How much sodium is in a gel?

It varies by a factor of nearly fifty across the products on this page. SIS GO Isotonic works out at about 4 mg per gel, Maurten GEL 100 is 20 mg, and GU Roctane in Salted Lime is 190 mg. Anyone treating gels as an electrolyte source is relying on an assumption the labels do not support - most gels are carbohydrate delivery and very little else.

Why do European and American labels look so different?

European labels declare salt, American labels declare sodium. They are not the same number: sodium is salt divided by 2.5. A gel showing 0.05 g of salt contains about 20 mg of sodium, which looks alarming on one label and negligible on the other. Every converted figure on this page is marked as derived.

Does sodium really change between flavours of the same product?

Yes, and by more than people expect. GU Roctane is 190 mg in Salted Lime and 125 mg in Vanilla Orange with identical carbohydrate and caffeine. Clif BLOKS is 50 mg for most flavours but 100 mg for Salted Watermelon and Margarita. Torq gels are caffeine-free except four Guarana flavours at 89 mg each. Check the flavour you are actually carrying.

How many gels do I need for an Ironman?

Work from grams, not gels, because a gel is not a fixed unit. At 80 g of carbohydrate an hour over eleven hours you need about 880 g. That is thirty-five Maurten GEL 100 sachets if you take everything as gel, or roughly eleven bottles of DRINK MIX 320, or any mix in between. The planner above does the arithmetic on the products you actually carry.

Can I mix brands during a race?

Yes, and most people do, but check two things. First, total fructose: mixing several high-carbohydrate products can push you past what your gut has trained for. Second, caffeine, which stacks quickly - two SIS Beta Fuel Nootropics gels alone are 400 mg. The planner flags a total above 400 mg.

Nutrition

Triathlon Nutrition Products Compared

Forty-four gels, drink mixes, chews, tablets and bars, with carbohydrate, sodium and caffeine read from the manufacturers' own nutrition panels. Serving units are stated on every row, because they are not interchangeable and that is where most fuelling plans go wrong.

Build a fuelling plan

Pick what you actually carry and how many servings. Every figure comes from the manufacturer's own label, so the totals are real rather than rounded marketing numbers.

Race duration (hours)Target carbohydrate (g per hour)

ProductServings

One serving is 1 sachet (40 g) — 25 g carbohydrate, 20 mg sodium. Label

ProductServings

One serving is 1 sachet (20 g) made to 500 ml — 17 g carbohydrate, 500 mg (salt 1.25 g; 1,000 mg/L stated) sodium. LabelThis is what IRONMAN serves on course in 2026, pre-mixed - bottles on the bike, cups on the run.

Carbohydrate

251 g

50 g/hour

Sodium

1660 mg

332 mg/hour

Caffeine

0 mg

Energy

995 kcal

Against a target of 400 g over 5 hours, this plan is 149 g short.

Three things the labels reveal that marketing does not

Serving units are not comparable. Some products declare per gel sachet, some per dry sachet, some per made-up 500 ml bottle, some per tablet, some per scoop. SIS Beta Fuel 80 is mixed to 600 ml, not 500. High5 ZERO is mixed to 750 ml. Skratch Super High-Carb is mixed to roughly 250 ml. Assume “one sachet is one bottle” and your plan is wrong before you start.

European labels declare salt; American labels declare sodium. Sodium is salt divided by 2.5. 14 of the 49 rows below carry a sodium figure we converted from a declared salt value, and every one is marked as derived. The starkest case: SIS GO Isotonic declares 0.01 g of salt, which is about 4 mg of sodium a gel. If your electrolyte plan is built on isotonic gels, it is built on nothing.

Sodium and caffeine vary by flavour inside one product line. GU Roctane is 190 mg of sodium in Salted Lime and 125 mg in Vanilla Orange at identical carbohydrate. Clif BLOKS doubles from 50 mg to 100 mg in Salted Watermelon and Margarita. Torq gels are caffeine-free except four Guarana flavours at 89 mg. This is why the table names the flavour actually verified rather than presenting one row per brand.

Nutrition per serving, from the manufacturers' labels

Read the serving column first — it is the only thing that makes the rest of the row meaningful. Where a manufacturer does not state a figure the cell says so; that is not the same as zero.

