten products.

Although Kipchoge holds the world record, he shares the fact that he is fueled by Maurten with many other of the world's top marathoners. The list of names includes those like Des Linden, Galen Rupp, Mary Keitany, and Mo Farah. Maurten is for athletes from all sports, including many Tour de France Teams and Ironman such as Jan Frodeno that swear by Maurten.

How does Maurten Work: The secret is the hydrogel technology

The concept of a hydrogel isn't new, however using it in sports nutrition products is, and it has proven to be revolutionary for fueling.

Hydrogels are widely used in the food industry, often as thickeners and structurants. A hydrogel is a biopolymer- and water-based structure with very small pores. As a three-dimensional network with the ability to hold water, it looks and behaves a bit like a kitchen sponge.

Maurten has found a way to build hydrogels with natural food ingredients and filled the structure with the most efficient source of energy for athletes – carbohydrates. The hydrogels in our sports drinks are built from the combination of two natural ingredients:

• Alginate – extracted from the cell walls of brown algae.
• Pectin – found in apples, lemons, carrots, and tomatoes, to name a few.

These two dietary fibers have been used for decades within the food industry. Combined under precisely the right circumstances, alginate and pectin form a pH-sensitive hydrogel.

What Sets Maurten Apart

The hydrogel technology has provided a unique and revolutionary alternative to traditional sports drinks and fuel. Not only is the technology one of the kind, but the ingredients used in Maurten products are ones that you can feel good about putting in your body.

Maurten has twice the energy - before Maurten Drink Mixes, the upper limit of carb intake was thought to be closer to 60 grams per hour. With the hydrogel technology, Maurten Drink Mix 320 allows athletes to absorb and tolerate nearly twice as many carbs as was previously thought possible.

Maurten has no added flavor – artificial flavors do little to help performance, and can lead to taste fatigue over the course of a grueling race. Maurten products have a slightly sweet taste, but absolutely no added flavors.

Maurten is Clean – no added colorants or preservatives. Maurten sports drinks contain only natural ingredients. Nothing more and nothing less than what’s needed, so it's a source of clean-burning fuel you can feel good about.

Maurten Gels that don't require water - Most Gels are actually more of sugary syrup, but Maurten's Gels use their hydrogel technology that encapsulates water, sodium, and carbohydrates. So unlike regular gels, Maurten Gels do not need you to sip water when you take them.

Maurten Drink Mix 160 and 320

Maurten is different than any other sports drink you have mixed where you could adjust the concentration to adjust things like flavor. Maurten Drink Mixes need to mixed with a precise amount of water so the Hydrogel properly forms if you don't mix them properly the hydrogel my not form a complete "gel" and you could get stomach distress.

Maurten has created the most innovative new sports drink in the last ten years. Mix the Drink Mix with exactly 500ml / 17 oz of water, and you’ll have a liquid sports drink containing high concentrations of carbohydrates. The drink instantly converts to hydrogel once it hits the acidity of the stomach, encapsulating the carbohydrates.

The hydrogel then enables a smooth transportation of the sports to drink through the stomach to the intestine where the water, salt, and carbohydrates are absorbed. This allows for perfectly timed delivery of carbs and electrolytes to keep you hydrated and fueled without stomach distress.

They currently have two drink mixes on the market. Here is how they compare:

• Maurten Drink Mix 160: 160 calories, 40g of carbohydrate, 400 mg sodium
• Maurten Drink Mix 320: 320 calories, 80g of carbohydrate, 500 mg sodium

The Maurten Drink Mix 160 is better for lower intensity efforts, or for using in conjunction with other food, gels, or chews. You can also use two bottles of Drink Mix 160 to give you the same carbohydrates as the Drink Mix 320, so you can get twice the hydration for the same amount of energy. This makes Maurten 160 perfect for hot events or when you have heavy perspiration.

The Maurten Drink Mix 320 is a great option for more sustained, higher intensity efforts during which you need more fuel. With marathons or long bike races, it can be difficult to eat food or open a package of chews or gels. The 320 is also a great option for fuel because it is much easier to simply drink from a water bottle in those cases.

• Mix one packet in 17 oz (500mL) of water. This is key! If you have too much or too little water, the Maurten Hydrogel won't form properly.
• Don't Gulp. Sip every 10 to 15 minutes while training.
• Aim for one bottle every 60-90 minutes during activity. You can also drink one bottle 1-2 hours before an event to top off energy stores and

• Use 500ml of water or 17oz. NOT MORE. If you need to use slightly less that is fine, for example, 400ml of water would be fine, but above 500ml of water should never be mixed. Remember most water bottles are now 21 oz, so that is too much water if you were to fill the bottle to the top.
• Almost all water is fine, and tap water is usually better than fancy mineral water. You want your water to have less than 40mg of Calcium / Liter or it might interfere with the hydrogel-forming. I have no idea how you would measure that, but it has only been when people have used high mineral content bottled water that we have seen issues.
• Shake your bottle for 30 seconds then let sit for 2 minutes prior to using. It takes longer for Maurten to fully mix compared to other sports drinks, but rest assured it will mix.

