NovaFit Energy

What Is Golden Sugar? Unrefined Cane Sugar Explained

NovaFit Energy — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:11:00 +0000

Golden Sugar is non-centrifugal cane sugar: it is made without refining or bleaching, so it keeps the film of molasses that coats every crystal, along with minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, trace iron) and antioxidant polyphenols such as caffeic acid and gallic acid. In NOVAFIT gels it is one of the five carbohydrate sources and provides sucrose—glucose and fructose in a 1:1 ratio—with a more complete profile than refined white sugar.

What Golden Sugar is and why it is not "just sugar"

Golden Sugar is cane sugar that has gone through the least possible processing between the field and the package. It is not centrifuged to separate the molasses from the crystals, not bleached, not refined. The result is a sugar with a golden-amber color, a slightly caramelized flavor and, above all, a different composition from conventional white sugar.

Structurally it is still mostly sucrose—glucose and fructose in a 1:1 ratio—but it keeps the film of molasses that coats every crystal. That film is where the difference lies: it contains minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, trace iron), organic acids and phenolic compounds with documented antioxidant activity, such as caffeic acid and gallic acid.

A study published in Food Chemistry (ScienceDirect, 2020) on non-centrifugal sugars—the category Golden Sugar belongs to—found caffeic acid concentrations of up to 313 mg/100g and gallic acid of up to 508 mg/100g in high-quality samples, with antioxidant properties comparable to those of benchmark products on the market.

The extraction process: from cane to golden crystal

Step 1 — Manual or selective harvest

The cane (Saccharum officinarum) is cut at its optimal point of ripeness, when the sucrose concentration in the stalks reaches its peak. The cut cane must be processed within hours: sucrose begins to degrade enzymatically as soon as the stalk is separated from the root. In artisanal Golden Sugar production, this means the supply chain has to be short and local.

Step 2 — Washing

The stalks are washed with clean water to remove soil, leaves and external debris. No chemical additives.

Step 3 — Milling and extraction of the cane juice

The stalks pass through rollers or presses that crush them and extract the raw juice—the guarapo—greenish-yellow in color with a sucrose concentration of between 10 and 15%. The solid residue (bagasse) is used as fuel to power the process itself: an almost closed energy loop.

Step 4 — Natural clarification

The cane juice is heated and a small amount of lime (calcium hydroxide) is added to precipitate the colloidal impurities. In the artisanal process without centrifugation, additional chemical clarifiers are avoided. The impurities float to the top and are removed by hand.

Step 5 — Gradual evaporation

The clarified juice is transferred to large kettles where the water evaporates slowly—sometimes over hours—until it becomes a thick syrup with a sugar concentration of 60-70%. This is the most critical moment: excessive heat would destroy the phenolic compounds we want to preserve. The artisanal temperature control—done in an automated, aggressive way in industrial plants—is handled here with experience and patience.

Step 6 — Crystallization without centrifugation

The syrup is left to cool in molds or crystallizers. The sucrose crystallizes progressively around natural nuclei. Because it is not centrifuged to separate the crystals from the molasses—as the white-sugar industry does—the crystals stay coated in that fine golden film. That coating is the difference between Golden Sugar and refined sugar.

Step 7 — Drying and packaging

The crystals are gently dried with warm air until they reach the right moisture level for storage. The result is a coarse-crystal, amber-colored sugar with that faint caramel aroma that sets NOVAFIT gels apart from any laboratory alternative.

Golden sugar vs white sugar: the table that says it all

Characteristic	Refined white sugar	Golden Sugar (non-centrifugal)
Process	Extraction + centrifugation + bleaching + refining	Extraction + evaporation + natural crystallization
Color	White	Golden-amber
Main composition	Sucrose >99.9%	Sucrose + traces of molasses
Minerals	Practically none	Potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron (traces)
Phenolic compounds	Absent	Caffeic acid, gallic acid, flavonoids
Antioxidant activity	None	Documented (DPPH scavenging)
Flavor profile	Neutral sweetness	Sweetness with a complex caramel note
Gastrointestinal tolerance	Standard	Studies suggest a lower glycemic impact through the action of polyphenols
Compatibility with the 1:0.8 ratio	Yes (sucrose = glucose + fructose 1:1)	Yes, identical metabolic base
Additives in the process	Bleaching agents, flocculants	Lime (Ca(OH)₂) and water
Artisanal footprint	None	High — short process, local chain

Note: the differences in micronutrients are real but modest in absolute terms. Golden Sugar is not a mineral supplement but an energy ingredient with a superior qualitative profile. In the context of a gel with 400 mg of sodium and 125 mg of magnesium, the mineral contribution of Golden Sugar is complementary and consistent with the formulation as a whole.

What this means in your NOVAFIT gel

In NOVAFIT gels, Golden Sugar is one of the five carbohydrate sources that make up the 45 g of CHO per gel. Together with glucose syrup, fructose syrup, maltodextrin and isomaltulose (Palatinosa™), it is part of a system designed to maximize intestinal absorption through the two independent transporters SGLT1 (glucose/maltodextrin) and GLUT5 (fructose).

Golden Sugar provides sucrose—which the intestine hydrolyzes into glucose and fructose in a 1:1 ratio—contributing to the overall 1:0.8 ratio that allows the body to absorb up to 90 g of carbohydrate per hour, according to Jeukendrup's studies (2008, 2017). But it provides something more: the film of molasses with its natural polyphenols, which some studies suggest may slightly slow glucose absorption in the intestine, smoothing the glycemic peak without penalizing total energy availability. For the endurance athlete, this translates into steadier energy and a lower risk of an abrupt crash.

And then there is the taste. In 10-hour ultras, when you have taken your fourth gel and your stomach starts to protest, the difference between a gel that tastes like industrial syrup and one that tastes like real fruit with a gently sweet finish can decide whether you keep eating. Golden Sugar is part of that difference.

Nutritional takeaway: what Golden Sugar means for you

Golden Sugar in a sports gel formulation is not marketing. It is a choice with real consequences.

For any endurance athlete it means a supply of high-purity sucrose—a metabolic base identical to white sugar—with an added profile of phenolic compounds and trace minerals that reinforce the coherence of a natural formulation. The documented antioxidant activity of the polyphenols in non-centrifugal sugar is relevant in the context of the oxidative stress induced by intense exercise, where the buildup of free radicals shapes both performance and recovery.

At NOVAFIT we use Golden Sugar because we believe that what goes into your body during a long effort should be as honest as the effort itself. No artifice. No shortcuts. With the same patience with which the cane ripens in the field and the sugar crystallizes slowly, without industrial haste.

Because some people reach kilometer 60 on a prayer. Others reach it having fueled well. You decide.

Frequently asked questions

What is Golden Sugar?

It is non-centrifugal cane sugar: it is made without separating the molasses from the crystals, without bleaching and without refining. That is why it keeps a golden-amber color and retains the film of molasses, which provides trace minerals and antioxidant polyphenols that are absent from white sugar.

How does golden sugar differ from white sugar?

White sugar is centrifuged, bleached and refined down to almost pure sucrose (>99.9%), with no minerals or phenolic compounds. Golden Sugar keeps that thin layer of molasses with potassium, calcium, magnesium and trace iron, plus caffeic acid and gallic acid with documented antioxidant activity.

Is golden sugar healthier than refined sugar?

It is still sugar and should be consumed sensibly. The difference is not in the calories—practically identical—but in the profile: Golden Sugar adds trace minerals and polyphenols, and some studies suggest a slightly gentler glycemic impact through the action of those polyphenols. It is an energy ingredient with a superior qualitative profile, not a mineral supplement.

Is golden sugar the same as panela or muscovado sugar?

They all belong to the family of non-centrifugal cane sugars, which keep the molasses. The difference lies in the degree of crystallization and moisture: panela usually comes as a block or as a moister granulated form, whereas Golden Sugar is a dry, amber-colored crystal suited to a stable formulation like that of a gel.

Why does NOVAFIT use Golden Sugar in its gels?

For three reasons: it provides sucrose that activates both the SGLT1 and GLUT5 transporters at once, it adds natural polyphenols and minerals that reinforce the coherence of a natural formula, and it brings a real-fruit flavor with a caramel finish that helps you keep eating during very long efforts.

Scientific references

Asikin, Y. et al. (2020). Nutritional and antioxidant properties of non-centrifugal cane sugar. Food Chemistry (ScienceDirect).
Jaffé, W. (2015). Nutritional and functional components of non centrifugal cane sugar. Food Research International (ScienceDirect).
Jeukendrup, A.E. (2017). Carbohydrate intake during exercise and performance. Sports Medicine.

This content is informational and educational and does not replace the advice of a sports nutrition professional. NOVAFIT products are food supplements for athletes; do not exceed the recommended dose.

La entrada What Is Golden Sugar? Unrefined Cane Sugar Explained se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

Why NOVAFIT Gels Use 5 Carbohydrate Sources

NovaFit Energy — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 08:08:00 +0000

NOVAFIT gels combine five carbohydrate sources—Golden Sugar, glucose syrup, fructose syrup, maltodextrin and isomaltulose (Palatinosa™)—in an approximate 1:0.8 ratio of glucose to fructose. That combination activates two separate intestinal transporters (SGLT1 and GLUT5), lets you absorb more carbs per hour without overwhelming the gut, and adds a slow-release source that steadies your energy through the second half of the effort.

