- Hydrogel sports drinks (like Maurten Drink Mix) do not offer performance advantages or reduce gastrointestinal distress better than traditional sports drinks for moderate endurance exercise, according to a new study.
- The specially-formulated hydrogel sports drink may still be superior to other carb beverages for prolonged high-intensity efforts like elite-level marathon races, but that research has not been done.
For the past few years, top elite distance runners such as Desiree Linden, Eliud Kipoche, and Galen Rupp have sworn by Maurten, a “hydrogel” energy drink that is high in carbs and reportedly very easy on the gut. It’s been used by so many elite runners, including those in the Breaking2 and INEOS 1:59 marathon projects, the company deems it the “world’s fastest sports fuel.”
But now, researchers say “not so fast” with that marketing moniker. According to a new study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, this intricately engineered sports drink does not speed up carbohydrate delivery to the muscles, reduce GI distress, or improve performance any better than traditional sports drinks for moderate aerobic exercise lasting more than an hour.
The premise behind the product is that its two gelling ingredients, pectin and sodium alginate, react with the acidity in your stomach to form a hydrogel, which encapsulates the drink’s carbohydrates. Hidden in this bubble, the carbs can pass by the sensors in your gut, which would usually hit the brakes to slow them down, and they can shuttle into the intestines where the gel dissolves, freeing the carbs to be transported into circulation, delivering more carbs (a.k.a. fuel) to your muscles in less time without the risk of GI upset.
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Previous research has shown that Maurten does indeed empty out of the stomach faster than regular carb drinks: 21.2 minutes compared to 36.3 minutes for 8.5 ounces in a study presented at The American College of Sports Medicine last year.
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But how much better it works for exercise performance remains scientifically unproven. The latest paper is a review of six studies, including 61 well-trained runners, cyclists, and cross-country skiers exercising for more than an hour while drinking either hydrogel drinks or standard sports beverages. In the end, there was no clear advantage for the hydrogel drink in terms of GI distress, carbohydrate delivery, or performance.
It’s important to note that these are lab studies that generally include a long warm up and/or steady state aerobic exercise along with some high-intensity efforts. They in no way mimic the demands of a two-hour marathon.
And no one is saying Maurten “doesn’t work.” With 80 grams of carbs per bottle, it clearly fuels endurance exercise, and it is good enough that top marathoners will use it without endorsement deals.
The researchers acknowledge that it may still prove superior for those grueling competitive marathon efforts where GI issues are more prevalent and carbohydrate absorption is more greatly impaired. It just hasn’t yet been tested under conditions that demand high rates of carb intake during prolonged high-intensity exercise.
For now, if it works for you and you don’t mind the price tag (at $48 for 14 servings, Maurten costs more than twice as much as other drinks), then there’s no harm in using it. The rest of us everyday runners churning out training miles can save some money—a simple, less expensive sports drink will do.
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