What is truefuels all about
Fuel without compromise - engineered to help you be your best. truefuels starts with the desired outcome - maximising endurance, performance, and recovery - then works backwards to create the fuel to help you to be your best. No shortcuts. No unnecessary ingredients. Just the best possible formula, backed by science and elite athlete experience.
Born from a relentless pursuit of excellence, truefuels was co-founded by two-time Olympic gold medalist Alistair Brownlee, who spent decades refining his training, recovery, and nutrition. Frustrated with existing sports fuel - gut distress, lack of absorption, and flavour fatigue - he partnered with athlete-turned-business leader Goran Vasiljevic.
Tested in the lab, proven on the road. Each formula goes through a rigorous testing cycle - from lab development to Alistair to our 50 + co-creators - for continuous optimisation.
At its core is a science-backed 1:1 glucose-fructose ratio, maximising carb absorption for steady energy - without sugar spikes. The clean, gut-friendly formula eliminates additives for easy digestion, even in extreme conditions.
truefuels isn't just another gel - it's a performance system. Designed to stack, customise, and adapt to your training, racing, and recovery needs. Whether you're training, racing, or chasing your next breakthrough, your fuel should work as hard as you do - helping you be your best.
Introducing the Performance Gel
Carbohydrates are your body’s most efficient fuel—especially during high-intensity or long-duration efforts. They power your muscles, support brain function, delay fatigue, and accelerate recovery.
The truefuels Performance Gel delivers 40g of optimised carbohydrates in a scientifically supported 1:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio, plus either 250mg or 1g of salt, giving you total control over your fueling and hydration strategy.
Built for stackability, our gel lets you easily hit between 30–120g of carbs per hour, depending on your needs. Take it straight or mix it with water—either way, it's clean, gut-friendly, and lightly flavoured to prevent taste fatigue, even during long sessions.
Why 1:1? Studies (Jeukendrup et al., 2005; Jeukendrup, 2010) show that combining glucose and fructose—absorbed via separate intestinal pathways—maximises carb uptake and energy delivery while reducing the risk of gastrointestinal distress.
No sweeteners. No filler. Just performance fuel that works as hard as you do.
Why is salt so important?
Salt is vital in sports nutrition because it’s the primary source of sodium, the key electrolyte your body loses most through sweat during exercise. The amount of sodium lost per litre of sweat can range from 200 to over 1,500 mg in hot and/or intense sessions. Sodium helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signals - all essential for performance and recovery. While other electrolytes like potassium and magnesium are also important, they’re lost in much smaller amounts and are usually easier to replace through diet.
truefuels Performance Gel is designed to provide exactly what you need, and nothing else. We created two versions to deliver the right amount of sodium for you, whatever the session. Both versions also have optimised levels of Magnesium and Potassium to ensure you are replacing enough during exercise to keep you performing at your best. We use the word “salt” because it’s familiar, but what your body really needs is the sodium it contains — about 40% of the weight of salt is sodium (e.g., 1,000 mg of salt provides roughly 400 mg of sodium). So when we say a product contains "salt," we're guiding you toward what your body actually needs: the right amount of sodium to stay hydrated, avoid cramps, and perform at your best.
Low salt or high salt? And how much?
How much fuel do you really need? In hotter conditions where you sweat more, your body requires extra electrolytes. The longer and more intense the effort, the more carbohydrates you'll need to sustain performance.The right mix of carbohydrates, electrolytes, and hydration keeps you performing at your best.
truefuels Performance Gels offer a modular system: 40 / 0.25 (40g carbs, 250mg salt) and 40 / 1 (40g carbs, 1g salt). Whether you're sweating through high temps or pushing endurance limits, you can combine them to match your exact needs.
How to use it?
Fuel your body your way. truefuels gels are designed for maximum flexibility - take them directly over 5–10 minutes for fast energy or dissolve effortlessly in 500–1000ml of water (just one shake, and you're ready to go!). For peak endurance, consume 2–3 gels per hour during intense efforts over 60 minutes. Need more fuel? Stack as needed, but don’t exceed 6 gels daily unless a nutritionist advises.
This is how Alistair uses the gel: “I prefer using truefuels gels by mixing them directly in my water bottle, leaving me in full control throughout a race how much my body needs at any given point. For tough events, I find it crucial to make fuelling as simple as possible. By having all of my nutrition in one bottle, I don't need to worry about routing around to find gels or opening packaging; instead, I just sip away on my bottle with everything I need in it. At tough events, this means I only need to pick up water on the course, and there is no gamble about using on-course nutrition that I am not used to.
For example, during a T100 event, where the bike section is 80km and takes 1.45-2 hours, I would put all of my nutrition in the bottle on my bars. For hot conditions, I would use 4 x 40g / 1000mg and 2 x 40g / 250mg, all mixed in with some extra water up to 750 ml. I would then sip the drink every 10 minutes to give me a consistent source of energy and electrolytes. For a long-distance gravel event where the intensity is lower but the conditions are hot, I would use 2 x 40g / 1000mg gels per hour mixed into one bottle.
