Maurten Drink Mix 320 vs Science in Sport Beta Fuel Powder
·By Croix
Educational, not medical advice. Recipes and dosages are starting points — individual tolerance varies. Consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before changing your nutrition strategy. Full disclaimer.
At a glance
| Maurten Drink Mix 320 | Science in Sport Beta Fuel Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs per serving | 80 g | 80 g |
| Glucose : Fructose | 1:0.8 | 1:0.8 |
| Sodium per serving | 200 mg | 460 mg |
| Calories | 320 kcal | 320 kcal |
| Format | Powder | Powder |
| Carb sources | Maltodextrin, Fructose | Maltodextrin, Fructose |
| Retail price per serving | $3.75 | $2.70 |
| Cost per gram of carb (retail) | ~$0.047/g | ~$0.034/g |
| DIY cost per serving | ~$0.86 | ~$0.90 |
| DIY savings vs retail | ~77% | ~67% |
What is this comparison about?
Maurten Drink Mix 320 and SiS Beta Fuel Powder are the two most-used 80 g/serving high-carb sports drinks in professional cycling. They were designed to do the same thing: deliver 80 g of carbohydrate at the O'Brien & Rowlands 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio in a single bottle, for an athlete targeting 80 g/hr of carbs without GI distress.
On macros, ratio, and intent, they are nearly identical. The differences live in the encapsulation chemistry (Maurten's alginate-pectin hydrogel), the electrolyte design (SiS strips sodium almost entirely; Maurten doses ~200 mg), and — most consequentially — the price per serving. Maurten's retail is roughly $3.75; SiS is roughly $2.70.
What do they have in common?
- 80 g of carbohydrate per serving (320 kcal)
- 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio — the O'Brien & Rowlands optimum
- Maltodextrin + fructose as the carb sources (no exotic polymers)
- Mixed in 500 ml of water — sit at the same ~16% concentration
- Both target the 80 g/hr range that pro cyclists fuel at
- Both replicable in a kitchen for ~80¢ in bulk ingredients
Where do they differ?
| Trait | Maurten Drink Mix 320 | Science in Sport Beta Fuel Powder |
|---|---|---|
| Encapsulation | Sodium alginate + pectin hydrogel that gels in stomach acid. Sutehall et al. 2020 reports faster gastric emptying than a matched non-hydrogel control at rest (n=8 men). | No hydrogel chemistry. Three-ingredient formula: maltodextrin, fructose, flavourings. |
| Sodium per serving | ~200 mg sodium | ~4 mg sodium (post-2021 reformulation; SiS strips electrolytes from Beta Fuel intentionally) |
| Retail price per serving | ~$3.75 | ~$2.70 |
| Independent matched-dose evidence | The matched-dose comparison literature reviewed in Podlogar & Wallis 2022 has not reliably shown a hydrogel performance, oxidation, or GI advantage over the matched non-hydrogel control. | Used in the matched-dose comparison work as the de facto control — same macros, no hydrogel. |
| Pro cycling adoption | Visma (formerly Jumbo-Visma) has fueled on Maurten for years; INEOS Grenadiers signed a 3-year partnership starting 2025. | Used widely across pro cycling, especially British-anchored teams. SiS is upfront about the recipe — closer to a reference formulation than a proprietary drink. |
| Format & flavor | Roughly neutral, faintly sweet. Notable mouthfeel from the gel. | Cleanly mixable, slightly sweeter due to higher fructose-to-bulk-mass ratio. No mouthfeel difference from a homemade 1:0.8 drink. |
Which one should I actually buy?
Verdict: Tie — depends on use case
On the question that actually matters during a race — does this drink let you absorb 80 g/hr of carbs without GI distress? — the published evidence says these two products perform indistinguishably. Both deliver the right ratio, the right concentration, and the same monosaccharide composition once they hit your gut.
If you have a strong taste preference, follow it. If you want the lower retail price, SiS Beta Fuel wins straightforwardly (~$1 less per serving). If you want the brand association with the EF/Visma/INEOS programs, Maurten is the choice — but you're paying for branding, not chemistry.
What's not defensible at current price levels is paying the Maurten premium because you believe the hydrogel itself improves performance. The matched-dose literature does not support that. Independent peer-reviewed trials have not reproduced a measurable hydrogel-specific benefit at typical fueling rates.
Pick Maurten Drink Mix 320if…
- You like the Maurten flavor and mouthfeel and have already concluded the price premium is acceptable to you.
- You're racing under a Maurten-sponsored program where availability and brand alignment matter.
- You specifically want the modest sodium dose Maurten 320 carries (~200 mg) without adding salt yourself.
Pick Science in Sport Beta Fuel Powderif…
- You want the cheapest credible flagship 1:0.8 product on the market.
- You're decoupling fuel from electrolytes (using SiS for carbs and a separate sodium tab) — SiS's near-zero sodium is a feature, not a bug, in that setup.
- You're in the UK or EU where SiS distribution is strongest and per-serving cost is closest to bulk DIY.
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Or skip both and DIY
Both products are essentially maltodextrin + fructose at a 1:0.8 ratio with optional sodium, dissolved in 500 ml of water. Mixing the same drink at home from bulk maltodextrin and fructose costs roughly 80 cents per serving — about a 70% saving on SiS retail and an 80% saving on Maurten retail. The DIY teardowns linked below walk through the exact gram quantities and shopping list.
The ingredients involved
- Maltodextrin · The glucose-polymer workhorse in almost every high-carb sports drink — same energy as dextrose, far lower osmolality, nearly tasteless.
- Fructose · The GLUT5-transported sugar that lets you push past the 60 g/hr glucose ceiling — pair with maltodextrin at ~1:0.8 for the modern dual-transporter formula.
- Sodium Alginate · The seaweed-derived gelling agent in Maurten's hydrogel — fascinating chemistry, contested performance benefit.
- Pectin · The fruit-derived gelling agent that pairs with sodium alginate in Maurten-style hydrogels — the second half of the encapsulation chemistry.
- Table Salt (Sodium Chloride) · The cheapest, most-bioavailable sodium source in your kitchen — pennies per gram and chemically identical to what's in any electrolyte tab.