Neversecond: review & honest read
Co-founded by one of the most-cited researchers in modern carbohydrate-fueling science. The brand that cites papers where competitors cite palmares.
·By Croix
Educational, not medical advice. Recipes and dosages are starting points — individual tolerance varies. Consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before changing your nutrition strategy. Full disclaimer.
What does Neversecond sell?
The Neversecond products tracked on this site, with macros, current retail price, and the DIY savings if you mix the same macros at home.
- Gel · 2:1 ratioNeversecond C30 Energy Gel
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Sodium
- 200 mg
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Retail
- $3.50/serving
- DIY save
- ~90% off
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Who is Neversecond?
Neversecond is unique in this category for a reason that's also its founding premise: it was co-founded by Asker Jeukendrup, the visiting professor at Loughborough University, former global senior director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, and one of the most-cited scientists in modern endurance carbohydrate metabolism. The 2014 Sports Medicine review that anchors the dose-rate framework the entire industry now uses (30 / 60 / 90 g/hr by duration) is his.
What that ancestry produces is a brand whose marketing leans on research citations rather than pro sponsorships. The C30 gel, C90 drink mix, and supporting electrolyte products are all formulated from the published literature out — and the marketing materials say so explicitly, sometimes citing specific papers in product copy. It's the most transparent brand-to-research alignment in the category by a wide margin.
What's their formulation philosophy?
C30 gel is a 30 g maltodextrin + fructose gel at a 2:1 glucose-to-fructose ratio — the original Jentjens & Jeukendrup dual-transporter mix, well-tested up to ~90 g/hr of carb intake, which is exactly where Neversecond's 2-gels- and 3-gels-per-hour dose-rate framing lands. Sodium is substantial at 200 mg per gel: enough that the C30 functions as a coupled fuel-and-electrolyte unit rather than the decoupled gel-plus-tab system Precision uses.
The C30 dose-per-gel was deliberately chosen so 2 gels/hour = 60 g/hr (the Jeukendrup dose-rate framework's mid-tier) and 3 gels/hour = 90 g/hr (the upper end). The product is, more transparently than most, the published dose-rate framework delivered as a 30 g gel.
What they do well
- Research transparency. Marketing materials cite specific papers and explain formulation rationale — vanishingly rare in this industry.
- Jeukendrup's involvement is direct, not nominal — he's actively involved in the formulations.
- 2:1 ratio in the gels is well-matched to the dose-rate framework's mid-to-upper tier — the original Jeukendrup-lab dual-transporter mix tested up to ~90 g/hr.
- Sodium dose in the C30 (200 mg per gel) is substantial — actually meaningful for heat-day fueling, where many premium gels carry token sodium and force athletes onto a separate tab.
- Brand voice is unusually science-forward without being unbearable about it — it reads like a reasonable scientist, not a marketing department.
Where they're overpriced
- C30 gel retails ~$3.50 per 30 g gel. Matched-macros DIY costs ~50 cents.
- Like every brand in this category, the premium pays for sachet logistics and brand consistency, not novel chemistry.
- The pricing is the most-defensible in the premium tier, but DIY still wins at any meaningful training volume.
Pro & elite adoption
Neversecond's adoption has grown quickly in pro cycling and triathlon, anchored by Sam Laidlow's 2023 Ironman World Championship win on Neversecond fueling — the brand's most-visible elite performance. Because the brand pitches on research credentials rather than sponsorship economics, athletes who switch to Neversecond often do so on the chemistry merits rather than as part of a team-wide deal.
Is Neversecond actually worth it?
Neversecond is the easiest premium brand to recommend on its merits. The chemistry is right for the C30's dose-rate target (2:1 maltodextrin + fructose at 30 g per gel with 200 mg of sodium, no over-engineered hydrogels or HBCD bets), the brand-to-research alignment is uniquely strong, and the pricing is competitive for the category.
It's also the brand that takes the most-defensible matched-dose stance in head-to-head comparisons. The C30 lands in line with Maurten Gel 100 on a per-gel basis (~$3.50 each, roughly $0.12 per gram of carbs), and the DIY teardown closely matches the C30 gel formula. Use Neversecond at retail if you value research transparency and want to support a brand that publishes its rationale; use a kitchen scale for daily training and the same formula costs a fraction.
Or skip retail and DIY
The DIY teardowns below walk through the exact gram quantities, shopping list, and per-serving cost for a kitchen-mixed version of Neversecond's key products.
How does Neversecond stack up against rivals?
- Neversecond C30 vs Maurten Gel 100 — Gel-on-Gel Comparison · Two flagship dual-transporter gels at the 25–30 g range: Neversecond's research-forward C30 at 2:1 and Maurten's hydrogel-format Gel 100 at 1:0.8. Different ratio, different encapsulation.
The ingredients in Neversecond's line
- Maltodextrin · The glucose-polymer workhorse in almost every high-carb sports drink — same energy as dextrose, far lower osmolality, nearly tasteless.
- Fructose · The GLUT5-transported sugar that lets you push past the 60 g/hr glucose ceiling — pair with maltodextrin at ~1:0.8 for the modern dual-transporter formula.
- Table Salt (Sodium Chloride) · The cheapest, most-bioavailable sodium source in your kitchen — pennies per gram and chemically identical to what's in any electrolyte tab.
- Sodium Citrate · A smoother-tasting sodium source than table salt — the alkalising buffer commercial drinks use to dose sodium without the bite.