Science is a part of our nature. And vice versa.

In 2015, we discovered how to make sports fuels easier to tolerate by encapsulating high concentrations of carbohydrates in hydrogels. The sports fuels, based on only natural ingredients, became popular and one year later some of the world's best runners started using our products. The technology is patent pending.

Not just another sports drink

Athletes have always struggled to fuel their bodies.

By the 1960s, scientists realized that drinking carbohydrate solutions during exercise increased performance. With a mixture of sugar, salts and lemonade, the first sports drink was born.

But carbohydrate drinks can cause problems. Our stomachs don't cope well with high concentrations of sugar – often resulting in slower gastric emptying and GI distress. 

At Maurten, we've launched a new range of sports fuels by harnessing hydrogel technology to develop carbohydrate-rich and natural sports drinks and energy gels that our bodies can tolerate.

Based on only natural ingredients

With the use of hydrogel technology, Maurten has increased the amount of carbohydrates, reduced the risk of gastrointestinal problems, and removed all unnecessary ingredients that don't aid your performance.

Twice the energy – the Drink Mix 320 contains nearly 14 percent – or 80 grams – of carbohydrates when mixed. That's about twice as much energy ever thought possible in a sports drink. 

No added flavor – we're not impressed by artificial flavors. You can tell what you're getting from the taste of our drink mixes.

Clean – no added colorants or preservatives. Our sports fuel contains only natural ingredients. Nothing more and nothing less than what’s needed.

Drink Mix 160 - Maurten.no

Drinks: How it works?

Mix the Drink Mix 320 and 160 with water, and you’ll have a liquid sports drink containing high concentrations of carbohydrates. The drink instantly converts to hydrogel in the acidity of the stomach, encapsulating the carbohydrates. The hydrogel then enables a smooth transportation of the sports drink through the stomach to the intestine where the water, salt and carbohydrates are absorbed.

Gel 100 Caf 100 - Maurten.no

GEL: How it works?

The GEL is a hydrogel – a biopolymer matrix that holds carbohydrates. It relies on the same concept as our drinks where the hydrogel technology enables a smoother transportation of carbohydrates through the stomach to the intestine where the carbohydrates are absorbed. In the case of our drinks, the hydrogel is formed in the acidity of the stomach – but the GEL is a hydrogel formed in production, by combining sodium alginate and calcium carbonate under exact conditions.

Meet the hydrogel

Hydrogels are widely used in the food industry, often as thickeners and structurants. A hydrogel is a biopolymer- and water-based structure with very small pores. As a three-dimensional network with the ability to hold water, it looks and behaves a bit like a kitchen sponge. 

At Maurten, we’ve found a way to build hydrogels with natural food ingredients. And we’ve filled the structure with the most efficient source of energy around – carbohydrates. 

The hydrogels in our sports drinks are built from the combination of two natural ingredients: 

  • Alginate – extracted from the cell walls of brown algae. 
  • Pectin – found in apples, lemons, carrots and tomatoes, to name a few.

These two dietary fibers have been used for decades within the food industry. Combined under precisely the right circumstances, alginate and pectin form a pH-sensitive hydrogel.

We rely on science and elite athletes

In 2015, we found a way to make sports fuels easier to tolerate, by encapsulating carbohydrates in hydrogels.

The method was so successful, that one year later, some of the world's best marathoners were fuelling their training sessions and competitions with our technology. It’s the science that has taken us this far. Now we're working together with several international research initiatives and universities. A number of studies are evaluating our technology and products. And soon, we hope that the first peer-reviewed paper will be published in support of our technology.

The number of great athletes using our technology is constantly growing. For the latest updates on which athletes are using our products, follow us on Instagram and Twitter.