Leaderboard
Best Gels by Caffeine
Caffeinated gels ranked by caffeine per sachet, so you can hit a dose in milligrams instead of counting wrappers.
The ergogenic band for caffeine is 3 to 6 mg per kilogram of bodyweight across the whole race, which is 210 to 420 mg for a 70 kg athlete, and plasma peak lands 45 to 60 minutes after you swallow it. The dose is per kilogram, not per gel: a single 100 mg sachet is about a third of a mid-tier dose for a 75 kg runner and most of a high-tier dose for a 50 kg one.
That is why this ranking is in milligrams. Pick the products that add up to your number, and place them for the moment you need the effect rather than the moment you feel flat. Caffeine stacks on top of carbohydrate, it does not replace it, and around half of athletes are slow metabolisers who feel little - so test the full protocol in training before you race it.
The full argument, with references: Caffeine for endurance, by dose and timing
The top 10
Read caffeine as a share of your total race dose, then check the carbs column: a caffeinated gel is still fuel you have to count.
200 mgCaffeine
40 gCarbs
360 mgSodium
€6.00Price
150 mgCaffeine
40 gCarbs
197 mgSodium
€2.79Price
150 mgCaffeine
40 gCarbs
200 mgSodium
€2.79Price
150 mgCaffeine
30 gCarbs
0 mgSodium
€2.50Price
150 mgCaffeine
40 gCarbs
200 mgSodium
€3.23Price
150 mgCaffeine
40 gCarbs
200 mgSodium
€3.23Price
150 mgCaffeine
39 gCarbs
7.86 mgSodium
€3.90Price
150 mgCaffeine
39 gCarbs
118 mgSodium
€3.80Price
131 mgCaffeine
40 gCarbs
90 mgSodium
€3.50Price
120 mgCaffeine
52.3 gCarbs
0 mgSodium
€2.60Price
The full ranking
All 366 gels we track, ranked on the same number. Positions 11 onward are listed below, 25 at a time.
Want to filter instead of scroll? Browse all gels by carbs, sodium, caffeine and price.