• If you want to mix a larger quantity than 500ML of Maurten for a Hydration Pack or to fill 24ml bottles, mix 3 packets with 1.5L of water. Then once it is fully mixed you can pour into your hydration pack or later water bottles.
• If you want to create a concentration that is 60g of carbs and 240 calories per 500ml, you can mix 1x Maurten Drink Mix 160 and 1x Maurten Drink Mix 320 and 1L of water.
• You can mix Maurten the night before your event and it will be fine the next day.

Maurten Drink mixes have only 5 ingredients, Maltodextrin, Fructose, Pectin, Sodium Alginate, and Sodium Chloride.

Maurten Gel 100

The Maurten Gel 100 is a hydrogel – a biopolymer matrix that holds carbohydrates. It relies on the same concept as Maurten Drink Mixes where the hydrogel technology enables a smoother transportation of carbohydrates through the stomach to the intestine where the carbohydrates are absorbed.

From a technical perspective, traditional gels are water and carbohydrates simply mixed into syrups, often containing added flavors, colors, and preservatives. The GEL 100 is completely different because it’s a biopolymer matrix filled with a unique blend of fructose and glucose (ratio of 0.8:1) which enables uptakes of up to 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

The Maurten GEL 100 is built by harnessing natural hydrogel technology and contains only six natural ingredients. It doesn’t contain any colorants or preservatives and comes in 40g servings that contain 60% carbohydrates – a high weight to energy ratio.

While the hydrogel is formed in the acidity of the stomach for the drink mixes, the GEL 100 is a hydrogel formed in production, by combining sodium alginate and calcium carbonate under exact conditions.

This is one of the most innovative gels on the market. Maurten Gel is unlike all others in that it's consistency more closely resembles that of gel, rather than sugary syrup, and it does not require water to be consumed with it. This gel, like the drink mix, doesn't have a flavor, so it's easy to wash down with water or sports drink without feeling overwhelmed by a sweet flavor.

• These can be used for fuel before or during a race workout, or to replenish energy stores afterward
• Have one gel 30 minutes before the start of a race or workout, and an additional gel every 30-45 minutes during activity

Maurten Caffeinated Gel: Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100

This the hottest new product in sports nutrition. Just when we thought Maurten couldn't top their innovative sports nutrition products, they added caffeine to their wildly popular GEL 100, created Maurten's First Caffeinated Gel. 

This new Maurten Gel 100 Caf 100 will deliver you 25g of carbs, 100mg of Caffeine, and also have 22g of Sodium for added electrolytes. Plus, Maurten 's Hydrogel Technology enables you to consume up to 100g of carbs per hour without stomach distress.

There are only 6 ingredients: Water, Glucose, Fructose, Calcium Carbonate, Gluconic Acid, and Sodium Alginate. That's it! No artificial flavors, color or additives like other gels, that are more like sugary syrup.

Maurten Gel 100 is one of the most innovative gels on the market. It's unlike all others in that its consistency more closely resembles that of gel (like Jello), rather than sugary syrup, and it does not require water to be consumed with it. This gel, like the drink mix, doesn't have a flavor it is just slightly sweet, so it's easy to get down without feeling overwhelmed by a sweet flavor.

Caffeine is the most popular (and legal) performance booster that is used across almost all sports. Caffeine can increase the strength of muscle contractions, lower perceived effort, and ward off mental and physical fatigue to name just a few of its benefits.

What's cool about Maurten's Gel 100 Caf 100

Caffeine is notorious for its bitter taste, so most companies have to use too little caffeine (25mg) to be effective or they have to add artificial flavors and acids to hide the bitterness. But added artificial flavors won't help you go faster.

Maurten has spent over 2 years developing their new caffeinated gel and using their Hydrogel Technology they have been able to encapsulate both the caffeine and carbohydrates so you get a true GEL with low bitterness, low sweetness, and an effective level of caffeine and a lot of energy.

What are the ingredients in Maurten Gel?

Maurten Gel 100 contains Water, Glucose, Fructose, Calcium Carbonate, Gluconic Acid, and Sodium Alginate.

Are Maurten Products Vegan?

Yes. All Maurten Products are Vegan.

Why buy Maurten at The Feed?

We were the first retailer to sell Maurten. We work every week with Maurten's team in Sweden on product feedback and creating fueling plans for athletes. We have more practical experience helping athletes use Maurten than anyone else in the world. Plus you can't buy Maurten only at Amazon or Walmart, only at The Feed.