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Energy gel comparison: UCAN EDGE vs Maurten Gel 100, SiS Beta Fuel and GU Roctane
This energy gel comparison puts four gels Australian endurance athletes shortlist most often side by side: UCAN EDGE, Maurten Gel 100, SiS Beta Fuel and GU Roctane. None of them is the best gel. Each one is the best gel for a specific athlete, and the job of this page is to tell you which athlete you are.
Every figure below comes from the brand's own label or published product information, with the basis listed at the bottom of the page. Where a brand publishes a range across flavours, the range is shown. We sell UCAN, so the cases where EDGE is the wrong choice are written out in full. A comparison that only flatters one product is an advert.
The short version: who wins what
- Most carbohydrate per gel: SiS Beta Fuel, 40 g. Nothing else is close.
- Deepest elite marathon record: Maurten Gel 100.
- Sodium, amino acids and caffeine in one gel: GU Roctane.
- 0 g sugar: UCAN EDGE. The only one of the four.
- Most sodium per gel: UCAN EDGE + Electrolyte, 200 mg.
- No water needed, thin texture: UCAN EDGE and Maurten.
- Fewest gels per hour: UCAN EDGE, 1 every 45 to 60 minutes.
Energy gel comparison table: nutrition per gel
| Per gel | UCAN EDGE Original | Maurten Gel 100 | SiS Beta Fuel | GU Roctane |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pouch | 53 g, thin liquid | 40 g, hydrogel | 60 ml, thin gel | 32 g, thick gel |
| Energy | 70 kcal | 100 kcal | 160 kcal | 100 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 19 g | 25 g | 40 g | 19 to 21 g |
| Sugars | 0 g | 25 g | 19 g | 6 to 7 g |
| Carbohydrate source | LIVSTEADY non-GMO corn starch | Glucose and fructose | Maltodextrin and fructose, 1:0.8 | Maltodextrin and fructose |
| Sodium | 50 mg 200 mg in EDGE + Electrolyte | 20 mg on the US label AU label lists 85 mg salt | 30 mg salt sodium not listed | 125 mg 180 mg in 2 flavours |
| Caffeine | 0 mg 45 mg in EDGE + Caffeine | 0 mg 100 mg in Gel 100 CAF 100 | 0 mg caffeine in Nootropics version | 0 to 70 mg 35 mg in most flavours |
| Brand guidance, during activity | 1 every 45 to 60 min | Up to 4 an hour | 2 to 3 an hour for 80 to 120 g | 1 every 45 min |
| Needs a water chaser | No | No | No | Easier with water |
| Price per gel, AUD* | $6.24 to $6.66 box of 12 | $5.20 single | $4.83 box of 6 | $5.25 single |
*Prices observed on 20 October 2026 at Australian online retailers, converted to a per gel figure from the pack size shown. Prices change with promotions, stock and flavour, so treat them as a guide and check the live price before you buy. Nutrition figures are per single gel as published by each brand at the same date. Formulations change, so confirm against the pack in your hand before race day.
The UCAN EDGE range: 3 formulas, 3 jobs
The table above uses EDGE Original because it is the formula most people mean when they say UCAN gel. There are 2 others, and one of them changes the carbohydrate conversation.
EDGE Original
19 g carbohydrate, 0 g sugar, 50 mg sodium, 70 kcal.
The everyday training and race gel. Strawberry Banana, Orange Mango, Pineapple, Unflavoured.
EDGE + Electrolyte
20 g carbohydrate, 0 g sugar, 200 mg sodium, 90 mg potassium, 20 mg magnesium, 80 kcal.
The humid race gel. More sodium per gel than any of the other 3 brands. Cherry, Citrus, Lemon Lime, Strawberry Kiwi.
EDGE + Caffeine, Mixed Berry
34 g carbohydrate, 0 g sugar, 30 mg sodium, 45 mg caffeine from green tea extract, 100 kcal.
The high carbohydrate UCAN gel. 34 g is more than Maurten or GU Roctane carry, with 0 g sugar. Only SiS Beta Fuel carries more.
What each brand does better than the others
These 4 gels are not competing for the same athlete. Each one was built around a different idea of what goes wrong late in a race, and each idea is right for somebody.
Maurten Gel 100
The idea: make sugar sit better by wrapping glucose and fructose in a hydrogel. Neutral taste, compact 40 g pouch, no water needed.
Best for: athletes who want the gel with the deepest record at the front of major marathons, and who are put off by flavour late in a race.
The trade: every gram of carbohydrate is sugar, 25 g per gel, and the brand guidance runs to 4 gels an hour.
SiS Beta Fuel
The idea: get as much carbohydrate into one pouch as the gut can absorb, using a 1:0.8 maltodextrin to fructose ratio. 40 g per gel.
Best for: athletes chasing 80 to 120 g an hour who have trained their gut to hold it. For that target, nothing on this page is more efficient.
The trade: 19 g of sugar and 160 kcal per gel, and almost no sodium, so you need a separate electrolyte source.
GU Roctane
The idea: put everything in one pouch. 21 g carbohydrate, 125 mg sodium, 1,425 mg amino acids and caffeine in most flavours.
Best for: athletes who want sodium and caffeine built in, a wide flavour range, and a gel they can find at almost any running store in Australia.
The trade: the thickest texture of the four, so it goes down better with water.
UCAN EDGE
The idea: take sugar out of the equation. Carbohydrate comes from LIVSTEADY, a single source corn starch, so the pouch carries 0 g sugar and 1 gel covers 45 to 60 minutes.
Best for: athletes for whom sugar based gels have not sat well, athl
Know more about our gel
What is the best energy gel for runners who get stomach problems?
Runners who react badly to gels usually react to the volume of sugar rather than the gel itself. A standard high carbohydrate gel delivers 19 to 24 g of sugar per serve, and three per hour means 60 g or more. UCAN EDGE contains 0 g of sugar and 19 g of carbohydrate from LIVSTEADY, a single source complex carbohydrate. Test any gel on a long run at race pace before you use it in a race.
Can you take UCAN EDGE without water?
Yes. UCAN EDGE has a thin consistency and does not need a water chaser, which makes it usable between drink stations. The pouch is larger than a Maurten or GU sachet, so check it fits your race belt or shorts pocket before race day.
Do UCAN EDGE gels contain electrolytes?
Standard UCAN EDGE contains 50 mg of sodium per serve. UCAN EDGE + Electrolyte contains 200 mg of sodium and a five electrolyte profile at 20 g of carbohydrate, which suits hot and humid racing. For higher sodium loads, UCAN Hydrate delivers 300 mg of sodium per serve and mixes into a bottle.