The real challenge: absorbing energy fast without punishing your gut

When you train or race at high intensity, your body can need between 60 and 120 grams of carbohydrate per hour to sustain performance. But there is a physiological bottleneck that limits every gel on the market: the small intestine cannot absorb unlimited amounts of carbohydrate if it all comes from a single source.

The reason is strictly physiological. Each type of carbohydrate uses a specific, saturable intestinal transporter. Glucose and its derivatives (maltodextrin, starches) rely on the SGLT1 transporter. Fructose uses the GLUT5 transporter. Once you reach 60 g/hour of glucose, SGLT1 saturates: the unabsorbed carbohydrate ferments in the colon, and the result is something every athlete knows—bloating, gas and discomfort in the middle of a race.

The solution science has been investigating for two decades is to combine sources that use different transporters. On that point, NOVAFIT agrees with the best brands in the world. Where we stand apart is in one element that virtually no gel on the market has adopted yet: Palatinosa™.

Four immediate-energy sources: the science-backed foundation

NOVAFIT gels combine four fast-absorbing carbohydrate sources in an approximate 1:0.8 ratio of glucose-based to fructose-based sources:

Golden Sugar (whole cane sugar)

Sucrose—a disaccharide of glucose + fructose in a 1:1 ratio—simultaneously activates the SGLT1 and GLUT5 transporters, delivering immediate energy through both pathways. In its golden sugar form (whole cane sugar), it also retains natural micronutrients such as potassium, calcium and traces of B-group vitamins, absent from conventional refined sugars.

Glucose syrup

A very fast-absorbing energy source via SGLT1. It provides the immediate substrate the muscle needs from the very first minutes of the effort.

Fructose syrup

Activates the GLUT5 transporter, independent of SGLT1, making it possible to break past the 60 g/hour glucose absorption ceiling. Jeukendrup and colleagues showed that the glucose + fructose combination raises the oxidation rate of exogenous carbohydrate by up to 65% more than glucose alone, reaching rates of 1.75 g/min when 1 g/min had previously been considered the absolute maximum possible.

Maltodextrin

A glucose polymer with a lower osmolality than simple sugars. This detail is key for gastric tolerance: hypertonic products slow gastric emptying and increase the risk of digestive discomfort. Maltodextrin delivers high energy density with a lower osmotic impact, making it easier to absorb fluids at the same time.

This four-source combination in a 1:0.8 ratio matches the standard that the most advanced scientific research points to as optimal for maximizing carbohydrate absorption during endurance exercise. It is no coincidence: it is what intestinal physiology demands.

The fifth source: where NOVAFIT goes one step further

Palatinosa™ (isomaltulose): sustained energy when you need it most

Palatinosa™ is a disaccharide of glucose + fructose with a different molecular bond from sucrose (α-1,6-glucosidic instead of α-1,2-glucosidic). This apparently minor structural detail has an important physiological consequence: intestinal hydrolysis is considerably slower, giving it a glycemic index of roughly 32, versus 100 for free glucose.

What does this mean during exercise? While the other four sources deliver energy in the first 20-40 minutes, Palatinosa™ acts as a sustained-release reserve: it stabilizes blood glucose in the second half of the effort and reduces the risk of the dreaded energy crashes that appear when the fast sources run out.

The most recent scientific evidence backs this effect. A study from Swansea University (Hamilton et al., 2025, European Journal of Sport Science) showed in ultra-endurance athletes that adding Palatinosa™ to the nutrition strategy was associated with more time within the optimal blood-glucose range (70–140 mg/dL), greater glycemic stability and significantly higher fat oxidation—which implies better glycogen sparing for the decisive moments of a race.

Earlier studies published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (Wenig et al., 2021) and in Nutrients (2016) had pointed in the same direction, showing more stable glucose profiles and a higher proportion of lipid oxidation with isomaltulose compared with maltodextrin or glucose alone.

Why don't most gels on the market include it? It is not a matter of scientific ignorance. Palatinosa™ is a trademarked ingredient with a significantly higher cost than conventional maltodextrin, and adding it makes the formulation more complex. At an industrial scale of millions of units, that decision has a direct impact on margin. At NOVAFIT, producing in small artisanal batches at our workshop in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, we have prioritized the formula over the cost.

The 1:0.8 ratio: the standard backed by current science

The carbohydrate ratio in NOVAFIT gels—roughly 1 part glucose-based sources to 0.8 fructose-based sources—is not arbitrary. It is backed by Jeukendrup's work and by studies such as Podlogar et al. (2022, European Journal of Applied Physiology), which compared different carbohydrate ratios and doses in elite cyclists and concluded that the 1:0.8 ratio maximizes exogenous carbohydrate oxidation by balancing the load across both intestinal transporters without saturating either one.

Beyond carbohydrates: sodium and magnesium done right

The NOVAFIT formula is rounded out by two elements that broaden its effectiveness:

400 mg of sodium in citrate form

Sodium is the key electrolyte for maintaining plasma volume and the thirst signal during exercise. The citrate form offers an added advantage over conventional sodium chloride: the citrate ion acts as a mild buffer of blood pH, helping to neutralize the metabolic acidosis generated during high-intensity effort.

125 mg of magnesium bisglycinate

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions, including ATP synthesis and muscle contraction. The bisglycinate form—magnesium chelated with two glycine molecules—has the highest bioavailability and the best gastrointestinal tolerance of all the magnesium salts available. A detail that matters especially when the digestive system is already under stress during intense exercise.

Summary: what each source contributes

Source	Transporter	Kinetics	Main function
Golden Sugar	SGLT1 + GLUT5	Fast	Immediate energy + dual transporter activation
Glucose syrup	SGLT1	Very fast	Initial energy peak
Fructose syrup	GLUT5	Fast	Break past the 60 g/h absorption ceiling
Maltodextrin	SGLT1	Medium	Energy density with low osmolality
Palatinosa™	SGLT1 + GLUT5	Slow-sustained	Glycemic stability + glycogen preservation

In summary

NOVAFIT gels combine the scientific foundation that current research endorses for maximizing carbohydrate absorption—a 1:0.8 ratio, dual activation of the SGLT1 and GLUT5 transporters—with a distinguishing element that virtually no gel on the market has adopted until now: Palatinosa™, with its own evidence for glycemic stability and glycogen sparing in endurance efforts. Add to that 30% natural fruit pulp and an artisanal production process that pulls the product away from industrial logic and closer to what many sports nutritionists have been asking for over the years: more complete formulas that are more honest about the athlete's real physiology.

Frequently asked questions

What is isomaltulose (Palatinosa™)?

It is a carbohydrate made of glucose and fructose, just like common sugar, but with a different molecular bond that the intestine hydrolyzes more slowly. That is why it has a glycemic index of roughly 32 (versus 100 for glucose) and releases energy in a sustained way, helping to avoid the crash when the fast sources run out.

What does the 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio mean?

It is the proportion between glucose and fructose sources in the formula. Because glucose uses the SGLT1 transporter and fructose uses GLUT5, combining them in this proportion lets you increase the total amount of carbohydrate the muscle can oxidize per hour without saturating either pathway, while at the same time reducing the risk of digestive discomfort.

How many carbs per hour can you absorb?

From a single glucose source, the practical ceiling is around 60 g/hour because the SGLT1 transporter saturates. By combining glucose and fructose—which use different transporters—exogenous carbohydrate oxidation can rise significantly, approaching 90 g/hour in trained, well-adapted athletes.

Why magnesium bisglycinate and not another form?

Because it is a chelated form, with magnesium bound to two glycine molecules, that stands out for its bioavailability and its good gastrointestinal tolerance compared with inorganic salts. It is especially useful when the digestive system is already under stress during exercise. Each NOVAFIT gel provides 125 mg.

Do NOVAFIT gels contain refined sugar?

No. One of the five carbohydrate sources is Golden Sugar, a whole, non-centrifugal cane sugar that retains natural minerals and polyphenols, instead of conventional refined white sugar.

Scientific references

Jeukendrup, A.E. (2010). Carbohydrate and exercise performance: the role of multiple transportable carbohydrates. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition & Metabolic Care.
Rowlands, D.S. et al. (2015). Fructose–Glucose Composite Carbohydrates and Endurance Performance. Sports Medicine.
Podlogar, T. et al. (2022). Increased exogenous but unaltered endogenous carbohydrate oxidation with combined fructose-maltodextrin ingested at 120 g/h versus 90 g/h at different ratios. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
Hamilton, R.A. et al. (2025). Glycaemic Impact of Low- and High-Glycaemic Index Carbohydrate Diets in Ultra-Endurance Athletes. European Journal of Sport Science.
Wenig, P. et al. (2021). Metabolic, hormonal and performance effects of isomaltulose ingestion before prolonged aerobic exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Gatorade Sports Science Institute (2024). SSE #108: Multiple Transportable Carbohydrates and Their Benefits.

