Spring Energy Gel Comparison
Spring Energy Gel and e-Gel are quite a bit different. If you’re looking for foods with fat, fiber and protein in a gel then Spring is your choice. However, the beauty of e-Gel is that is does not have the digestive requirements associated with fats, fibers and proteins, thus you get maximum blood and oxygen delivery to your muscles. This is a big difference as explained below. e-Gel is loaded with complex carbs (more than 4 times compared to Spring) which is proven to provide maximum energy delivery to endurance athletes. e-Gel also provides a complete blend of amino acids that help to reduce muscle soreness and tissue damage and speed recovery. Below we go into great detail on this. There are many other differences, read on for the complete details:
calories
e-Gel
150
Spring
100
Each pack of e-Gel provides 50% more energy than a pack of Spring Energy Gel. This makes e-Gel more economical because 2 packs of e-Gel is the energy equivalent to 3 packs of Spring. Fewer packs to carry and less trash to deal with, that’s a good thing!
In addition, Spring is one of the most expensive gels on the market at a whopping $3.75/pack (for just 100 calories). That makes Spring about 3 times the cost of e-Gel.
complex carbs
e-Gel
30 g
Spring
7 g
e-Gel has more complex carbs than any other energy gel and this is critical because your body can uptake more energy when you use complex carbs instead of simple sugars.
How is this possible?
Read on (or watch this video)
The carbs/energy in an energy gel are transported into your cellular system through osmosis. If you recall learning about osmosis in science class, it’s the way a fluid crosses a membrane. In order for the fluid to cross, it has to be an equal or lower concentration than the fluid on the other side of the membrane. In this case you’re trying to get the gel across your cellular membrane so you can use the energy. Gels by themselves are extremely concentrated (hypertonic), that’s why you need to use water with gel so that you can lower the concentration until it becomes isotonic (the same concentration as your cellular fluids). When you do, the gel and water get absorbed – osmosis!!
What’s interesting is that the concentration of a fluid (also called the osmolality) is largely dependent on the NUMBER of particles in the fluid, and less dependent on the size of the particles. Complex carbs by definition have a larger molecular structure than simple sugars, basically they have more glucose molecules stuck together. But remember, it’s the number of particles, not the size that matters most. What that means is that at the point of absorption (isotonic), a fluid with complex carbs can transport nearly twice as much energy into the cellular system compared to one with simple sugars.
This isn’t something that we’ve invented here a Crank Sports, it’s proven science. Many energy gels (including e-Gel) use at least some maltodextrin for this reason. Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate with an extremely large molecular structure. Where e-Gel sets itself apart from other products is that we use much more complex carb and less sugar. This allows you to get more energy when you use e-Gel compared to our competitors. Why do other companies use so much sugar? Simple, because it’s sweet and inexpensive, and sweet things sell. So if you want to sell a lot of something you make it sweet. But if you want to make the best PERFORMING product you use complex carbs.
sugar % of carbs
e-Gel
18%
Spring
47%
By providing lower sugar and more complex carbs instead, e-Gel is able to provide significantly more total energy uptake. See our complex carb discussion for complete details.
sodium
e-Gel
230 mg
Spring
110 mg
e-Gel is the only energy gel to provide complete electrolyte replacement in the gel – where it should be! The most important electrolyte that you need to replenish is sodium to help you maintain hydration and to avoid cramping and injuries.
For a more detailed discussion of why it’s important to have this level of electrolytes in the gel instead of getting your electrolytes some other way:
potassium
e-Gel
85 mg
Spring
100 mg
Potassium is the other electrolyte that is important to replace during your training and competition, along with sodium. The level of potassium in e-Gel is designed to meet the American College of Sports Medicine’s recommendation for replacement during athletic activity. See the sodium discussion for additional details.
amino acids
e-Gel
Histidine, Leucine,Valine, Isoleucine
Spring
none
e-Gel provides a blend of 4 important amino acids that help to reduce lactic acid build up, reduce soreness, maintain muscle protein and aid in quicker recovery.
Spring Energy Gel does not have amino acids.
antioxidants
e-Gel
vitamin C 120%
vitamin E 120%
Spring
vitamin C 150%vitamin E 0%
Antioxidant vitamins C and E help protect against tissue damage, reduce soreness and aid in the recovery process.
protein, fat & fiber
e-Gel
none
Spring
fat 4.5 gramsprotein 1 gramfiber 1 gram
citrates
e-Gel
Sodium Citrate, Potassium Citrate and Citric Acid
Spring
Citric Acid
Citrates assist in the carbohydrate to energy conversion process as well as slow the build up of lactic acid in your muscles.
allergens
e-Gel
none
Spring
peanutssoy
e-Gel does not contain these allergens found in Spring Energy Gel.
ready to try e-Gel?
we guarantee you'll love it!
Keith Castleton
Jeff Rommel
David Ball
Shawn Smith
Vicki Griffin
Kathy Murgas
NOTE: All Spring Energy Gel nutrition values shown are for the Long Haul flavor as of April 2021, other flavors may vary. e-Gel nutrition values are the same for all flavors, read why
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