Maurten describes itself as a sports nutrition company that combines research-driven product development with athlete feedback. Its central proposition is that athletic performance can be limited by an individual’s ability to consume and tolerate sufficient fuel during exercise. Consequently, Maurten focuses heavily on fuel delivery and gastrointestinal tolerance rather than simply producing conventional energy gels or sports drinks.

The defining feature of the brand is its Hydrogel Technology. In simple terms, Maurten attempts to transform carbohydrate sports fuel into a form that is easier for the athlete’s stomach to handle. This is particularly relevant in long-distance events; as exercise intensity increases, many athletes find it increasingly difficult to consume large amounts of carbohydrate without experiencing gastrointestinal discomfort.

Maurten emerged from Sweden’s sports science and nutrition environment with the objective of addressing a specific endurance sport problem: how athletes can consume large quantities of carbohydrate during exercise without overwhelming the gastrointestinal system.

Rather than competing primarily on flavour, branding, or conventional sports drink formulations, Maurten built its identity around a technology-first approach. The company’s innovation centres on the interaction between carbohydrates and a hydrogel structure. The resulting products became particularly associated with elite endurance athletes and marathon performance, helping transform Maurten from a niche sports fuel concept into an internationally recognised endurance nutrition brand.

Maurten now describes its products as a fueling system rather than simply a collection of individual energy products. Its official education materials encourage athletes to combine products according to their specific carbohydrate requirements.[1]

Hydrogel Technology is the foundation of the Maurten brand. A hydrogel is essentially a water-containing gel structure. Maurten uses ingredients such as sodium alginate, pectin, gluconic acid, and calcium carbonate to create its characteristic gel structure around carbohydrate-containing formulations.[1]

How it works

With Maurten’s Drink Mix, the athlete first consumes the product as a liquid. According to Maurten, when the drink reaches the acidic environment of the stomach, it forms a hydrogel that encapsulates the carbohydrate. The company states this allows the carbohydrate to pass through the stomach towards the intestine for absorption.[1]

The concept can be simplified as: Drink → stomach acid → hydrogel formation → carbohydrate delivery → absorption.

With pre-formed gels, such as Gel 100, the hydrogel structure is already present when the athlete consumes the product.

Why this matters

Traditional sports nutrition can create several challenges during hard endurance exercise:

• Large quantities of carbohydrate can be difficult to consume.
• Highly concentrated drinks can feel uncomfortable.
• Sweetness and strong flavours can become unpleasant during long events.
• Some athletes experience gastrointestinal distress.
• Drinking large amounts of fluid can create a sensation of stomach “sloshing”.

Maurten’s product design attempts to address these issues through its formulation and hydrogel structure. Its Drink Mix, for example, is designed to become a hydrogel in the stomach rather than simply remaining a conventional carbohydrate drink.[1]

Important distinction: Hydrogel Technology does not mean that carbohydrate bypasses digestion or that gastrointestinal problems are impossible. Maurten’s technology is a formulation approach intended to facilitate fuel delivery and tolerance; individual responses vary.

Maurten’s portfolio has expanded considerably beyond the original gel concept.

Maurten Gel

The Gel range is arguably the company’s most recognisable product family.

Gel 100

Gel 100 provides:

• 25 g carbohydrate
• Approximately 100 kcal
• A 0.8:1 fructose-to-glucose carbohydrate ratio
• Hydrogel formulation
• No added colours
• No added flavours
• No added preservatives

It is designed to provide a relatively small, standardised carbohydrate dose that athletes can consume repeatedly during training or competition.[1]

Gel 100 Caf 100

This is the caffeinated version:

• 25 g carbohydrate
• 100 mg caffeine
• Approximately 100 kcal
• Hydrogel formulation

Maurten states that 100 mg of caffeine is approximately equivalent to around 1.5 espresso shots or a cup of brewed coffee, although actual caffeine content varies among coffee preparations.[1]

Gel 160

Gel 160 increases the carbohydrate dose to:

• 40 g carbohydrate
• Approximately 160 kcal

This product is aimed at athletes who require a larger carbohydrate dose per serving.

Maurten Drink Mix

The Drink Mix range is another major pillar of the brand. Instead of eating a gel, the athlete mixes the powder with water.

Drink Mix 160

When mixed with 500 ml of water, Drink Mix 160 provides:

• 40 g carbohydrate
• Hydration from the accompanying fluid
• Hydrogel Technology

It is positioned towards longer or lower-intensity training and racing.