La entrada Why NOVAFIT Gels Use 5 Carbohydrate Sources se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

Bar or energy gel: when to use each during a race

NovaFit Energy — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 12:01:00 +0000

The NOVAFIT gel (45 g of carbohydrates, absorbed in 0–5 minutes) is fast energy for the intense sections; the NOVAFIT bar (50% fruit pulp, gradual digestion and amino acid content) is more sustained energy for moderate pace and long distance. They don't compete: you alternate them according to the moment in the race.

Gel or bar. The question seems simple; the answer is strategic. Both provide energy, both are vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free and free from artificial colours and flavours, and both contain real fruit pulp. But their nutritional profile, their absorption speed and their role during a race are different —and in a long event, using them well or badly can be the difference between finishing strong or finishing on empty.

The key differences at a glance

	NOVAFIT Gel	NOVAFIT Bar
CHO per serving	45 g (5 sources, 1:0.8 ratio)	30 g (4 sources, 2:1 ratio)
Absorption speed	High (acts in 0–5 min)	Medium (gradual digestion)
Real fruit pulp	Up to 45%	50%
Sodium	400 mg (sodium citrate)	—
Magnesium	125 mg (bisglycinate)	230 mg (citrate)
BCAAs	No	Yes (188 mg, 8:1:1 ratio)
L-Glutamine	No	Yes (68 mg)
Texture	Fluid and semi-liquid	Solid chew, dissolves on its own
Needs chewing	No	Practically not
Ideal moment	Intense effort, hard sections	Moderate pace, early sections

When to use the gel

The gel is your tool for fast, precise energy. Use it when the effort is high and the gut has no margin for extra work:

In the highest-intensity sections (climbs, sprints, race finishes).
When you need energy to arrive in under 5 minutes.
In the second half of long events, when the rate of intestinal absorption is already low.
Whenever you can't chew safely (technical descents, very high pace).

The fluid texture of the NOVAFIT gel goes down without chewing and without stopping, and its base of natural fruit pulp makes it easy to take even when blood flow moves away from the digestive system —one of the factors behind gastrointestinal issues in long distance.

When to use the bar

The bar is your tool for sustained energy and format variety. Use it when the pace allows:

In the early sections, when the intensity is moderate and the gut is working normally.
In long efforts, where you appreciate chewing something solid and changing texture so you don't get sick of gels.
When you want a more gradual energy supply, without the gel's immediate kick.

The bar also provides BCAAs (188 mg, 8:1:1 ratio, with leucine as the main component) and L-glutamine (68 mg) —two amino acids widely studied in the sports field. It's worth being honest about the evidence: the work linking BCAAs to a smaller rise in creatine kinase after exercise (Salem et al., 2024) or L-glutamine to protection of the intestinal barrier (Zuhl et al., 2014) uses doses of several grams, well above those provided by a bar. That's why we don't present these amino acids as a guaranteed recovery effect, but as a complement to the fruit and carbohydrates that make up its base. The bar's energy comes, above all, from its carbohydrates and its fruit pulp.

The smart combination in a long race

Gel and bar don't compete: they complement each other. Each has its moment.

Practical strategy for events longer than 3 hours:

First 60 min: NOVAFIT bar at minute 20–30. Moderate pace, active gut, gradual energy from the start.
Minute 60 onwards: alternate gel and bar every 30–35 minutes according to the intensity of the section. Gel for the hard moments, bar for the pace-recovery ones.
Last 45 min: gel only. Maximum absorption speed when you need it most.

With this pattern you cover the 60–90 g of CHO per hour range validated by the evidence, add textural variety in the sections where the muscle has already been working for hours, and maintain digestive tolerance throughout the event.

One brand. Two formats. Zero compromises.

Frequently asked questions

Which is absorbed faster, the gel or the bar?

The gel. Its fluid texture and its five carbohydrate sources start delivering energy in the first few minutes. The bar, being solid, is digested more gradually, which makes it ideal for moderate-pace sections.

What are the bar's BCAAs and L-glutamine for?

They are amino acids widely studied for their role in muscle recovery and gut health. In the bar they appear as a complement to its base of carbohydrates and fruit; the doses aren't meant to reproduce those of clinical studies, which are much higher.

Can I alternate gel and bar in the same race?

Yes, and in long events it's recommended: bar in the moderate-pace sections, gel in the higher-intensity ones and in the final stretch. You maintain the carbohydrate supply and vary the texture so you don't get sick of it.

Which should I carry in an ultra of +4 h?

Both. Start with the bar in the first hour, alternate gel and bar through the central stretch according to intensity, and save the gel for the final stretch, when you need the fastest absorption.

Does the bar contain the same magnesium as the gel?

No. The gel contains 125 mg of magnesium in bisglycinate form; the bar contains 230 mg in magnesium citrate form. They are different forms of the same mineral.

This content is informational and educational and does not replace the advice of a health or nutrition professional. NOVAFIT products are food supplements for athletes; do not exceed the recommended dose. If you have a medical condition, consult a professional before using them.

La entrada Bar or energy gel: when to use each during a race se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

How often should you take an energy gel during a race? A guide by duration

NovaFit Energy — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:28:00 +0000

Direct answer: between 60 and 90 g of carbohydrates per hour is the range backed by the evidence. With a 45 g NOVAFIT gel, that means 1 gel every 30–40 minutes in high-intensity efforts, or 1 gel every 40–50 minutes at moderate or long-distance paces. Start at minute 20–30, before you feel anything.

Why your body runs out of glycogen

Your body stores between 400 and 500 g of glycogen, spread between muscle and liver. At competitive intensities —above 70% of VO₂max— you burn through it at a rate of 60–90 g per hour. Without replenishment, you have fuel for between 60 and 90 minutes. After that, the wall.

The problem isn't just the amount: it's reaction time. By the time you start to feel yourself running empty, you've already been in real deficit for 10 to 15 minutes. Glycogen gives no advance warning. That's why the right strategy is anticipatory, not reactive.

A review published in *Frontiers in Sports and Active Living* (Christ et al., 2024), based on 11 studies of moderate to high quality, found that carbohydrate intake during exercise attenuates the rise in cortisol and reduces adrenaline levels in endurance athletes —which translates into less hormonal stress and better management of prolonged effort. And the reference work by Jeukendrup (2014), in *Sports Medicine*, established that combining different types of carbohydrate —as NOVAFIT does with its 1:0.8 ratio— allows you to absorb more grams per hour than a single source, thanks to the simultaneous use of two intestinal transporters.

Frequency table by duration of effort

Duration of effort	When to start	Frequency	Notes
Less than 60 min	Not needed	—	Glycogen stores are sufficient
60–90 min	Minute 30–40	1 gel total	Only if the pace is high
90 min – 3 h	Minute 20–30	1 gel every 35–40 min	Anticipatory strategy is key
More than 3 hours	Minute 20–30	1 gel every 30–35 min	Keep the window without exception
Ultra-distance +4 h	Minute 20	Alternate gel and bar every 30 min	The bar adds amino acids and textural variety

Hydration: always pair each gel with 150–200 ml of water. It's not about thirst, it's physiology: water supports gastric emptying and the absorption of the gel's components in the small intestine. In hot conditions, increase to 200–250 ml.

Anticipatory strategy vs. reactive strategy

Reactive strategy (the most common, and the worst)

The athlete waits until they feel bad to take the gel. By the time they take it, their blood glucose has already dropped, performance has already deteriorated and recovery takes between 10 and 20 minutes to take effect. By then, the damage is already done.

Anticipatory strategy (the one that works)

The athlete sets an intake pattern before starting and follows it regardless of how they feel. Blood glucose stays more stable, the muscle receives fuel continuously and the effort is perceived as more sustainable for longer.

Practical pattern for a 2-hour race:

Minute 0: start with full glycogen.
Minute 25: first NOVAFIT gel.
Minute 60: second NOVAFIT gel.
Minute 95: third NOVAFIT gel (or a bar if the pace allows).

With this pattern you cover between 67 and 90 g of CHO per hour through the central stretch of the race —exactly the range the evidence validates for maximising performance.

Frequently asked questions about gels during a race

Can I take more than 90 g of carbohydrates per hour?

Technically yes, but without a clearly demonstrated additional benefit and with a greater risk of gastrointestinal issues. The intestinal transporters have a maximum capacity: SGLT-1 processes around 60 g/hour of glucose and GLUT-5 about 30–40 g/hour of fructose. Exceeding those limits doesn't speed up absorption: it only loads the gut.

Do I need a gel in a race of less than an hour?

Generally, no. The glycogen stores of a well-fed athlete cover up to about 90 minutes of moderate effort. If the intensity is very high (above 85% of VO₂max), a gel at minute 30–40 can make a difference in the final stretch.

What happens if I skip a dose?

It depends on the timing. If you skip it in the first hour, it's recoverable. If you skip it in the second or third, the deficit accumulates and recovering it is much harder: the gut absorbs at its own pace and you can't compensate by taking two gels at once.

Can NOVAFIT gels be taken without water?

Yes, their texture allows it. But pairing them with 150–200 ml of water always improves absorption, because it supports gastric emptying and the dispersion of the components in the small intestine.

Is there a difference between taking the gel before or during the effort?