The only downside of this approach is that you really need to make sure you don’t lose that bottle! On rough roads I always use elasticated straps to secure the bottle in the cage."
Don’t just take our word for it
Hear from some of our amazing co-creators who build the product with us
“Love that I can mix it to match my needs. Whether as a gel or drink, it fuels my training perfectly—electrolytes and carbs just the way I need them.”
James L.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our philosophy is simple: athletes deserve nutrition that is as pure, focused, and determined as they are. We combine years of competitive experience with the latest scientific research to create products free from unnecessary additives, gentle on the digestive system, and tailored to the rigorous demands of human performance. Every product goes through a detailed forensic development process to ensure consistency and repeatability. When you choose truefuels, you join a community that values integrity, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.
Our energy gel is crafted with a precise blend of carbohydrates, electrolytes, and hydration agents that work in harmony to:
- Fuel your muscles: Quick-acting carbohydrates provide immediate energy when needed.
- Enhance hydration: Essential electrolytes maintain fluid balance.
- Support recovery: A balanced formulation helps replenish glycogen and aids in post-exercise recovery.
- Steady release system: Endorsed by leading sports scientists, our gel delivers a continuous release of energy for sustained performance.
- Water: Filtered and purified for essential hydration.
- Maltodextrin: A long chain of glucose molecules rapidly broken down and absorbed (via SGLT1) for immediate energy.
- Fructose: A natural sugar from fruit, absorbed via GLUT5, which complements maltodextrin and supports liver glycogen restoration.
- Coconut Water Powder: Provides electrolytes and essential vitamins/minerals for hydration and overall health.
- Himalayan Salt: Supplies essential sodium to maintain fluid balance during exercise.
- Tri Magnesium Citrate: A highly bioavailable form of magnesium in a triple citrate formulation, offering enhanced solubility and absorption to help prevent cramps and support overall performance.
- Potassium Sorbate: An antimicrobial agent that extends shelf life by preventing mold, yeast, and bacteria.
The performance gel results from a unique collaboration between top athletes and experts. It was co-designed by Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee and Nigel Mitchell, alongside renowned academics and a network of dedicated co-creators. With decades of experience, the latest research, extensive lab work, and rigorous field testing, we’ve crafted the ultimate performance gel to fuel your endurance and elevate your game.
Carbohydrates are the primary fuel source for your body, especially during high-intensity exercise.
Here’s why they are essential for peak performance:
- Your immediate Energy Source is blood glucose, which your muscles rapidly use to provide the energy needed.
- Glycogen Storage: Glucose is stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. These glycogen stores act as a readily available reserve that your body taps into during prolonged or intense exercise, helping to delay fatigue.
- Enhanced Endurance: Maintaining adequate carbohydrate levels ensures your muscles have the sustained energy required to perform at high intensities for longer durations. This is critical for endurance events where constant energy delivery is key.
- Optimal Brain Function: Carbohydrates also fuel your brain, supporting cognitive functions such as focus, coordination, and decision-making, which are crucial during competitive performance.
- Efficient Recovery: Consuming carbohydrates before, during, and after exercise helps replenish glycogen stores, accelerating recovery and preparing for subsequent training sessions or competitions.
Sodium is essential for maintaining fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contraction. It helps prevent cramps and fatigue, making it a key component in any performance nutrition plan.
As soon as you create an account, you are a truefuels base member - automatically and at no cost! After, our membership levels are based on the quantity of order per year to unlock certain benefits as indicated below:
Base Member
How to qualify: create an account
Perfect for: new fans and everyday athletes
Benefits:
- Exclusive newsletter with training tips, athlete stories & product insights
- Early access to product pre-orders
- Access to truefuels community events (city runs, training sessions)
Core Member
How to qualify: 6+ orders per year
Perfect for: loyal customers fueling their journey year-round
All level 1 benefits, plus:
- Annual truefuels merchandise gift card
- Extra discount on pre-order specials and seasonal sales specials
- Preferred access to exclusive live events (Q&As, athlete meetups)
- Occasional access to limited-run gear or collabs
Pro Member
How to qualify: 12+ orders per year - ordering by subscription autom. gives this member status
Perfect for: High-performance athletes and superfans
All level 2 benefits, plus:
- Free delivery on all orders
- First access to all new product drops
- Maximum discount on all products during pre-access windows
- Special discount on all merchandise all year long
- Signed merchandise guarantee (minimum 1/year from truefuels athlete partners)
- VIP access to behind-the-scenes athlete content and product R&D insights
We offer reliable and fast shipping on all truefuels products. For detailed information on shipping methods, transit times, and tracking, please refer to our Shipping Policy
We love feedback! Please submit all feedback and suggestions via our form on the Contact Page. Your input is invaluable in helping us improve our products and services.
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