TORQ 6 x 1:1 Proto Energy Gel Sample Pack - Ultra-High Carb (40g)

The TORQ 6 x 1:1 Proto Energy Gel Sample Pack is two gels in each of TORQ's three 1:1 Proto flavours: ultra-high-carbohydrate fuel for experienced endurance athletes. Each compact 60g gel packs 40g of multiple-transportable carbohydrates in a 1:1 maltodextrin-to-fructose formulation, developed for intakes of 120g or more per hour.

Each gel is one Advanced TORQ Unit (ATU); three ATUs an hour is 120g of carbohydrate, taken through any suitable mix of Proto Energy Gels and Proto Energy Drinks. A gel carries the same 40g dose as a 500ml Proto Energy Drink, so you can shift the balance between gels and fluid according to temperature, perspiration rate and event conditions. The texture is silky smooth and easy to get down during sustained effort. Choose Proto only if you already have a structured fuelling strategy and are committed to ultra-high intakes; TORQ say their regular 2:1 Fuelling System is the more appropriate and flexible option for most athletes consuming between 30g and 90g of carbohydrate per hour.

Why you'll love it

• 40g carbohydrate per gel – concentrated fuel for demanding endurance events
• 1:1 maltodextrin to fructose – equal proportions, using separate intestinal absorption pathways
• One ATU per gel – makes structured 120g-per-hour fuelling simple to count
• Compact 60g tube – the same carbohydrate dose as a 500ml Proto Energy Drink
• Caffeinated option – Forest Fruits with 89mg of caffeine from guarana
• Clean formulation – vegan, wheat-free and dairy-free, no added colours or artificial sweeteners

Good to know

• Pack contents: 2 x Naked Flavourless, 2 x Strawberry Yoghurt, 2 x Forest Fruits with Guarana (6 individually packed gels)
• Energy: approximately 160–161kcal per gel
• Caffeine: Forest Fruits contains 89mg per 60g gel and is not suitable for children, pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine
• Dietary: vegan, wheat-free and dairy-free; no gluten-containing ingredients used; no declared allergens
• How to use: take during prolonged training or competition as part of a carefully planned ultra-high-carbohydrate strategy, three ATUs per hour via Proto gels and drinks. Practise it in training before competition, and adjust the gel-to-drink balance for your hydration needs, the conditions and your own gut tolerance

Who it's for

Experienced endurance athletes (ultra-distance runners, long-distance cyclists, triathletes, adventure and stage racers) who already fuel at 90g per hour and are working towards 120g+ per hour, including as part of a gut-training programme. For most athletes fuelling at 30–90g per hour, TORQ recommend their 2:1 range instead.

2:1 or 1:1? TORQ's guidance on choosing

TORQ are clear that the 1:1 Proto range does a different job from their 2:1 Fuelling System, and that Proto only outperforms 2:1 if you commit to 120g+ of carbohydrate per hour. Here's their reasoning, condensed.

Why carbohydrate fuelling matters

Glycogen is carbohydrate stored in your muscles and liver. Taking on carbohydrate during exercise from drinks and gels gives your muscles an alternative fuel, slows glycogen depletion, extends time to exhaustion and lets you hold higher intensities. There is also strong evidence that high carbohydrate intake during exercise protects muscle and reduces muscle damage. More is better, up to the point where your gut can't absorb and oxidise (burn) it, and those limits have been studied intensively for around 20 years.

Glucose, maltodextrin and fructose

Maltodextrin is a long-chain glucose polymer with lower osmolality than glucose, a higher glycaemic index and far less sweetness, which is why TORQ use it instead of glucose; for absorption purposes, treat the two as interchangeable. Glucose is more immediately usable than fructose, which the liver must first convert to glucose, so any strategy should maximise glucose intake, but fructose taken in addition to glucose always adds a performance benefit.

How the gut absorbs them

Glucose and fructose cross into the blood via separate carriers: SGLT1 for glucose and GLUT5 for fructose. SGLT1 can only move around 60g of glucose per hour; beyond that, extra glucose adds nothing and risks gastrointestinal distress. Fructose on its own is poorly tolerated, and any that isn't absorbed in the small intestine ferments in the large intestine, another cause of GI trouble. Taken alongside glucose, though, fructose absorption improves: glucose recruits additional GLUT2 transporters, and SGLT1 activation creates good conditions for absorbing other nutrients, mechanisms TORQ group together as GLUT2+. Exactly how much fructose can be absorbed once SGLT1 is saturated is still an open research question, and it appears to be more than previously thought.