Yes. Taking it 15 minutes before a short or high-intensity event can give a useful energy boost in the first kilometres. In long events, the most important thing is to maintain regularity during the race, not the pre-load.

Can the NOVAFIT gel cause digestive issues?

The formula is designed to minimise that risk: the 1:0.8 ratio splits absorption between two transporters and improves digestive tolerance compared with maltodextrin-only formulas (O'Brien & Rowlands, 2011), and the low osmolarity of maltodextrin prevents the gel from drawing water into the gut. Even so, train with the gel before using it in competition.

La entrada How often should you take an energy gel during a race? A guide by duration se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

What exactly does a NOVAFIT gel do in your body? The science, step by step

NovaFit Energy — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 07:02:00 +0000

A NOVAFIT energy gel delivers 45 g of carbohydrates from five sources that are absorbed at different times (1:0.8 glucose-fructose ratio), 400 mg of sodium, 125 mg of magnesium bisglycinate and up to 45% real fruit pulp. The intended result: sustained energy without a sharp spike or crash, and fewer digestive issues during effort.

When you open a NOVAFIT gel at kilometre 30 of a race, you're not just making a flavour choice: you're making a metabolic one. And the difference between getting it right or wrong can be several minutes on the clock —or the difference between finishing strong and walking the last five kilometres. In this article we break down, step by step, what happens from the moment you swallow the gel until the muscle turns it into power.

The 45 g of carbohydrates that don't all act at once

The most common mistake when reading a label is to think that "45 g of CHO" is a single thing that hits all at once. It doesn't work that way. The carbohydrates in a NOVAFIT gel come from five different sources that act at different times, like a relay team that never drops the baton.

Source	Action window	Transporter	Main function
Golden Sugar	0–5 min	SGLT-1	Immediate energy
Glucose syrup	0–5 min	SGLT-1	Fast start
Maltodextrin	5–20 min	SGLT-1	Low osmolarity, fewer GI issues
Fructose (1:0.8 ratio)	10–35 min	GLUT-5	Alternative pathway, no saturation
Palatinose® (isomaltulose)	20–60+ min	SGLT-1	Slow release, avoids the crash

Minutes 0–5: the start

Golden Sugar and glucose syrup enter the bloodstream almost immediately via the intestinal transporter SGLT-1. Fuel available before you've even finished putting the wrapper away.

Minutes 5–20: the bridge

Maltodextrin takes longer because the gut has to break its long chain first. Its key advantage is low osmolarity: it doesn't draw water into the gut during absorption. The practical result: less bloating, less urgency, fewer involuntary stops.

Minutes 10–35: the alternative pathway, the scientific heart of the formula

Fructose uses the GLUT-5 transporter, completely independent of the SGLT-1 used by glucose. While glucose saturates its absorption pathway once it reaches certain levels, fructose keeps coming in through its own without interfering. This is the basis of the 1:0.8 glucose:fructose ratio used by NOVAFIT, and the formulation element with the most accumulated scientific support over the past decade.

Hearris et al. (2022), in Journal of Applied Physiology, found that consuming 120 g/hour of carbohydrates at a 1:0.8 ratio —in formats such as gels, drinks or chews— is tolerable and produces high rates of exogenous carbohydrate oxidation: the muscle actually uses them, rather than them accumulating in the gut. A 2025 review published in *Nutrients* on carbohydrate strategies in long-distance endurance also notes that exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome affects between 30 and 90% of endurance athletes, and that combining sources with different absorption pathways is one of the keys to reducing it.

Minutes 20–60+: the long haul

Palatinose® (isomaltulose) has a glycaemic index of 32, compared with 100 for pure glucose. It comes in slowly, without a sharp spike, and helps sustain blood glucose once the fast sources have run out. It's the difference between an engine that stalls all at once and one that keeps metering out fuel right up to the finish line.

The sodium: 400 mg with a dual role

The 400 mg of sodium citrate aren't there just to replace what you lose through sweat —though that alone would be reason enough. The sodium concentration of sweat varies widely from one person to another (around 400–1,000 mg per litre) and is, above all, individual; what increases with heat and intensity is sweat volume, and with it total losses.

Sodium citrate also has a second role: it acts as a blood pH buffer. When you train hard, pH tends to fall, and the lower it goes, the harder it is for the muscle to contract. A review published in *Translational Sports Medicine* (Cerullo et al., 2020) describes sodium citrate as an alkalinising agent that may attenuate those pH changes and support fluid recovery; the review itself is cautious and stresses that the benefit to performance is not always conclusive. A crossover, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (2024) found in elite athletes that sodium citrate supplementation improved performance and raised post-exercise lactate —a sign that the muscle was able to work at higher intensity before fatiguing.

Practical recommendation: drink 150 to 200 ml of water right after taking the gel. Not out of immediate physiological need, but because it supports faster, more complete absorption of all its components.

Magnesium bisglycinate: the form that gets where it matters

NOVAFIT uses 125 mg of magnesium bisglycinate in each gel —a chelated form in which the mineral is bound to two glycine molecules. This is thought to allow it to be absorbed via the gut's amino acid transporters, with less dependence on gastric pH; it's a mechanism supported by bioavailability reviews, though still with few human absorption trials to confirm it definitively.

A systematic review by Tarsitano et al. (2024), published in Journal of Translational Medicine and based on 4 studies (no meta-analysis, so the evidence is still preliminary), suggests that magnesium supplementation might reduce perceived muscle soreness and support recovery. A study by Maynar-Mariño et al. (2020), in *Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition*, found a significant inverse correlation between training and magnesium levels in erythrocytes: athletes showed lower levels than sedentary people despite similar intakes. In other words: you can have "normal" magnesium in your blood and be tighter on it than you think.

Real fruit pulp: what no industrial process can replicate

Depending on the flavour, between 30% and 45% of each NOVAFIT gel is real fruit pulp of the variety shown on the label —the strawberry and beetroot one contains the most (30% strawberry + 15% beetroot). It's not juice, not freeze-dried, not synthetic flavouring: it's pulp. And that delivers natural compounds of physiological interest that go beyond the calorie content.

Strawberry & Beetroot Gel: nitrates and oxygen delivery

Beetroot provides natural nitrates that the body converts into nitric oxide, a vasodilator that improves the efficiency of oxygen transport to the muscle. An umbrella review published in *Sports Medicine* (Poon et al., 2025), which synthesised 20 systematic reviews with meta-analyses, confirms that dietary nitrates may improve endurance performance —in markers such as time to exhaustion or power output— though it found no clear benefit in time trials. A meta-analysis in *Nutrients* (Tan et al., 2024), in recreational adults, observed significant effects on time to reach peak power in high-intensity efforts. Strawberry, for its part, provides anthocyanins and vitamin C; the polyphenols in red berries are commonly associated with antioxidant activity. The strawberry-beetroot combination is no accident: it aims to pair oxygen delivery during the race with a fruity freshness that encourages you to keep eating when fatigue sets in.

Papaya & Lime Zest Gel: papain and easier digestion

Papaya contains papain, a proteolytic enzyme that aids digestion during effort, when intestinal blood flow is reduced —less work for the gut at exactly the moment it has fewest resources. The lime zest adds limonene and citrus aromas from the peel: they act as a sensory trigger that wakes up the palate and counters taste fatigue. It's not there for flavour alone: citrus peel concentrates aromatic compounds that juice never reaches.

Banana Mint-Infused Gel: menthol and perceived effort

Natural menthol activates the TRPM8 cold receptors in the skin and mucous membranes, which is associated with a lower subjective perception of heat and effort without altering actual body temperature —an ally in summer or mountain races under direct sun. Banana provides potassium, vitamin B6 and tryptophan: potassium is the most abundant intracellular electrolyte in muscle; B6 is involved in carbohydrate metabolism; and tryptophan is linked to central fatigue in prolonged efforts. The banana-mint combination works on two fronts: banana from the inside, mint from the outside.

What the science says, in three sentences

One: combining multiple carbohydrate transporters —the central principle of the NOVAFIT formula— is supported by recent studies in endurance athletes. Two: magnesium stores may be depleted faster than routine tests suggest, and bisglycinate is a form designed to improve absorption. Three: beetroot nitrates are one of the few natural aids backed by an umbrella review of 20 meta-analyses published in 2025.

Start before you need it. Repeat according to the duration of the effort. Drink 150–200 ml of water. Real fruit, real energy.

Frequently asked questions

Why does a gel contain five types of carbohydrate?

Because each source is absorbed in a different window. Combining them keeps energy delivery more continuous —a fast start with glucose, a final sustain with isomaltulose— and, by splitting absorption between two transporters (SGLT-1 and GLUT-5), it lets you make use of more carbohydrate per hour with less digestive load.

What is the 1:0.8 glucose-fructose ratio?

It's the proportion between glucose and fructose in the formula. Since each uses a different intestinal transporter, combining them in this proportion helps increase the total amount of carbohydrate the muscle can oxidise, while reducing the risk of digestive issues compared with single-source formulas.

What is the gel's sodium for?

The 400 mg of sodium citrate help replace part of the sodium lost through sweat and sustain plasma volume; in addition, citrate acts as a pH buffer during intense effort.

What does real fruit pulp offer over an artificial flavouring?

