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.
