There's plenty of talk around fuelling your rides with fat or even adding protein – but most nutritionists still argue that, during exercise, carbs are king.You'll need to top up your carb stores on rides over 90 minutes; anything shorter and your body can usually sustain itself on existing reserves.

These are peach, raspberry and rosehip (Vivo sachet), wild strawberry and basil (Attivo), and golden apricot and sage (Solo). Pretty exciting stuff we’re sure you’ll agree, and each serving contains a healthy hit of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium. The Vivo sachet also contains 22g of fast-release carbs if you want to combine energy and electrolytes, while the Attivo flavour contains 75mg of caffeine.The Beta Fuel Dual Source Energy Gel is optimised with a brand new 1:0.8 ratio of 40g carbohydrate of maltodextrin to fructose, increasing the percentage of ingested carbohydrate that is oxidized (known as efficiency) from 62% to 74% when compared with a ratio of 2:1 The 150mg caffeine energy gel is designed for individuals who want to see the performance benefit from caffeine in a ‘double strength’ format. Unlike the 75mg gel, the 150mg provides a larger dose of caffeine and should be used when the individual needs a mental boost. It is recommended that this gel is taken towards the end of endurance exercise, with the caffeine effect lasting until the end.

As part of the 2022 Runner’s World Sports Nutrition Awards, we enlisted a 200-strong panel of testers – made up of ordinary runners and experts – to slurp and munch their way through a variety of market-leading energy gels, drinks and chews to find the best on the market. Take 1-2 electrolyte gels during exercise where you are sweating heavily, for example, in hot weather conditions Take a 75mg caffeine gel one hour before you are due to finish training or racing to provide increased focus A ratio of 1:0.8 increases % of ingested CHO that was oxidised (efficiency) from 62% (2:1) to 74% (1:0.8) (O’Brien et al)

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When exercising, you need to replace electrolytes lost in sweat. If you’ve only been working out for an hour or so, you won’t need tabs because you can do this at your next meal. However, if you’re exercising for more than 90 minutes, you’ll want to hydrate on the go, and electrolyte tabs help with this. Either pre-mix a drink or carry the tab with you and drop it in water at an opportune moment. In big events like the London Marathon water will be handed out on the course of your race, and during training runs you can buy water and drop the tab in when the need arises – it’s better than carrying a bottle the whole way. The Best Hydration Tabs For Running The unique 1:0.8 ratio of maltodextrin to fructose increases the percentage of ingested carbohydrate that is oxidised from 62% to 74% when compared to a more standard ratio of 2:1. This, specially formulated, ratio also reduces the self-reported symptoms of stomach fullness, especially when compared to a 2:1 ratio.