The pulp delivers the whole fruit —with its natural potassium and its own compounds (nitrates in beetroot, papain in papaya)— and a taste that resembles food, not chemistry. A synthetic flavouring only imitates the taste.

Why magnesium bisglycinate and not another form?

Because it's a chelated form designed to be absorbed more efficiently and with fewer digestive issues than inorganic forms. In NOVAFIT bars, by contrast, the magnesium is citrate (230 mg).

La entrada What exactly does a NOVAFIT gel do in your body? The science, step by step se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

NovaFit Energy Gel: Artisan Energy Made From Real Fruit

NovaFit Energy — Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000

There are products that exist because someone spotted a business opportunity. And there are products that exist because someone had spent years knowing they could do it better.

NovaFit Energy gels are the second kind.

Behind every gel there are more than twelve years of crafting sports nutrition by hand in a workshop in Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona. Twelve years learning what really works, which ingredients matter and what it means to do things properly when no one is watching.

That knowledge, that demand and that obsession with real fruit are what have shaped something that did not exist on the market: an artisan energy gel with genuine, natural fruit pulp.

Fruit pulp. Not juice. Not freeze-dried.

The main ingredient in our gels is fruit. Not juice. Not freeze-dried fruit. Not extract.

Natural fruit pulp, present in each gel at up to 45%.

The difference matters. Juice is the sugary water of the fruit — it keeps the soluble sugars but loses the vast majority of its real nutritional value. Freeze-dried fruit is dehydrated fruit that, through its transformation process, loses much of its bioactive compounds. Pulp is the whole fruit, with all its nutritional density, its fibers, its micronutrients, its antioxidants and its bioactive compounds intact.

That changes everything. It changes the flavor — intense, fresh, clean, recognizable. It changes the texture — smooth, uniform, without residue, easy to take in the middle of an effort. And it changes the real nutritional value of what enters the athlete's body at the moment when it is most needed.

The first time someone tries a NovaFit gel, the same thing always happens: they stop, take a second taste and ask where this comes from.

A formula designed for the real athlete

Each 70 g gel is formulated with a single criterion: give the body exactly what it needs, when it needs it most, in the most efficient way possible.

45 g of carbohydrates from five different sources

Golden Sugar, fructose syrup, maltodextrin, glucose syrup and isomaltulose (Palatinose) combine in a 1:0.8 ratio to take advantage simultaneously of the different intestinal transporters. The result is energy that arrives immediately, holds steady during effort and extends over time — all at once, without peaks or crashes, without saturating the digestive system.

400 mg of sodium as sodium citrate

The most directly absorbable form of sodium, at the reference dose to compensate for sweat losses, sustain plasma volume and ensure proper neuromuscular transmission. Because delaying fatigue starts by maintaining electrolyte balance from the very first gel.

125 mg of magnesium bisglycinate

The most bioavailable form of magnesium available. Because it is bound to two molecules of glycine, it is absorbed through the amino-acid transporters of the small intestine — a direct, efficient pathway with no digestive side effects. Five times more absorbable than magnesium oxide. Without irritating the gut. Arriving where it needs to arrive: the muscle cells, at the moment of effort.

The result: fewer cramps, less premature fatigue, better performance in the final stretches.

Natural potassium from the fruit itself

Not added as a synthetic ingredient. The fruit pulp we use provides it naturally, contributing to electrolyte balance and proper muscle function alongside sodium and magnesium.

Gluten-free · Lactose-free · 100% vegan

Suitable for every kind of athlete, no exceptions.

Artisan is not an adjective. It is a method.

We produce in small batches. We control every stage of the process manually. We know the origin of every ingredient. There are no shortcuts, no industrial processes, no machine that can replace the judgment and knowledge accumulated over more than twelve years in the workshop.

That has a cost. We accept it consciously, because it is exactly what guarantees that every gel that reaches your hand is what it claims to be — with no surprises, no filler ingredients, no gap between what is on the label and what is inside.

We make less so we can make better. And that decision shows in every sip.

The origin of an obsession

Under our Frutier brand we craft the so-called Frutas de Niza — an artisan confectionery made from concentrated fruit pulp whose origin goes back to northern Italy, to the Piedmont region, where this tradition was born centuries before spreading into the south of France.

A craft that demands precision, patience and absolute respect for the ingredient. No shortcuts. No substitutes.

That knowledge — that way of understanding fruit, working with it, respecting it — is exactly what we carry over into NovaFit gels.

We are not inventing anything new. We are recovering something very old:

Respect for what you eat.

Who NovaFit gels are for

For the runner who has been hours in the mountains and needs something that sits well and gives real energy.

For the cyclist who at kilometer 120 no longer wants any more artificial flavors.

For the triathlete who looks after what goes into their body with the same rigor as their training.

For the athlete who has decided that performance and quality are not at odds.

And for anyone who believes that sports nutrition can — and should — be something more than fruit-flavored chemistry.

NovaFit Energy. The energy you need with the flavor you deserve.

La entrada NovaFit Energy Gel: Artisan Energy Made From Real Fruit se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

Three Gels, Three Fruits, One Formula: The Science Behind NovaFit Energy Gels

NovaFit Energy — Mon, 11 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000

Formulating an energy gel is relatively simple. Formulating an energy gel that uses natural fruit pulp as its base, that respects the biodiversity of flavors of each fruit, that maintains an impeccable artisan texture and that at the same time meets the most demanding nutritional requirements of the endurance athlete — that is something else.

At NovaFit Energy we have been working with natural fruit in our workshop for more than twelve years. We know what fruit does when it is concentrated, when it is blended, when it reacts with other ingredients. And that knowledge is what sits behind each of our three gels.

The base formula — what all three share

Before getting into the flavors, it is worth understanding the nutritional architecture common to all three gels:

45 g of carbohydrates in a 1:0.8 ratio (glucose:fructose)

The 1:0.8 ratio is not arbitrary. It reflects the physiology of intestinal absorption: the body has two distinct transporters for carbohydrates — SGLT-1 for glucose and GLUT-5 for fructose. When both are used simultaneously and in the right proportion, total absorption capacity is maximized, and can exceed 90 g of CHO per hour without saturating the digestive system.

The five types of carbohydrate act in cascade:

Golden Sugar — Immediate, steady energy from the first minute, without the sharp glucose spikes associated with conventional simple sugars.

Glucose syrup — Fast and direct supply of usable energy in moments of highest demand.

Fructose syrup — Smooth and efficient absorption via a metabolic pathway different from glucose, prolonging the energy supply.

Maltodextrin — Progressive release with low osmolality, supporting comfortable digestion during prolonged exercise.

Isomaltulose (Palatinose) — The great stabilizer. Slow digestion that prolongs performance and stabilizes the glycemic response in long-duration efforts.

400 mg of sodium as sodium citrate

Sodium citrate has higher bioavailability than common salt during exercise, allowing the body to make better use of every milligram. With 400 mg of elemental sodium per gel, NovaFit Energy realistically covers sweat losses (500-1,000 mg per hour in intense effort), sustains plasma volume and ensures proper neuromuscular transmission. A consciously high dose that some competitors avoid in order to improve flavor. We keep it because the athlete needs it.

125 mg of magnesium bisglycinate

This is perhaps the most distinctive technical decision in the formula. Magnesium bisglycinate is a chelated form: the mineral is bonded to two molecules of glycine, an amino acid, which allows it to be absorbed through the amino-acid transporters of the small intestine — a more efficient and direct pathway that does not depend on pH and does not compete with other minerals.

The result: absorption five times higher than magnesium oxide, with no laxative effect, no intestinal irritation and a real bioavailability that arrives where it needs to arrive — the muscle cells — at the moment they need it most.

After analyzing the Spanish and international market, NovaFit Energy is one of the very few manufacturers that incorporates magnesium bisglycinate directly into the gel, with no need to supplement it with external salt capsules or tablets.

Natural potassium from the pulp itself

The three gels deliver potassium naturally through the fruit pulp, with no need to add it as a synthetic ingredient. It is an example of how choosing real ingredients generates additional nutritional benefits that an artificial formula simply cannot replicate.

GEL A — Strawberry & Beetroot

30% strawberry pulp · 15% beetroot pulp

The flavor profile

It is the boldest combination in appearance and the most balanced in result. Strawberry brings a fresh, intense sweetness, with that touch of natural acidity that activates the taste buds and stimulates intake in moments of sensory fatigue. Beetroot — present at 15% pulp — does not dominate the flavor; it rounds it: it adds a soft, slightly earthy background that balances the sweetness of the strawberry and gives it a depth that no artificial aroma can imitate.

The result is a gel with an intense red-pink color and a resolutely fruity flavor that surprises by its cleanness and by the absence of that chemical aftertaste that characterizes conventional strawberry gels.

The technical dimension of beetroot

Beyond flavor, beetroot adds value worth noting: it is a natural source of dietary nitrates, whose metabolism generates nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator that improves the efficiency of oxygen transport to the muscles and can contribute to reducing the energy cost of exercise. Although the concentration in the gel is not designed as a therapeutic dose of nitrates, it is an additional benefit no conventional strawberry gel can offer.

