Does Maurten Caf 100 work?
I went on a 50 km trail run on a hilly but runnable route. The entire session was five hours. I consumed one Maurten Caf 100 before I started and a second at 25 km. Other fuel sources included two Neversecond C30 Fuel Bars, a SiS Go Isotonic gel, a Santa Madre CHO30 gel, and a SiS Hydro Go tablet mixed in a water bottle.
I also had a bagel and a weak cup of instant coffee for breakfast.
Here are my takeaways:
Marketing gimmicks are prevalent in sports nutrition for endurance sports, and I’ve tried many of them to write reviews for Runivore. In my humble opinion, only four external or exogenous interventions actually provide an acute performance boost.
1. Sugar
2. Hydration (fluids and electrolytes)
3. Caffeine
4. Cooling on a hot day (for example, dousing yourself in cold water)
Caf 100 contains ample sugar (25 g) and a hefty dose of caffeine (100 mg), so it’s not surprising that I felt a surge both times I ate the energy gel.
The gastrointestinal tract begins at your mouth. So, how an energy gel tastes absolutely affects how your body reacts to it. I don’t know if the hydrogel really did anything to minimize the risk of stomach issues, but the neutral flavor agreed with my taste buds, and the unique texture was enjoyable. Both Caf 100 energy gels set well after consumption.
I do enjoy Maurten. However, despite the science-oriented branding and fancy terms like hydrogel and bipolar matrix, I’m not sure Maurten Caf 100 performed any better than other popular options from GU, SiS, Prevision Fuel & Hydration, Neversecond, etc. Maurten worked well for me, but I can’t say it’s superior. Given its high price of USD 50 for a box of 12, Maurten Caf 100 will strictly be a race day fuel for me.
Conclusion
Lots of sugar. Caffeine-packed. Decent flavor and interesting texture with no unpleasant aftertaste.
These three points sum up the Maurten Caf 100 experience.
The only drawback is the price. If money is no object to you, Maurten is, without a doubt, a great option. However, for those on a budget, there are many affordable energy gels and gel alternatives that can get the job done as well.