Nutrition per serving, from the manufacturers' labels
Product	Serving	Carbohydrate	Sodium	Caffeine	kcal
Maurten GEL 100	1 sachet (40 g)	25 g	20 mg	0 mg	100
Maurten GEL 100 CAF 100	1 sachet (40 g)	25 g	22 mg	100 mg	100
Maurten GEL 160	1 sachet (65 g)	40 g	30 mg	0 mg	160
Maurten DRINK MIX 160	1 sachet (42 g) made to 500 ml	41 g (includes 2 g fibre)	210 mg	0 mg	160
Maurten DRINK MIX 320	1 sachet (83 g) made to 500 ml	80 g (includes 2 g fibre)	245 mg	0 mg	320
Maurten DRINK MIX 320 CAF 100	1 sachet (83 g) made to 500 ml	80 g (includes 2 g fibre)	245 mg	100 mg	320
Maurten SOLID 160	1 bar (55 g)	41.4 g (includes 1.4 g fibre)	247 mg	0 mg	199
Science in Sport GO Isotonic Energy Gel (Lemon & Lime)	1 sachet (60 ml)	22 g	about 4 mg (salt 0.01 g)	0 mg	87
Science in Sport GO Energy + Caffeine Gel (Citrus)	1 sachet (60 ml)	22 g	about 16 mg (salt 0.04 g)	75 mg	88
Science in Sport Beta Fuel Energy Gel (Orange)	1 sachet (60 ml)	40 g	about 12 mg (salt 0.03 g)	0 mg	158
Science in Sport Beta Fuel Gel + Nootropics (Lemon & Lime)	1 sachet (60 ml)	40 g	about 16 mg (salt 0.04 g)	200 mg	159
Science in Sport Beta Fuel 80 Energy Drink	1 sachet (82 g) made to 600 ml	80 g	0 to about 4 mg (salt 0 to 0.01 g)	0 mg	318
Science in Sport Beta Fuel Energy Chews (Orange)	1 pack (60 g)	46 g	about 44 mg (salt 0.11 g)	0 mg	190
Science in Sport GO Electrolyte powder	40 g (dilution volume not stated)	36 g	237 mg	0 mg	146
Science in Sport GO Hydro tablet (Pink Grapefruit)	1 tablet (4.5 g) made to 500 ml	0.7 g	345 mg	0 mg	9
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Gel	1 gel (51 g)	30 g	not declared	0 mg	120
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Caffeine Gel	1 gel (51 g)	30 g	not declared	100 mg	120
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 90 Gel	1 gel (153 g)	90 g	not declared	0 mg	360
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 300 Flow Gel	1 pouch (510 g)	300 g	not declared	0 mg	1200
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Chew	1 packet (34 g)	30 g	under 40 mg (salt declared as under 0.1 g)	0 mg	120
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF Carb Only Drink Mix	1 scoop made to 500 ml	15 g per scoop	0 mg (no electrolytes, stated)	0 mg	60
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix	2 scoops made to 500 ml	30 g	500 mg (from a stated 1,000 mg/L)	0 mg	120
Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1000 Electrolyte Drink Mix	1 sachet (20 g) made to 500 ml	17 g	500 mg (salt 1.25 g; 1,000 mg/L stated)	0 mg	65
Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1500 Electrolyte Drink Mix	1 sachet (20 g) made to 500 ml	15 g	752 mg (salt 1.88 g; 1,500 mg/L stated)	0 mg	61
Precision Fuel & Hydration PH 1000 Electrolyte tablet	1 tablet made to 500 ml	2.2 g	500 mg (from a stated 1,000 mg/L)	0 mg	16
GU Energy Original Energy Gel (Pumpkin Spice)	1 packet (32 g)	22 g	60 mg	0 mg	100
GU Energy Roctane Energy Gel (Salted Lime)	1 packet (32 g)	21 g	190 mg	35 mg	100
GU Energy Roctane Energy Gel (Vanilla Orange)	1 packet (32 g)	21 g	125 mg	35 mg	100
GU Energy Roctane Energy & Hydration Drink Mix (Tropical Fruit)	1 packet (65 g); dilution volume not stated	59 g	320 mg	35 mg	250
GU Energy Hydration Drink Tabs (Lemon Lime)	1 tablet (4.5 g)	3 g	320 mg	0 mg	10
High5 Energy Gel (Berry)	1 sachet (40 g)	23 g	about 20 mg (salt 0.05 g)	0 mg	91
High5 Energy Gel Aqua (Berry)	1 sachet (66 g)	23 g	about 28 mg (salt 0.07 g)	0 mg	95
High5 Energy Gel Caffeine (Raspberry)	1 sachet (40 g)	23 g	about 20 mg (salt 0.05 g)	30 mg	91
High5 Energy Drink (Berry)	1 sachet (47 g) made to 500 ml	44 g	240 mg	0 mg	175
High5 ZERO tablet (Berry)	1 tablet (4 g) made to 750 ml	0 g (zero-calorie product)	250 mg	0 mg	0
Torq Energy Gel (non-caffeine flavours)	1 sachet (45 g)	28 to 29 g	49 mg	0 mg	115
Torq Energy Gel (Guarana flavours) (Cola, Banoffee, Forest Fruits, Caramel Latte)	1 sachet (45 g)	28 to 29 g	49 mg	89 mg	115
Torq Energy Drink	500 ml made at 6% (one Torq Unit)	30 g	279 mg	0 mg	122
Torq Hydration Drink	18 g made to 500 ml	16 g	275 mg	0 mg	64
Torq 1:1 Proto Energy Gel (flavoured)	1 gel (60 g)	40 g	74 mg	0 mg	160
Torq 1:1 Proto Energy Gel (caffeine variant)	1 gel (60 g)	40 g	74 mg	89 mg	161
Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel (Mandarin)	27 g	25 g	310 mg	0 mg	100
Skratch Labs Super High-Carb Sport Drink Mix (Lemon + Lime)	1 packet (53 g) made to about 250 to 300 ml	50 g	200 mg	0 mg	200
Skratch Labs Hydration Sport Drink Mix (Lemon + Lime)	1 stick (22 g) made to 350 to 500 ml	not verified	400 mg	0 mg	—
Honey Stinger Energy Waffle (Salted Caramel)	1 waffle (30 g)	19 g	160 mg	0 mg	130
Honey Stinger Electrolyte Energy Gel (Raspberry Lemonade)	1 packet (31 g)	24 g	100 mg	0 mg	100
Honey Stinger Classic Energy Chews (Citrus Splash)	6 chews (30 g), which is one serving	23 g per serving	35 mg per serving	0 mg	100
Clif BLOKS Energy Chews (with caffeine) (Black Cherry)	1 serving; size not stated on the product page	not verified	50 mg	50 mg	100
Clif BLOKS Energy Chews (Salted Watermelon) (Salted Watermelon)	1 serving; size not stated on the product page	not verified	100 mg	0 mg	90