GEL B — Papaya & Lime Zest

30% papaya pulp · lime zest

The flavor profile

It is the most tropical and the freshest of the three gels. Papaya — a fruit with extraordinarily easy digestion thanks to its content of papain, a natural proteolytic enzyme — brings a smooth texture and a delicate sweetness that does not become cloying even at kilometer 60 of an ultra. The lime zest introduces a citric and aromatic note that acts as a sensory activator: it wakes up the palate, stimulates salivation and counters the taste fatigue characteristic of long-duration efforts.

It is probably the most "easy-to-take" gel of the three — the one that generates the least resistance in moments of maximum tiredness, precisely because its fruity and citric profile is refreshing exactly when it is needed most.

The technical dimension of papaya

Papaya is one of the fruits with the highest natural content of digestive enzymes, particularly papain. In the context of an energy gel taken during effort — when digestion is already compromised by the redistribution of blood flow toward the muscles — having a fruit base that actively facilitates digestion is no small detail. It is a real physiological advantage.

In addition, papaya provides potassium naturally, contributing to electrolyte balance alongside the sodium and magnesium of the base formula.

GEL C — Banana Infused with Mint

30% banana pulp infused with mint

The flavor profile

It is the most surprising of the three and the one that triggers the strongest reaction in anyone who tries it for the first time. Ripe banana — naturally creamy, with a deep, recognizable sweetness — combines with a mint infusion that completely transforms the experience. It is not a banana with mint aroma. It is a banana that has absorbed the freshness of mint during the artisan production process, producing a result that is integrated, balanced and genuinely different from anything else available on the market.

The mint works on three levels simultaneously: refreshing on the palate, activating the sensation of coolness during effort, and stabilizing the stomach in moments of high intensity. In a market where every banana flavor is artificial and cloying, ours invariably triggers the same reaction: "How is it possible nobody has done this before?"

The technical dimension of banana

Banana is one of the most nutritionally complete fruits for the athlete. It provides potassium naturally — the key mineral, together with sodium, for the regulation of muscle contraction and cellular hydration. Its carbohydrate profile, which combines glucose, fructose and sucrose in natural proportions, organically complements the five CHO sources of the base formula.

The mint infusion — carried out over the banana pulp itself during the artisan process — is not a cosmetic addition. The menthol in mint has documented effects on the perception of coolness, on respiratory function and on the reduction of subjective effort in high-temperature conditions.

A final note on the honesty of the formula

At NovaFit Energy we do not add ingredients so the label looks good. Every element of the formula — from the form of magnesium to the choice of fruit — answers a concrete question: what does the athlete's body need at that moment, and what is the best way to give it?

The answer always takes us to the same place: real fruit, artisan process, honest formula.

Three flavors. One philosophy. NovaFit Energy.

La entrada Three Gels, Three Fruits, One Formula: The Science Behind NovaFit Energy Gels se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

Magnesium in Energy Gels: Why the Form Matters as Much as the Dose

NovaFit Energy — Sat, 09 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000

When an athlete chooses an energy gel, they usually look at the grams of carbohydrates, the sodium and perhaps the caffeine. Magnesium, if it appears at all, tends to be treated as a secondary data point — one more mineral in the ingredient list.

That is a mistake. And it is a costly one precisely in the moments when the body needs it most.

The reason is not just the amount of magnesium the gel contains. It is the form in which that magnesium is present. Because not all the magnesium you ingest reaches where it needs to go. And in the context of an intense physical effort, the gap between what is swallowed and what is actually absorbed can be the difference between finishing strong or not finishing at all.

Why magnesium is critical during physical effort

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. During endurance exercise, three of them are decisive:

ATP synthesis. Magnesium is an indispensable cofactor in the production of adenosine triphosphate — the energy currency of the cells. Without available magnesium, the energy machinery works less efficiently. In practical terms: more fatigue for the same pace.

Muscle contraction and relaxation. Magnesium acts as a natural antagonist of calcium in the regulation of the contraction-relaxation cycle of muscle fibers. When magnesium levels drop, calcium dominates and the muscle struggles to fully relax between contractions — which translates into cramps, muscle stiffness and a loss of efficiency in movement.

Neuromuscular transmission. Magnesium regulates the excitability of nerve membranes. Its deficiency during effort increases neuromuscular irritability, accelerating the onset of both central and peripheral fatigue.

On top of this, there is a problem specific to intense exercise: magnesium is actively lost through sweat. An athlete can lose between 4 and 8 mg of magnesium per liter of sweat. In a 3-4 hour effort with heavy sweating, that loss can be significant — and if it is not replenished effectively, the consequences on performance are measurable.

The key is in that last phrase: effectively. Because ingesting magnesium and absorbing magnesium are two very different things.

The bioavailability problem: what goes in is not what gets through

The bioavailability of a nutrient is the proportion of what is ingested that the body actually absorbs and can use. In the case of magnesium, this figure varies enormously depending on the chemical form in which it is presented.

The most common forms of magnesium in energy gels are carbonate, citrate and gluconate. All three are inorganic or low-complexity forms that share the same absorption mechanism: they need to ionize in the stomach — a process that depends on gastric pH — before they can cross the intestinal wall. During intense exercise, gastric pH changes, blood flow to the digestive system is reduced and intestinal motility is altered. Under these conditions, the absorption of inorganic forms of magnesium is compromised precisely when it is most needed.

There is another additional problem: inorganic forms of magnesium have an osmotic effect in the intestine that can cause digestive discomfort, especially when ingested during effort. Magnesium carbonate, in particular, is known for its laxative effect at moderate doses — an effect no mountain runner or cyclist wants to experience at kilometer 50.

Magnesium bisglycinate: a different solution

Magnesium bisglycinate is a chelated form: the mineral is chemically bonded to two molecules of glycine, a non-essential amino acid. This bond is not cosmetic or commercial — it fundamentally changes how the body processes the mineral.

Absorption via the amino-acid pathway. Because it is bound to glycine, bisglycinate does not need to ionize in the stomach. It is absorbed directly through the dipeptide and amino-acid transporters of the small intestine — a pathway independent of gastric pH, that works even when the digestive system is under the physiological stress of intense exercise.

No competition with other minerals. Inorganic forms compete with each other for the same absorption channels. Sodium, calcium and magnesium fight for the same transporter. Bisglycinate enters through a different pathway, eliminating that competition and ensuring that magnesium arrives independently of the other electrolytes present in the gel.

No adverse digestive effects. Because it is absorbed via the amino-acid pathway, bisglycinate does not exert the osmotic effect that characterizes inorganic forms. The result is magnesium that the intestine handles as easily as an amino acid — no irritation, no laxative effect, no discomfort in the middle of an effort.

Real bioavailability up to 5 times higher. Comparative studies place the absorption of magnesium bisglycinate between 80 and 90% of what is ingested, versus 15-30% for magnesium oxide, 30-40% for carbonate and 40-50% for citrate. In practical terms, 125 mg of bisglycinate delivers to the muscle an amount of magnesium functionally equivalent to 400-600 mg of carbonate — with a fraction of the digestive impact.

The difference in practice: what the athlete feels

The differences in bioavailability between forms of magnesium may sound abstract in a laboratory. In the body of an athlete during a prolonged effort, they translate into concrete and measurable consequences:

In efforts of less than 90 minutes, the form of magnesium has a limited impact. The body's initial reserves are sufficient and partial absorption of any form can be adequate.

In efforts of 2 to 4 hours, sweat losses begin to become significant. The difference between a magnesium absorbed at 40% and one absorbed at 85% starts to show up in the appearance of cramps, in the progression of muscle fatigue and in the ability to sustain intensity in the final sections.

In efforts of more than 4 hours — ultra-trails, long cycling rides, long-distance triathlons — the difference is substantial. An athlete replenishing magnesium with bisglycinate is introducing into their body, with each gel, a functionally active amount of mineral that reaches the muscle cells at the moment they need it. An athlete replenishing with carbonate or citrate is ingesting magnesium of which, at best, they will absorb half — and under digestive stress, considerably less.

Cramp prevention, reduction of neuromuscular fatigue and maintenance of efficiency in ATP synthesis are not theoretical benefits. They are real physiological advantages that accumulate kilometer by kilometer.

A technical decision that reflects a philosophy

Choosing magnesium bisglycinate for an energy gel is not a trivial decision. It is more expensive than carbonate or citrate. It requires greater knowledge of formulation to integrate it correctly with the rest of the ingredients. And it is not the kind of decision made when optimizing for cost.

It is the decision made when the formulation criterion is just one: what does the athlete's body actually need, and what is the best way to give it?

At NovaFit Energy, that question always has the same answer: the most bioavailable form, even if it is more expensive. The ingredient that works, even if it complicates the formula. Real quality, even if it reduces the margin.

Because a gel that carries magnesium in a form the body cannot absorb during effort is not delivering magnesium. It is delivering the appearance of magnesium.

And that difference, at kilometer 80 of an ultra or on the final climb of a long ride, is not a technical detail.

It is everything.

NovaFit Energy Gels — 125 mg of magnesium bisglycinate per gel. Because what matters is not what is printed on the label. It is what reaches the muscle.

