Maurten Alternative: 5 Gels That Match or Beat the Premium Hydrogel

TL;DR: Maurten Gel 100 has excellent gut tolerance, but it costs more than double a GU or SiS gel, comes in few flavors, and isn’t always in stock at your local store. If you’re looking for an alternative, there are five paths: the cheapest and easiest to find (GU), the one that needs no water (SiS), the Spanish brand with a liquid texture that matches its carb density (Santa Madre), the electrolyte complement (226ERS) — or, the cheapest of all, making your own gel at home.

Why people search for Maurten alternatives

Maurten Gel 100 runs about €3.30/unit (€39.90 for a box of 12), versus €1.20-1.80/unit for most conventional gels. Its hydrogel technology is real and it works, but three complaints keep coming up from people looking for a substitute:

• Price. In a 100-mile ultra with 15-20 gels, the difference against GU or SiS shows up in your wallet.
• Few flavors. Maurten leans neutral-flavored; if you get sick of sweet by hour 8, you don’t have many variants to rotate through.
• Availability. It’s not always on the shelf at your local sports store — a lot of runners only buy it online, which makes last-minute restocking before a race harder.

None of these alternatives exactly replicate Maurten’s patented hydrogel technology, but they all solve the real problem: finishing well-fueled without paying a premium.

The 5 alternatives, compared

1. GU Energy Gel Original — cheapest and easiest to find

21g of carbs, with amino acids and electrolytes already in the formula. It’s the most widely distributed gel at big-race aid stations, so if you run out, it’s the one you’re most likely to find or borrow.

Choose GU if: price and availability are your priority, and your stomach handles conventional gels fine (you don’t need hydrogel).

View GU Energy Gel on Amazon →(opens in a new tab)

2. SiS GO Isotonic Gel — the one that needs no water

An isotonic formula meant to be taken straight, no dilution needed. Useful in hot races or when you’re not confident there’ll be enough water at the next aid station.

Choose SiS if: you race in hot climates or events with sparse aid stations, and want a lighter texture than a thick gel.

View SiS GO Isotonic Gel on Amazon →(opens in a new tab)

3. Santa Madre Unusual Gel 45CHO Caffeine Free — the Spanish liquid-texture option

A Spanish brand with a deliberately liquid, non-gelatinous texture that many runners describe as easier to swallow than a thick gel. With 45g of carbs in a 1:1 glucose:fructose ratio, it gets close to a Maurten 160’s carb density without the price tag.

Choose Santa Madre 45CHO if: you want more carbs per unit than a conventional gel, no caffeine, and want to back a Spanish brand.

View Santa Madre 45CHO on Amazon →(opens in a new tab)

4. Santa Madre Unusual Fuel 100CHO With Caffeine — the highest energy density

100g of carbs in a single 106g format, with caffeine and the same 1:1 glucose:fructose ratio. It’s the most direct alternative to a Maurten Gel 160 if you’re training a 90g+ carbs-per-hour strategy for high-intensity ultras.

Choose Santa Madre 100CHO if: you race under 10-12 hours and need maximum carb load with the fewest possible takes.

View Santa Madre 100CHO on Amazon →(opens in a new tab)

5. 226ERS Sub9 Salts — the complement, not the substitute

226ERS Sub9 doesn’t replace Maurten’s carbs, but it solves the other half of the problem Maurten doesn’t cover: sodium. 250mg of sodium per capsule, zero calories, to stack on top of any of the alternatives above without changing your carb dose.

Choose 226ERS Sub9 if: you’ve already solved carbs with any of the options above and need electrolyte coverage in hot races.

View 226ERS Sub9 Salts on Amazon →(opens in a new tab)

The cheapest alternative of all: make your own gel

If price is what’s pushing you away from Maurten, there’s one option neither GU nor Santa Madre can match: mixing your own gel at home with maltodextrin and fructose in a 2:1 ratio — the same combination premium gels use to push from 60g up to 80-90g of carbs per hour without gut distress. Cost per serving drops drastically versus any commercial sachet, and you control concentration and flavor yourself.

We break down the exact recipe, the per-serving savings math, and what equipment you need in our homemade maltodextrin gel guide.

Comparison table

When Maurten is still the right call

If you’ve tried conventional gels and they upset your stomach past hour 6-8, Maurten’s hydrogel technology solves a real problem that none of these alternatives exactly replicate. In ultras beyond 12-15 hours, where the gut is more compromised, it remains the safest option for someone who already knows they have that issue. For everything else — price, flavor, availability, or just trying something different — any of the five alternatives above fills the gap.

To see these gels alongside the rest of your race nutrition (bars, electrolytes, recovery), check our full ultra trail gels and nutrition comparison.