Every figure was read from the brand's own product page or the nutrition panel image hosted on it, retrieved 29 August 2026. Sodium marked as derived was converted from a declared salt value using the statutory factor. Never Second products are absent because the site was unreachable; we would rather omit a brand than publish figures we could not read.

What is on course at IRONMAN in 2026

Maurten is the Official Sports Nutrition of the IRONMAN Global Series. Aid stations carry GEL 100 and GEL 100 CAF 100, with SOLID 160 as the official bar. GEL 160 is described as available at full-distance events only.

Precision Fuel & Hydration is the Official Hydration Partner for the 2026 season, including both World Championships. On course this is PH 1000 — 1,000 mg of sodium per litre — served pre-mixed, in bottles on the bike and paper cups on the run. This is a change worth noting if you raced in North America in 2025, where a different brand was on course.

Aid-station lists still vary by race. The 2026 athlete guides show IRONMAN Wisconsin running bike stations every 12 to 15 miles and adding cola, chips, pretzels, bananas and oranges on the run; Copenhagen serving water in 750 ml bike bottles; and Cairns carrying no SOLID bar on the bike at all, with the solid food concentrated at a single run station. Always read your own race's guide rather than assuming.

The practical implication is the same one it always was: if you plan to race on course nutrition, train on the exact products above. If you plan to carry your own, work out what the course provides anyway, because it is your fallback when a bottle ejects.

Frequently asked questions

How much sodium is in a gel?: It varies by a factor of nearly fifty across the products on this page. SIS GO Isotonic works out at about 4 mg per gel, Maurten GEL 100 is 20 mg, and GU Roctane in Salted Lime is 190 mg. Anyone treating gels as an electrolyte source is relying on an assumption the labels do not support - most gels are carbohydrate delivery and very little else.
Why do European and American labels look so different?: European labels declare salt, American labels declare sodium. They are not the same number: sodium is salt divided by 2.5. A gel showing 0.05 g of salt contains about 20 mg of sodium, which looks alarming on one label and negligible on the other. Every converted figure on this page is marked as derived.
Does sodium really change between flavours of the same product?: Yes, and by more than people expect. GU Roctane is 190 mg in Salted Lime and 125 mg in Vanilla Orange with identical carbohydrate and caffeine. Clif BLOKS is 50 mg for most flavours but 100 mg for Salted Watermelon and Margarita. Torq gels are caffeine-free except four Guarana flavours at 89 mg each. Check the flavour you are actually carrying.
What nutrition is on course at IRONMAN races in 2026?: Maurten is the Official Sports Nutrition of the IRONMAN Global Series - GEL 100, GEL 100 CAF 100 and SOLID 160, with GEL 160 at full-distance events. Precision Fuel & Hydration is the Official Hydration Partner, serving PH 1000 pre-mixed in bottles on the bike and cups on the run. This is a change: North America ran a different hydration brand in 2025.
How many gels do I need for an Ironman?: Work from grams, not gels, because a gel is not a fixed unit. At 80 g of carbohydrate an hour over eleven hours you need about 880 g. That is thirty-five Maurten GEL 100 sachets if you take everything as gel, or roughly eleven bottles of DRINK MIX 320, or any mix in between. The planner above does the arithmetic on the products you actually carry.
Can I mix brands during a race?: Yes, and most people do, but check two things. First, total fructose: mixing several high-carbohydrate products can push you past what your gut has trained for. Second, caffeine, which stacks quickly - two SIS Beta Fuel Nootropics gels alone are 400 mg. The planner flags a total above 400 mg.

