SiS Beta Fuel Gel Review

Fuelling an Ultramarathon with SiS Beta Fuel Gels

Fuelling is often called the fourth discipline of ultrarunning, and for good reason. Get it right, and you can feel strong all day. Get it wrong, and well, we’ve all been there, the dreaded DNF caused by an unhappy stomach. I’m always on the lookout for ways to make fuelling simpler and more effective, so I took the opportunity to put the SiS (Science in Sport) Beta Fuel energy gels to the test during a recent 50 mile race. Here’s how they performed.

The Testing Ground: The Yellow Belly 50

The race was the Yellow Belly 50, a beautiful and undulating 50 mile loop through the Lincolnshire Wolds. It’s a long day out with plenty of climbing, making it the perfect environment to see if a new fuelling strategy would hold up under pressure. My plan was to use the Beta Fuel gels as a replacement for the standard SiS Isotonic gels I typically use.

First Impressions: Taste and Texture

If you’re used to the classic SiS GO Isotonic gels, you’ll notice a couple of minor differences. The Beta Fuel texture is a little bit thicker than its isotonic cousin, and I also found them to be a tiny bit sweeter, but not in a sickly way. The consistency can be a little lumpy at times, which is something I tend to find across most of the SiS energy gel range. I used the Strawberry & Lime flavour for the race, which tasted pretty good as far as energy gels go.

The 40g Carb Advantage

Here’s the main reason I wanted to try these gels for an ultramarathon. A standard SiS GO Isotonic gel contains around 22g of carbohydrate. The SiS Beta Fuel gel packs a mighty 40g of carbs into the same small packet.

For an ultrarunner, this can be a game changer as it means you can carry fewer gels and spend less time faffing about with wrappers to hit your hourly carb targets. During the race, I found that taking one Beta Fuel gel roughly every 60 minutes was a simple yet effective way to stay fuelled between snacking on whatever was available at the aid stations.

The All-Important Gut Check

This is the make-or-break test for any new fuel source. A gel can have all the carbs in the world, but it’s useless if your stomach rejects it. I’m happy to report that I had absolutely no stomach issues throughout the entire 50 miles. No bloating, no cramps and no emergency trips into the bushes. For me, this was the biggest win of the day.

SiS Beta Fuel Verdict

Overall, I was impressed with the SiS Beta Fuel gels. The high carbohydrate content makes fuelling for long-distance events much simpler, the flavour was good, and most importantly, my stomach was happy. They’ve definitely earned a spot in my race vest, and I would consider using them again on my next ultra without hesitation.

If you’re looking for a high-carb, gut-friendly option to simplify your ultramarathon fuelling strategy, they are well worth a try.

Pros: High carb content

Cons: Slightly thick texture, a bit on the sweet side, somewhat lumpy consistency, not obvious that it contains caffeine

Please Note: One thing worth mentioning, as it isn't immediately obvious from the packaging, is that the Beta Fuel + Nootropics gels contain 200mg of caffeine. If you're a coffee drinker that kick may be a welcome boost however if you're not, it could be a bit of a shock to your system.

Nutrition

Ingredients

Water, Maltodextrin (from Maize) (29%), Fructose (22%), L-Taurine, Cognizin(R) Citicoline, Caffeine Anhydrous, L-Theanine, Flavourings, Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate), Gelling Agents (Gellan Gum, Xanthan Gum), Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate), Sodium Chloride

Where to Buy

If you fancy giving them a go yourself, you can find a 6-pack of the SiS Beta Fuel Gels on Amazon for £13.02.

SiS Beta Fuel Energy Gel 6 Pack

S Beta Fuel Gels 6 pack - £13.02