La entrada Magnesium in Energy Gels: Why the Form Matters as Much as the Dose se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

The Hypoglycemic Rebound: The Silent Enemy That Wrecks Your Race in the Final Kilometers

NovaFit Energy — Thu, 07 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000

NOVAFIT ENERGY · Performance · Nutrition · Science

Why the energy you take at kilometer 20 can work against you at kilometer 35 — and how isomaltulose changes that equation.

There is a moment in long races that many athletes know well, even if they cannot always name it. You have been running for hours. You have taken your gels with discipline. You know you are on top of your nutrition. And yet, somewhere in the second half of the race, something gives way. The pace drops. The legs turn heavy. The head loses focus. It is not the glycogen wall — you already know that one. It is something else.

That "something else", in many cases, is the hypoglycemic rebound. And in most cases, it has been triggered by the very gel you took twenty minutes earlier.

What hypoglycemic rebound is and why it happens

When you ingest simple sugars — glucose, sucrose, fast-absorbing maltodextrin — blood glucose rises rapidly. The pancreas detects that spike and responds by secreting insulin to bring it back to normal. So far, standard physiology.

The problem appears when that spike is too sharp. The insulin response can overshoot, pulling blood glucose below the optimal level: this is reactive hypoglycemia. At rest, the body handles it without drama. But in the middle of effort — when the muscles are burning glucose at maximum speed — that drop becomes a real metabolic emergency.

The result is predictable: acute fatigue, loss of concentration, the sensation of hollow legs and an intense urge to eat again. What many athletes interpret as a "drop in energy" or a "moment of weakness" is, in reality, their own hormonal system working against them because they took a gel that was absorbed too quickly.

And here comes what nobody tells you: if at that moment you take another fast-absorbing gel to recover, the cycle repeats. Spike. Insulin. Rebound. Crash.

Why conventional gels amplify the problem

Most gels on the market are formulated with one or two carbohydrate sources — typically maltodextrin and/or glucose — which have very high glycemic indices. They absorb quickly, which is precisely their commercial appeal. "Instant energy" is easy to sell.

But the speed of absorption is exactly the problem. A gel that raises blood glucose in four minutes creates a spike so pronounced that the hormonal system cannot manage it with precision. The insulin response is, by necessity, aggressive. And an aggressive insulin response during exercise is the perfect recipe for rebound.

The effect is especially pronounced in efforts of more than two hours, when glycogen stores begin to deplete and the body becomes more sensitive to glucose fluctuations. Precisely when you need stability the most, conventional gels give you the opposite.

Isomaltulose: real energy without the rebound

Isomaltulose — marketed under the name Palatinose — is a naturally occurring disaccharide found in honey and sugar cane. Its molecular structure is identical to sucrose in composition — glucose plus fructose — but the bond between the two sugars is different: an alpha-1,6 link instead of the alpha-1,2 link of sucrose.

That apparently minor structural difference has profound physiological consequences. Isomaltulose is digested much more slowly than sucrose or maltodextrin. Its glycemic index is 32 — versus 60-85 for maltodextrin or 100 for pure glucose. That means the glucose curve it produces is smooth, prolonged and controllable. No spike. No exaggerated insulin response. No rebound.

What it produces instead is exactly what the athlete needs in long efforts: a continuous and stable supply of glucose for 90-120 minutes per dose. Energy that does not arrive all at once or vanish all at once. A flat curve where other gels offer a rollercoaster.

The five-source architecture: why the order matters

The solution is not to replace all the fast sugars with isomaltulose — that would delay the arrival of energy too much in moments of maximum demand. The solution is to combine both intelligently.

NovaFit Energy gels combine five carbohydrate sources that act in a temporal cascade:

Golden Sugar and glucose syrup — energy available in the first 5-10 minutes, without the sharp spikes of pure glucose.

Fructose syrup and maltodextrin — sustained supply over the following 30-45 minutes, taking advantage of the two intestinal transporters simultaneously (SGLT-1 and GLUT-5).

Isomaltulose (Palatinose) — the anchor of the formula. Slow, controlled absorption extending to 90-120 minutes, stabilizing blood glucose when the other sources are depleted and eliminating hypoglycemic rebound.

The result is an energy curve radically different from that of a conventional gel. Not a peak followed by a crash, but a sustained plateau that covers the full interval between gels — and arrives uninterrupted at the next one.

What this means out on the course

Hypoglycemic rebound is not a problem the athlete solves with more willpower or better training. It is a formulation problem. And it is solved in the workshop, not on the start line.

The patterns we observe consistently among athletes using NovaFit Energy in long efforts are always the same: absence of that typical drop in the second half, less urgency to take the next gel, and — most significantly — the ability to hold pace in the final kilometers where deterioration used to set in.

It is not magic. It is that the energy arrives when it has to arrive, in the amount it has to arrive, without triggering the hormonal mechanism that destroys it.

We do not formulate so the label looks good. We formulate so the muscle has fuel when it needs it — and so the hormonal system does not take it away twenty minutes later.

NovaFit Energy — novafitenergy.com — @novafitenergy

Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona · Artisans of performance for twelve years

La entrada The Hypoglycemic Rebound: The Silent Enemy That Wrecks Your Race in the Final Kilometers se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

The NovaFit Energy System: Why Every Ingredient Has a Name and a Reason

NovaFit Energy — Tue, 05 May 2026 07:00:00 +0000

NOVAFIT ENERGY · Performance · Nutrition · Science

An honest analysis of what happens inside the athlete's body during prolonged effort — and how every NovaFit Energy formulation decision answers a real physiological need.

There is a question that keeps coming up in the sports nutrition world and that rarely gets an honest answer: what exactly is in there, and why?

Most brands on the market answer that question with marketing. They talk about performance, energy, recovery. They show athletes with sculpted bodies and stopwatches marking records. But when you open the label and read it calmly, what you find is a list of ingredients that does not always respond to the athlete's biology — but to the economics of the manufacturer.

At NovaFit Energy we do not start from what is cheap to produce. We start from a different question: what does the human body need when it has been running or pedaling for three hours, and what is the most effective way to give it? This article is the answer to that question. Without euphemisms, without empty promises.

1. What happens in the body when the effort drags on

To understand why a formulation matters, you first have to understand what is going on physiologically during endurance exercise. Not in the warm-up or at kilometer 10 — but at kilometer 50, in hour three of a long ride, in the second lap of a backyard ultra.

The fuels run out

The body stores glycogen — the form it uses to store glucose — mainly in muscle and liver. Together, those reserves represent between 400 and 600 g of glycogen, enough energy for approximately 90 minutes of intense effort. Beyond that point, if carbohydrate is not replenished, performance falls sharply. It is what cyclists call "the bonk" and runners "the wall": it is not a mental limit, it is a biochemical one.

The gut goes into stress

During intense exercise, blood flow is redistributed: active muscles claim between 80 and 85% of cardiac output. The digestive system is left in a state of hypoperfusion — it receives less blood, it works at reduced capacity. The result is a digestive system that during effort can absorb nutrients, yes, but is much more sensitive to irritants, artificial ingredients and low-quality nutrient forms.

That explains why some athletes tolerate a gel perfectly in a 45-minute training session and throw it up at kilometer 60 of an ultra. The ingredients did not change. The physiological state in which they were consumed did.

Electrolytes are lost through sweat

Sweat is not just water. It is water, sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium, among other minerals. An athlete can lose between 1 and 2.5 liters of sweat per hour depending on intensity and environmental conditions. For each liter of sweat, between 500 and 1,500 mg of sodium and between 4 and 8 mg of magnesium leave the body. If they are not replenished, neuromuscular transmission deteriorates, muscle contraction loses efficiency and cramps appear.

Mental fatigue amplifies everything above

Beyond two or three hours of effort, fatigue is not only muscular. The accumulation of serotonin and other metabolites in the central nervous system contributes to central fatigue: the feeling that the body could go on, but the mind starts asking it to stop. And here the stomach plays an unexpected role: when the digestive system generates discomfort — nausea, bloating, intestinal urgency — perceived effort spikes and the ability to keep going is compromised long before the muscle has had its last word.

The stomach is not an accessory to performance. It is part of performance. What does not get absorbed does not help. What irritates, slows you down.

2. The energy architecture: five sources, one ratio, zero spikes

The problem with most energy gels on the market is not that they fail to deliver carbohydrates. It is that they deliver them inefficiently — and sometimes in a way that creates more problems than it solves.

When a gel is based almost exclusively on maltodextrin or simple glucose, intestinal absorption has a ceiling: the SGLT-1 transporter, responsible for absorbing glucose, saturates above approximately 60 g of carbohydrate per hour. Above that threshold, the excess carbohydrate stays in the intestine, generates osmotic pressure and can produce exactly what no athlete wants: diarrhea, abdominal bloating or nausea mid-race.

The solution has been in the scientific literature for years. NovaFit Energy gels apply it rigorously:

1:0.8 glucose:fructose ratio — the dual transporter

The small intestine has a second specific transporter for fructose: GLUT-5. When glucose and fructose are combined in the right proportion, both transporters work in parallel and total absorption capacity rises to more than 90 g of CHO per hour without increasing the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort. It is the same principle applied by the nutrition protocols of professional cycling teams and elite ultra-endurance athletes.