Sources

Product figures come from each manufacturer's own pages and nutrition panels; on-course information comes from IRONMAN and from Precision Fuel & Hydration's partnership page. We publish no figure we could not read at source.

[1]Clif product pagesPrimary data
Clif · clifbar.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[2]GU Energy product pagesPrimary data
GU Energy · guenergy.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[3]High5 product pagesPrimary data
High5 · highfive.co.uk · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[4]Honey Stinger product pagesPrimary data
Honey Stinger · honeystinger.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[5]Maurten product pagesPrimary data
Maurten · maurten.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[6]Precision Fuel & Hydration product pagesPrimary data
Precision Fuel & Hydration · precisionhydration.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[7]Science in Sport product pagesPrimary data
Science in Sport · scienceinsport.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[8]Skratch Labs product pagesPrimary data
Skratch Labs · skratchlabs.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[9]Tailwind Nutrition product pagesPrimary data
Tailwind Nutrition · tailwindnutrition.com · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[10]Torq product pagesPrimary data
Torq · torqfitness.co.uk · retrieved 2026-08-29
Nutrition figures were read from this manufacturer's own product pages and nutrition panels.
[11]IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship Nice: course and on-course nutritionOfficial
IRONMAN · ironman.com · data year 2026 · retrieved 2026-08-29
Names Maurten and Precision Fuel & Hydration as the 2026 on-course partners.
[12]Precision Fuel & Hydration: IRONMAN partnershipOfficial
Precision Fuel & Hydration · precisionhydration.com · data year 2026 · retrieved 2026-08-29
Confirms PH 1000 as the 2026 on-course hydration product, and that this replaced a different brand in North America for 2025.

All outbound links here are marked nofollow. They are references so you can check our figures, not endorsements. Where a source is labelled Secondary it states a number without saying where it came from, and we have flagged it rather than presenting it as established.

Put the numbers to work

Ironman Nutrition Calculator

Carbohydrate, fluid and sodium targets for your race.

Aid Station Planner

Turn hourly targets into a station-by-station plan.

Heat Pace Calculator

What the heat costs, and why sodium matters more in it.

Wetsuit Rules

Water temperature limits, race by race.

Guides that explain this calculator

Ironman Nutrition Strategy: 60-90g Carbs Per Hour

Master Ironman fueling with our guide to the 60-90g carbs/hour rule. Learn gut training, multiple transportable carbs, and race-day execution.

Why Ironman Athletes Bonk: Glycogen Depletion Explained Clearly

Understand why Ironman athletes bonk with our guide to glycogen depletion. Learn the science, warning signs, and proven prevention strategies.

Ironman Bike Pacing Strategy: How Many Watts Should You Actually Ride?

What intensity factor to ride for an Ironman or 70.3, why overbiking costs more run time than it saves on the bike, and how to pace without a power meter.

Ironman Marathon Pacing Strategy: Run the 26.2 Without Hitting the Wall

Master Ironman marathon pacing with proven strategies to avoid bonking, fuel smarter, and finish strong after the bike.

Trust and methodology

How this page should be used

Model last reviewed

August 8, 2026

Maintained by

M Imtinan Farooq

Age-group triathlete and data engineer

Status

Planning estimate, not a race guarantee

Formula summary

Total intake = bike/run duration x hourly carb and sodium targets.

Key assumptions

Product carbs, aid spacing, and hourly targets match what you have practiced.

Limitations

Gut tolerance, sweat rate, heat, and product choice vary by athlete.

Sources

Full formulas, constants, and limitation notes are published on the methodology page. Use the official athlete guide for your own race when it comes to rules, cut-off times, venue policies, and safety instructions - those override anything here.