2:1 maltodextrin to fructose

TORQ have built their range around 2:1 since their first energy drink in about 2005. At 90g of carbohydrate per hour, 2:1 delivers 60g of glucose (saturating SGLT1) and 30g of fructose for GLUT5 and GLUT2+. Below 90g it works well too, because the fructose load stays low. Every 2:1 product carries 30g of carbohydrate, one TORQ Unit, and in TORQ's experience most people fuel between 30 and 90g per hour, so if you haven't yet committed to 90g (3 TORQ Units) per hour, 2:1 is the range for you.

1:1 maltodextrin to fructose

Newer research asks how far fructose intake can be pushed once glucose is held at around 60g per hour. Formulations nearer 1:1 look more effective for athletes targeting very high total intakes: at 120g per hour, 1:1 saturates SGLT1 with 60g of glucose and supplies a further 60g of fructose. Studies by Jentjens and Jeukendrup (2005) and Ravikanti et al (2025), both using 1:1 at 120g+ per hour, recorded some of the highest carbohydrate oxidation rates ever measured. At more moderate intakes, 1:1 has two downsides: SGLT1 isn't saturated so overall carbohydrate delivery is poorer, and the high fructose load is likely to cause GI distress. Fuelling with 1:1 is an elite-level commitment; if you won't sustain 120g+ per hour, use 2:1.

The Proto range and Advanced TORQ Units

TORQ 1:1 Proto consists of three energy drinks and three energy gels, each containing 40g of carbohydrate in a 1:1 formulation: one Advanced TORQ Unit (ATU). Any three ATUs per hour gives 120g. The drink powders mix into 500ml of water and carry the full complement of five electrolytes; the gels deliver the same dose in a far more compact package. In warm weather, lean on drink ATUs and fewer gels; in cool conditions, do the opposite, and be ready to adapt as conditions change mid-event so hydration and fuelling stay balanced.

Bridging from 90g to 120g

If you already fuel at 90g per hour on 2:1 and want to step up, combine 2:1 and 1:1 Proto products: keep glucose delivery at 60g per hour and increase fructose as total carbohydrate climbs from 90g to 120g, keeping SGLT1 saturated throughout.

Gut training

The gut is trainable, so practise high intakes in training before racing on them. SGLT1 itself seems less trainable, and glucose saturation varies between individuals in the range of 60–70g per hour, so if yours is above 60g there may be room to exceed 120g total. Experiment, note how you feel and perform, and treat your everyday diet as training too: the more your gut sees mixed glucose and fructose, the better it absorbs them.

Are you 2:1 or 1:1?

For most people, 2:1 is the right choice: many under-fuel, and 60g per hour is already a solid strategy, while 90g takes focus and discipline and 2:1 lets you flex between 60 and 90g without gastric worries. If you're consistently hitting 90g and want to see how much further you can go, start blending 2:1 with 1:1 Proto and push to 120g+. Once you're at 120g on 1:1 there's no flex: drop lower and you'll need to bring 2:1 products back in.

Ingredients and nutrition by flavour

Figures are per 100g / per 60g gel. Every gel contains 0g fat, 0g saturates, 0g fibre and 0g protein, no allergens and no gluten-containing ingredients, and is wheat-free, dairy-free and suitable for vegans with no colours and no artificial sweeteners. The flavoured gels use natural flavouring.

1:1 Proto Naked Flavourless

Ingredients: Multiple-Transportable Carbohydrates (Maltodextrin, Fructose) (68%), Water, Electrolytes (Sodium Chloride), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Acid (Citric Acid).

• Energy: 1132kJ / 679kJ; 266kcal / 160kcal
• Carbohydrate: 67g / 40g, of which sugars 37g / 22g
• Salt: 0g / 0g

1:1 Proto Strawberry Yoghurt Flavour

Ingredients: Multiple-Transportable Carbohydrates (Maltodextrin, Fructose) (68%), Water, Acid (Citric Acid), Electrolytes (Sodium Chloride), Natural Flavouring (0.2%), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate).

• Energy: 1132kJ / 679kJ; 266kcal / 160kcal
• Carbohydrate: 67g / 40g, of which sugars 37g / 22g
• Salt: 0.3g / 0.2g; chloride 190mg / 114mg; sodium 123mg / 74mg

1:1 Proto Forest Fruit (With Guarana) Flavour

Ingredients: Multiple-Transportable Carbohydrates (Maltodextrin, Fructose) (68%), Water, Acid (Citric Acid), Guarana Extract (0.6%), Electrolytes (Sodium Chloride), Natural Flavouring (0.1%), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate).

• Energy: 1137kJ / 682kJ; 268kcal / 161kcal
• Carbohydrate: 67g / 40g, of which sugars 37g / 22g
• Salt: 0.3g / 0.2g; chloride 190mg / 114mg; sodium 123mg / 74mg
• Caffeine: 148mg / 89mg. Contains high levels of caffeine – not suitable for children, pregnant women and persons sensitive to caffeine