Our gels combine five carbohydrate sources — Golden Sugar, glucose syrup, fructose syrup, maltodextrin and isomaltulose (Palatinose) — in that optimized ratio. Each source has a different absorption profile: some act in the first few minutes, others from 30 minutes on, others over hours. The result is an energy curve with no spikes or valleys, that arrives immediately, holds during effort and extends over time.

Isomaltulose deserves a special mention. Unlike simple sugars, its intestinal absorption is slow and progressive, stabilizing the glycemic response and avoiding the hypoglycemic rebound that any athlete who has taken a sugary gel knows so well — and felt, twenty minutes later, that empty feeling that forces them to eat again urgently.

The five CHO sources of NovaFit Energy work in cascade: energy in the first minute, energy at 20 minutes, energy at 45 minutes. The curve the endurance athlete needs — not the one that is cheapest to produce.

3. Sodium: the hydration that water alone cannot deliver

Drinking water during exercise is necessary but not sufficient. Without sodium, water is not retained in the plasma compartment — the body excretes it quickly through urine and sweat, before it can fulfill its role of maintaining blood volume.

Sodium acts as the gatekeeper of hydration. Its presence in the bloodstream pulls water with it, maintains plasma volume and ensures that nutrients — including the carbohydrates of the gel itself — reach the muscle efficiently. Without enough sodium, neuromuscular transmission deteriorates and cramps are not far behind.

NovaFit Energy gels deliver 400 mg of sodium as sodium citrate per unit — the highest reference dose on the market for a 70 g gel. Some competitors reduce the sodium to improve the flavor profile. We keep it because function comes before flavor. The athlete who has been sweating for hours does not need a gel that is pleasant on the palate at the expense of their most critical electrolyte. And the proof is in the result: despite the 400 mg of sodium, the fruit flavor of NovaFit Energy gels remains powerful, clean and recognizable. Real fruit does that work — something no artificial aroma can match at this dose.

4. Magnesium bisglycinate: the difference the muscle feels

We already dedicated a full article to magnesium bisglycinate and why the form of magnesium matters as much as the dose. But in the broader context of performance, it is worth summarizing the key: not all the magnesium you ingest reaches the muscle cells.

Magnesium oxide — the most common form in cheap supplementation — has a bioavailability of between 4 and 15% under normal conditions. Under intense effort, with reduced intestinal blood flow and altered gastric pH, that figure can be even lower. Magnesium bisglycinate, by contrast, being chelated with glycine, is absorbed through the amino-acid transporters of the small intestine — a direct pathway, independent of pH and up to five times more efficient.

NovaFit Energy gels provide 125 mg of bisglycinate. An amount that reaches the muscle when it is needed: reducing the likelihood of cramps, sustaining ATP synthesis and contributing to maintaining the efficiency of muscle contraction in the final stretches — where, invariably, races are decided.

5. Real fruit as a technical decision, not a marketing decision

When we say our gels contain 30% natural fruit pulp, we do not say it to look good on the label. We say it because it is the consequence of a technical conviction we have been applying for more than twelve years in our workshop.

Palatability in prolonged effort is a performance factor

Beyond two or three hours of effort, sensory fatigue is a real problem. Artificial flavors — sweet, intense, invariably synthetic — start to generate rejection. The athlete who has spent hours consuming conventional gels reaches a point where their body, literally, does not want any more. And without carbohydrate intake, performance falls.

Real fruit has a completely different sensory profile: clean, fresh, recognizable. It does not become cloying because it is not artificial. The brain processes it as food, not as a chemical product. And that difference — which seems minor at 9 a.m. in front of the shop window — becomes decisive at 3 p.m., at kilometer 70, when the stomach is already rejecting anything that smells synthetic.

The digestibility of fruit is a physiological advantage

The cells of the small intestine have spent thousands of years learning to process fruit. Its natural matrix — soluble fiber, water, micronutrients, bioactive compounds — supports the work of the intestine even under digestive stress. Artificial additives, by contrast, are substances the intestine does not always recognize easily, and whose presence can contribute to irritating the intestinal mucosa during intense effort.

This is not a philosophical argument. It is applied physiology.

The micronutrients nobody adds — because they are already there

Fruit provides potassium naturally. It provides antioxidants that help counter the oxidative stress generated by intense exercise. It provides structural water that facilitates the absorption of carbohydrates. And it does so without us having to add them as separate ingredients, without them appearing on the label as marketing claims, simply because fruit contains them.

We use real fruit because it is the best thing we can put in there. Not because it is the easiest thing to communicate — but because it is the hardest to manufacture.

6. NovaFit Energy versus the market: an honest comparison

We are not going to claim we are the only ones doing things right. There are brands on the market that work with serious quality criteria and that have made significant progress in recent years. What we can affirm, after analyzing the Spanish and international market, is that there is to date no other gel that combines 100% artisan production, a minimum of 30% natural fruit pulp, magnesium bisglycinate, five carbohydrate sources in a 1:0.8 ratio and 400 mg of sodium as sodium citrate — with not a single added flavoring, no colorants, and suitable for everyone: vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free. All in a single product.

|—|—|—|—|

Green: clear advantage · Amber: depends on the product · Red: common disadvantage

7. What the real athlete experiences

Physiology is the foundation. But the definitive test is the one that happens out on the ground — in the race, in the long training session, at the kilometer where the body lays its cards on the table.

These are the patterns we have consistently observed among athletes who have incorporated NovaFit Energy into their nutrition:

Lower incidence of digestive discomfort even in efforts of more than four hours. The combination of real fruit, bisglycinate and the absence of artificial additives produces a gel the intestine handles easily even when digestive blood flow is compromised.

Reduced appearance of cramps in prolonged efforts. Magnesium bisglycinate reaches the muscle. It does not stay locked in an intestine unable to absorb inorganic forms under physiological stress.

Absence of "flavor fatigue" even when taking several gels in a row. The sensory profile of real fruit does not generate the rejection produced by the repeated intake of artificial aromas.

Sustained energy without spikes or valleys thanks to the five CHO sources in an optimized ratio. The typical pattern of the athlete who takes a simple-glucose gel — sharp rise followed by sharp fall — does not occur with the NovaFit Energy architecture.

Greater ease in sticking to the nutritional plan in long races. When the gel does not generate rejection and digestion does not become a problem, the athlete can keep ingesting carbohydrate according to plan — and that, translated into performance, has a direct impact on the result.

A conclusion that does not need ornaments

Sports performance is the sum of many correct decisions taken over weeks, months and years of training. But on race day, at the moment when the body demands what you promised it, nutrition is not an accessory — it is infrastructure.

NovaFit Energy is not the cheapest product on the market. It does not aim to be. It is the product where every formulation decision has a physiological reason behind it, where the quality of the ingredient is not negotiated when it raises the cost of production, and where the only criterion guiding development is what the athlete's body actually needs.

At kilometer 80 of an ultra-trail, on the final climb of a long ride, on the last lap of a backyard ultra: the body knows how to tell the difference between what you have given it and what it needed.

We make sure they are the same thing.

NovaFit Energy — novafitenergy.com — @novafitenergy

Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Barcelona · Artisans of performance for twelve years

La entrada The NovaFit Energy System: Why Every Ingredient Has a Name and a Reason se publicó primero en NovaFit Energy.

NovaFit Energy

What Is Golden Sugar? Unrefined Cane Sugar Explained

What Golden Sugar is and why it is not "just sugar"

The extraction process: from cane to golden crystal

Step 1 — Manual or selective harvest

Step 2 — Washing

Step 3 — Milling and extraction of the cane juice

Step 4 — Natural clarification

Step 5 — Gradual evaporation

Step 6 — Crystallization without centrifugation

Step 7 — Drying and packaging

Golden sugar vs white sugar: the table that says it all

What this means in your NOVAFIT gel

Nutritional takeaway: what Golden Sugar means for you

Frequently asked questions

What is Golden Sugar?

How does golden sugar differ from white sugar?

Is golden sugar healthier than refined sugar?

Is golden sugar the same as panela or muscovado sugar?

Why does NOVAFIT use Golden Sugar in its gels?

Scientific references

Related articles

Why NOVAFIT Gels Use 5 Carbohydrate Sources

The real challenge: absorbing energy fast without punishing your gut

Four immediate-energy sources: the science-backed foundation

Golden Sugar (whole cane sugar)

Glucose syrup

Fructose syrup

Maltodextrin

The fifth source: where NOVAFIT goes one step further

Palatinosa™ (isomaltulose): sustained energy when you need it most

The 1:0.8 ratio: the standard backed by current science

Beyond carbohydrates: sodium and magnesium done right

400 mg of sodium in citrate form

125 mg of magnesium bisglycinate

Summary: what each source contributes

In summary

Frequently asked questions

What is isomaltulose (Palatinosa™)?

What does the 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio mean?

How many carbs per hour can you absorb?

Why magnesium bisglycinate and not another form?

Do NOVAFIT gels contain refined sugar?

Scientific references

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What are the bar's BCAAs and L-glutamine for?

Can I alternate gel and bar in the same race?

Which should I carry in an ultra of +4 h?

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