Drink Mix 320

Drink Mix 320 provides:

• 80 g carbohydrate
• Per 500 ml of water

This is particularly relevant to athletes pursuing high carbohydrate intake during demanding endurance events.

Drink Mix 320 Caf 100

The caffeinated version combines:

• 80 g carbohydrate
• 100 mg caffeine
• 500 ml water

This offers athletes a method of combining carbohydrate and caffeine within a single bottle.

Solid

Maurten has also moved beyond liquid and gel formats with its Solid products. Solid is essentially an oat-based carbohydrate food designed to provide an alternative texture and format to gels and drinks. Current Maurten training collections include Solid products alongside Drink Mixes and Gels.

This is strategically important because athletes do not necessarily want to consume the same texture continuously for several hours. A long race might therefore involve a rotation such as Drink Mix → Gel → water → Solid → Gel → Drink Mix, rather than relying exclusively on gels.

Bicarb System

Maurten’s portfolio also includes the Bicarb System, which differs from its standard carbohydrate products. It is based around sodium bicarbonate, a substance used in sports nutrition because bicarbonate can influence the body’s acid-base buffering system during intense exercise. This product represents Maurten’s expansion from basic carbohydrate fueling towards broader performance nutrition.

Caffeine

Caffeine is integrated into selected Maurten products rather than being treated as a separate supplement category. Examples include Gel 100 Caf 100, Drink Mix 320 Caf 100, and Solid C products. Maurten emphasises that caffeine’s effects are individual and that dosage and timing matter. Its guidance specifically notes that caffeine response varies between people.

A significant aspect of Maurten is that the company does not simply sell products individually; it presents them as a modular fueling system.

Maurten’s fuel-planning materials encourage athletes to combine these products to reach their desired carbohydrate intake.[1] This is a major part of the brand’s identity. The philosophy is less “Take this energy gel” and more “Build a fueling strategy”.

Another distinctive characteristic of Maurten is its minimalist approach to ingredients. The company emphasises that its products generally contain no added colours, flavours, or preservatives.

For example, Gel 100 is made from a relatively short ingredient list including water, glucose, fructose, sodium alginate, gluconic acid, and calcium carbonate. Gel 100 Caf 100 adds caffeine.[1] This contributes to the brand’s distinctive taste and texture. Maurten products are not generally designed to taste like fruit juice or confectionery; the philosophy prioritises function first, minimal sensory distractions, and performance-focused formulation.

Maurten Gels are visually and texturally different from conventional syrup-like energy gels. The company describes Gel 100 as having a firm gel structure rather than a syrupy consistency.

This produces a characteristic experience:

• Mild taste
• Relatively neutral flavour
• Firm texture
• Little of the intense sweetness associated with flavoured gels
• No requirement to drink water specifically to swallow the gel

Maurten nevertheless emphasises that hydration remains important, even when using its gels.

Maurten’s popularity is closely connected to a fundamental development in endurance sports: the rise of high-carbohydrate fueling. Modern endurance athletes increasingly pay attention to how much carbohydrate they can consume per hour.

During a marathon, Ironman, long cycling race, or ultra-endurance event, athletes are not simply trying to avoid hunger. They are attempting to maintain a steady supply of usable carbohydrate while continuing to exercise at a high intensity. This makes the gut an important performance limitation. An athlete may have sufficient fitness and muscle capacity to continue, but if they cannot comfortably consume enough carbohydrate, their performance can deteriorate. Maurten’s brand is effectively built around solving this problem.

Maurten has developed a particularly strong presence in elite endurance sports. The company identifies major events and organisations in running, cycling, and triathlon among its partners, including races such as:

• Boston Marathon
• Berlin Marathon
• New York City Marathon
• Chicago Marathon
• IRONMAN
• T100 World Series
• L’Étape du Tour de France

Maurten describes itself as an official nutrition partner of major endurance events, meaning its products can be available as on-course fueling at selected races. This visibility has been extremely important to the brand. Rather than relying primarily on traditional advertising, Maurten has become strongly associated with elite athletes and major endurance performances.

Maurten occupies a somewhat unusual position in sports nutrition. Historically, most sports nutrition brands emphasised flavour, variety, bright colours, lifestyle branding, and convenience. Maurten instead emphasises science, technology, performance, minimalism, precision, and athlete education.

