Natural flavors including maple syrup are at the heart of UnTapped’s Athletic Fuel gels, making them as moreish as they are effective.
Choosing the best running gel for your own personal needs is arguably just as important as buying the right running gear. Happily, nature’s pretty good at providing untampered sources of high-energy fuel, such as honey, dates and bananas. As a result, lots of energy-boosting gels take their core inspiration from foods like those. Then there’s Canadian gold – maple syrup. Yes, really. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, that may sound rather enticing. So, I decided to take one for the team and found out what these syrupy UnTapped Athletic Fuel pouches were really like to consume, and whether they were actually any good at the job. These are my findings.
Men’s Fitness verdict
Natural flavours including maple syrup are at the heart of UnTapped’s Athletic Fuel gels, making them as moreish as they are effective, with a low GI for steady release.- 100% natural
- Steady energy release
- Clean, delicious taste
- Not particularly pocket friendly
- Pricey in the UK
How we test running gels
When it comes to running gear, Kieran Alger is one of the best product reviewers in the business. He regularly trains for (and competes) a wide range of running disciplines, so we tasked him with assessing the effectiveness of each running gel on test during his regular sessions. Along the way, he made sure to take note of key criteria, including: energy-to-weight ratio, effectiveness of energy release, ingredients, taste, price, and even how well the packaging fits in your pocket.
Naturally high in carbs that come mostly from sucrose, maple syrup contains complex sugars which have a much lower glycemic index than regular sugar and maltodextrin. That means they burn slower and the energy release is more even – good news for avoiding the rush and crash of blood sugar spikes that some gels create. Maple syrup is also naturally high in antioxidants and amino acids. So, on paper, this certainly isn’t a mere gimmick – the science does stack up.
UnTapped Athletic Fuel ingredients
UnTapped Athletic Fuel gels tap into the natural fueling power of maple syrup. Each uses just a handful of natural ingredients. In the regular maple flavor, that’s all it is: maple syrup. The salted citrus has sea salt and organic fruit juice. Each 40g pouch delivers a delicious 26g hit of carbohydrates, slightly more than you’ll get in most regular gels.
Are they practical while running?
The runny consistency of maple syrup means you can pour this straight in and there’s none of the yucky, gloopy mouth coating that you get with many gels. The pouches have tear tops for quick, easy opening on the move, and the long, thin tubes also help. Though that makes them easier to stash in waistband workout belts, they don’t fit easily in shallower pockets.
What does UnTapped Athletic Fuel taste like?
Unsurprisingly, these are very sweet and you might find it helps to take them with water, though the liquid-like consistency means that’s not essential. The lime and lemon juice, along with the 100mg sodium in the salted citrus flavor, also takes the edge off that sweetness, as well as supporting hydration.
Alongside maple and salted citrus, there’s salted cocoa and salted raspberry flavors. There’s also a coffee option with 25mg of caffeine from real black tea. I like the fact you can buy each flavour in 16-serving bulk bottles – a reusable option all gel makers should offer.
What other running gels should I consider?
Speaking of other gel makers, it’s worth touching on some of UnTapped’s rivals. My go-to recommendation if you’re looking for an alternative is Performance Fuel PF30. This stuff has a very different (more typical) gel-like consistency, and although inoffensive, a very neutral flavor. So as far as consumption experiences go, it’s very different to what UnTapped offers. Not worse, just different. The main selling point for PF30, however, is its effectiveness. Those 51g pouches contain a huge 30g of carbohydrates, which is a notable chunk more than the 26g you get with UnTapped. Mind you, UnTapped’s energy-to-weight ratio is actually better.
SiS Beta Fuel Nootropics, meanwhile, will act much faster than the slow-release style of UnTapped, and they have a whopping 40g of carbs packed into each pouch. There is a cost to that though. I found the taste to be too artificial, and there are too many preservatives involved for my liking. But, in desperate times, you can certainly rely on SiS gel to give you that much-need pick-me-up.
Perhaps taste is important to you though – in fact, maybe that’s one of the biggest draws of UnTapped Athletic Fuel. Well, in that case, it would also be worth checking out Vala energy gels. These are based around date paste, so offer a different flavor sensation but ultimately one which is delightful – assuming you don’t hate dates.
