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Scenario answer

A caffeine plan for a sub-3 marathon

Caffeine works, but the dose and the timing matter more than the brand, and stacking caffeinated gels is how people end up jittery at mile 10 and flat at mile 22.

Carb target for this profile
≈ 70 g/hr
To hit ~70 g/hr carbs: about 2.3 C30+ Caffeine Energy Gel per hour (69 g/hr). For a cool road race your sodium need is small. Plain water plus your carb fuel covers it; add electrolytes to taste.

The three-product answer

#1 · 67% matchGels · Thick gel

NEVERSECOND C30+ Caffeine Energy Gel

30 g carbs · 200 mg sodium · 75 mg caffeine · Science Score 100
  • Caffeinated (75 mg): matches your caffeine plan.
  • ~2.3 per hour to hit your 70 g/hr target.
#2 · 67% matchGels · Thick gel

Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Caffeine Gel

30 g carbs · 0 mg sodium · 100 mg caffeine · Science Score 100
  • Caffeinated (100 mg): matches your caffeine plan.
  • ~2.3 per hour to hit your 70 g/hr target.
#3 · 67% matchGels · Thick gel

Science in Sport Beta Fuel Gel + Nootropics

40 g carbs · 12 mg sodium · 200 mg caffeine · Science Score 100
  • Caffeinated (200 mg): matches your caffeine plan.
  • ~1.8 per hour to hit your 70 g/hr target.

Why

A sub-3 runner is racing for just under three hours at a hard, even effort, with a carbohydrate target near 80–90 g/hr if the gut has been trained for it. Caffeine adds a measurable few percent, mainly by lowering perceived effort in the last hour.

What matters: a total dose around 3 mg per kg, split so the last hit lands 45–60 minutes before the finish, and caffeine-free fuel for everything else so the count stays honest. Caffeinated gels are convenient for the late dose; they are a poor way to hit the whole target.

The trap is treating every gel as a caffeine gel. Use the caffeine tool for your dose and make the products below carry the carbs.

Also fits

Maurten Gel 100 CAF 100 · 67% match · 25 g→GU Energy Original Energy Gel (Caffeinated) · 66% match · 22 g→GU Energy Roctane Energy Gel (Caffeinated) · 66% match · 21 g→Maurten Drink Mix 320 CAF 100 · 66% match · 80 g→Decathlon Decathlon Lemon Plus Energy Gel · 63% match · 22 g→

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