Science In Sport Beta Fuel Gel Review!

Some of you may have already seen the new science in sport beta fuel gel and wondered what the hype is about, and whether it lives up to the claims that science in sport make.

Others might not have known it was a thing - if that's you, it is a thing.

I’ve been keeping an eye out for this new gel

Science in sport have recently come out with a new beta fuel range including this gel. This gel is meant to have a better nutritional profile than the previous iteration to help you race faster .

First things first as some transparency, I'm not sponsored or affiliated with SIS in any way. There's no profit for me in this. I do use their products because on a personal level I think they're good, but this review aims to give some balance and an unbiased view.

Why did SIS bring out a new gel?

We're not going to go into the murky depths of why you should use a gel during racing, other from saying that carbohydrates are king when it comes to racing performance, and this is a carbohydrate supplement… So, this might help with racing performance.

The beta fuel gel contains a mix of maltodextrin, or glucose, to fructose at a ratio of 1:0.8.

SIS have created this beta fuel gel with the 1:0.8 ratio and this makes it different from the old science in sport beta fuel formula, and it's a very deliberate change which they're making noise about.

They changed the mix to provide maltodextrin and fructose at a 1:0.8 ratio because a 2013 (O’Brien et al.) study showed that the amount of carbohydrates you can absorb and then use is better with this ratio compared to the traditional 2:1 ratio.

Most other companies that use glucose and fructose combinations for their carbohydrate gels use the old 2:1 ratio, so SIS are clearly aiming to provide superior supplements.

The only other company I know of that use the 1:0.8 ratio is none other than Maurten. You know the company who sponsor Jan Frodeno and Eliud Kipchoge.

So the change puts SIS in some good company.

Is the formula worth it?

First things first, I think it probably is a superior formula compared to most other supplements out there for providing carbohydrates when racing. So I believe this helps to provide the maximum amount of carbohydrates when racing, which then helps to fuel your muscles and allow you to race faster.

A good dose of carbs

Each gel contains 40g of carbohydrates and this is another positive in my opinion. You're actually getting quite a reasonable amount of carbs in 1 go, meaning that you don't have to use them that frequently. Depending on your target carb intake aim, you could use just 1 or 2 of these gels every hour.

Given it only takes a moment to slurp down a gel that means more time focused on racing and less time faffing with nutrition.

Although, they can be a bit fiddly and I'll cover that later as that's one of the negatives.

How about the taste?

I think they taste pretty good. I've tried both the orange flavour and the strawberry and lime flavour and think they're both very palatable, meaning I don't mind using them repeatedly. And as I mentioned because they contain more carbs than most gels, you don't actually have to consume as many of them.

They're also batch tested under the informed sport program, meaning that there's a lower likelihood of inadvertent doping when using a product like this. Again, another big plus.

How much do I need to shell out for them?

Cost is actually a positive for them too. The only other supplement that I know of that provide carbs in the same ratio are Maurten gels, and the Maurten gels come out as about £2.60 per serving, while these are £2.

They also contain 15 grams more of carbs per serving - providing 40 grams compared to 25 grams from the Maurten. So you're getting more for your money there too.

Personal experience during the age group European Championships

As a final positive I find that I tolerate these well. I don't get any stomach upset with them and I feel good when I use them. I recently raced at the European AG champs and used these gels for that, and I talk about that in more detail in the video that I've linked at the top of the screen if you're interested.

However this tolerating them point is personal and you'd need to make sure you get on OK with them, but for me - they're good.

Oh so tricky to open…

OK so let's move on to the negatives because we're all about balance here.

Firstly, and this is probably my biggest bugbear with them, is that they're pretty tricky to open.

I wonder if it's just early days since it's a relatively new product, or whether it's because they've made the packaging sturdy and luxurious, but you've really gotta work to open them.

Which means if you're in the zone they're a bit annoying and could ruin your concentration.

However, this isn't a biggie if you're already aware of it. All you need to do is make a light cut with some scissors across the end before your race, and this makes it much easier to open on the go.

I did this for my race in Valencia for the AG Championships and it was fine.

SIS Beta fuel gels are expensive compared to other supplements

Cost is another potential negative.

Now, I know I already listed that and listed it as a positive… And compared to the only supplement I know of that uses carbs in this ratio it is more cost effective.

But it is still a relatively expensive supplement at £2 a go, so it's worth considering this.

Is it something to go for in everyday training? I wouldn't say so, because it's a bit overkill and the cost would rack up.

Most training sessions won't need a supplement like this, and you're better off taking a food first approach and making sure your general dietary quality is good and you eat well before your sessions.

And depending on what your session is you may be just as well served by having something like a banana, oat bar or slightly sugary drink.

Alright, what else is bad about it?

Alright so other negatives...

Actually, I don't have any! I don't have many particularly bad things to say about this because I think it's a great product for racing.

I don't think it's something you need to use everyday, but for race nutrition and helping you perform at your best I think it's a great product.

So, use it and enjoy it!