Its packaging is consequently very recognisable: predominantly white, black, and minimalist, with large numerical identifiers such as 100, 160, and 320. These numbers are not arbitrary product names; they communicate the approximate energy content of the product:

• 100 ≈ 100 kcal / 25 g carbohydrate
• 160 ≈ 160 kcal / 40 g carbohydrate
• 320 ≈ 320 kcal / 80 g carbohydrate

Maurten explicitly explains that the numbering system is based on carbohydrate energy, with approximately 4 kcal per gram of carbohydrate.

Maurten’s primary market is endurance athletes.

Core users

• Marathon runners
• Half-marathon runners
• Ultra runners
• Triathletes
• Road cyclists
• Gravel cyclists
• Professional endurance athletes
• Serious amateur athletes

Secondary users

The products can also appeal to recreational runners, gym users performing prolonged exercise, adventure athletes, and athletes participating in long training sessions. However, Maurten’s strongest brand association remains endurance competition.

A simplified comparison looks like this:

It is important to note that Maurten did not invent the idea of carbohydrate gels; energy gels existed long before Maurten. Its major differentiation is the hydrogel formulation and the way it has packaged that technology into an entire fueling philosophy.

Research is central to Maurten’s marketing and product development identity. The company’s positioning is essentially: sports science + formulation technology + athlete feedback.

Its education platform contains extensive guidance on carbohydrate fueling, caffeine, training nutrition, and race preparation. It also emphasises that athletes should practice their fueling strategy during training rather than experimenting for the first time on race day. This idea is particularly important because gastrointestinal tolerance can itself be trained.

If the entire brand had to be summarised into five characteristics, they would be:

1. Hydrogel Technology

The defining technological feature.

2. High carbohydrate concentration

Products are designed to make relatively large quantities of carbohydrate practical during endurance exercise.

3. Minimalist formulation

The brand avoids unnecessary colours, flavours, and preservatives in many of its products.

4. Modular fueling

Gels, drinks, and solid foods can be combined to construct an individualised fueling strategy.

5. Elite-endurance association

Maurten has become strongly connected with major marathons, triathlon, and cycling events.

Despite its popularity, Maurten is not a magic performance product. Several important caveats apply.

Hydrogel does not eliminate GI problems

Individual gastrointestinal responses differ. A product that works extremely well for one athlete may not work as well for another.

It can be expensive

Maurten’s products generally occupy the premium end of the sports nutrition market. The company’s current U.S. shop, for example, lists Gel 100 and Gel 100 Caf 100 at substantially higher prices per 100 g than many conventional carbohydrate products.

You don’t necessarily need Maurten

The fundamental nutritional requirement—carbohydrate during prolonged exercise—can be met through many different foods and sports fuel products. Maurten’s advantage is its particular formulation, convenience, consistency, and athlete-oriented system.

Not every workout requires sports fuel

Maurten itself notes that athletes do not need to fuel every training session with large quantities of carbohydrate. Lower-intensity, conversational sessions generally create a different fueling demand from hard or prolonged workouts.

Maurten is significant because it represents a broader shift in endurance nutrition. Older endurance nutrition thinking often centred around the idea of eating and drinking enough to avoid running out of energy. Modern sports nutrition increasingly asks: “How much carbohydrate can I consume, at what concentration and at what rate, while maintaining performance and gastrointestinal comfort?”

Maurten has positioned itself directly in that second conversation. Its brand therefore sits at the intersection of sports science, carbohydrate metabolism, gastrointestinal tolerance, product engineering, and elite endurance sport.

Maurten is a Swedish endurance-sports nutrition company built around Hydrogel Technology, best known for its minimalist carbohydrate gels and drink mixes designed to help athletes consume substantial amounts of fuel during prolonged, high-intensity exercise.[1]

The Maurten ecosystem at a glance

• Core technology: Hydrogel Technology
• Main fuel: Carbohydrate
• Main formats: Gel + Drink Mix + Solid
• Performance additions: Caffeine + Bicarbonate
• Primary sports: Running + Cycling + Triathlon
• Brand philosophy: Research-driven + minimalist + performance-focused
• Core problem it tries to solve: How can an endurance athlete consume enough fuel to sustain performance without making fueling itself a major gastrointestinal problem?

1. Fueling Basics / Maurten