Triathlon Nutrition Brands: My Honest Plant-Based Review

There are a lot of sports nutrition brands out there. An overwhelming number, frankly. And if you’re a plant-based triathlete trying to figure out what to put in your jersey pocket before an Ironman bike leg, the sheer volume of options is enough to make you want to go back to bananas and hope for the best.
Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of them. Some I’ve paid for. Some I’ve been gifted. Some I’ve had ambassador relationships with. Some I’ve grabbed desperately from aid stations when my race nutrition plan fell apart. All of it has given me opinions.
So here they are. Ten brands, honest takes, and the nutritional breakdown for each product I’ve actually used. No fluff, no paid endorsements colouring the verdict.
Let’s go.

My first encounter with TORQ was in the early days, when I was new to triathlon and still finding my feet with nutrition. Their Apple Crumble flavour was one of the first I tried. As a Frenchman discovering this very British classic, I’ll admit I prefer apple crumble served warm in cake form rather than as a gel. That said, TORQ has grown on me significantly since those early days. I applied for their ambassador programme and, while I didn’t make the cut this time, I’ve continued trialling their products in training because the quality genuinely speaks for itself. Racing with them is firmly on the agenda.

The gels are perfectly sized for a race belt, making them ideal for race day, and the flavours are genuinely well crafted. The dessert-inspired range (Rhubarb & Custard, Banoffee, Caramel Latte) is wonderfully creative, and I genuinely enjoy the taste, though when race day comes around, I’ll likely reach for the more neutral options like Cola or Lemon to keep things simple when the effort ramps up.

The lemon-flavoured hydration powder is excellent. Dissolves cleanly, great flavour, doesn’t make you feel like you’re drinking a chemistry experiment. Exactly what you want in a training bottle.

The flapjacks and energy bars are spot on for a triathlon. Right size, easy to handle on the bike, filling enough to hold you through a long session. I grab one before swim workouts and don’t think twice about it. Soil Association Organic certified across the range, which means the ingredient provenance is as good as it gets.

One genuine gap in the range: no recovery bar. For a brand that has everything else covered so comprehensively, it’s a conspicuous absence and the one product I’d love to see them add.

Energy Gel (45g): 113 kcal, 29g carbs, 11g sugar, 0g fat, 0g protein. All 5 electrolytes: sodium 49mg, chloride 99mg, potassium 24mg, calcium 6mg, magnesium 1mg. Vegan, wheat-free, dairy-free, no artificial sweeteners or colours.
Explore Flapjack (65g): approximately 263 kcal, 43g carbs, 8–9g fat, 3.2–3.7g protein. Soil Association Organic certified, vegan. Ingredients: organic jumbo oats, organic golden syrup, organic dark brown sugar, organic sunflower oil, organic maltodextrin.
Hydration Powder, Lemon (per 500ml): 63 kcal, 16g carbs, 11g sugar. 275mg sodium, plus potassium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride. Vegan, no artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives.

Here’s what seals it for me: every single product is vegan, which aligns perfectly with how I fuel. That’s not a bolt-on for TORQ, it’s baked into the philosophy, and as a plant-powered age grouper, that matters enormously. The science is solid, the flavours are genuinely enjoyable, the gels fit my race belt, and the values match my own. TORQ is the brand I’ll be racing with in 2026, from the early-season build through to Ironman Tours. I’m all in.

Let me be clear upfront: Veloforte remains, in my opinion, one of the best sports nutrition brands out there. The ingredient quality, the flavour profiles, the commitment to natural and plant-based formulation; it’s all genuinely impressive.
I was supported by Veloforte for a number of years. A relationship that meant genuine access, privileged pricing, and a real sense of partnership. Then their marketing director left for pastures new, the strategy shifted, and I found myself back at full retail price with no particular loyalty flowing in either direction. It happens. I understand it. It still stings slightly.
Here’s my honest product-by-product verdict.

The format is brilliant. Compact 33g sachets delivering 22g of dual-source carbs. No maltodextrin, no synthetic fillers. The flavours are genuinely unusual: Riba (Blackcurrant & Elderflower), Primo (Beetroot & Lemon), Tempo (Date, Lemon & Ginger). And that’s not for everyone. If you’ve been raised on artificial tropical blast gels, Veloforte might take some getting used to. For me, they worked beautifully.

The standout product. Each pack of six chews delivers up to 44g of dual-source carbs and 95mg of electrolytes. Melt-in-the-mouth texture, easy to eat mid-effort, no mess, no water needed. The Amaro variety adds 75mg of natural caffeine from guarana for when you need a lift on the run. I’d put the chews in the top tier of anything I’ve used.

Flavour-packed, genuinely tasty. On the denser side, which means they take some commitment to chew through at pace, but the flavour reward is real.

Vegan and natural, which I respected. But fruit pieces blocking the bottle neck are genuinely annoying when you’re racing and trying to drink without slowing down. A practical flaw in an otherwise good product.

Good, but dissolved inconsistently. Lumps in a recovery shake are nobody’s idea of a good time after four hours of racing.

Skip it. Seriously. Make your own. Or check my overnight oats recipes on the blog. You’ll thank me.

Energy Gel (33g): 89 kcal, 22g carbs, 16.8g sugar, 110mg sodium. Informed Sport certified. Ingredients (Tempo): unrefined brown rice syrup, date syrup, lemon, maple syrup, water, ginger extract, pink Himalayan salt.
Energy Chews (per pack, 6 chews): up to 44g carbs, 95mg electrolytes. Ingredients (Fresco): beet sugar, corn starch, water, concentrated lemon juice, coconut water powder, pink Himalayan salt, natural mint extract.

Is Veloforte expensive? Yes. Is it worth it when it’s working well? Also yes. My position on the brand may evolve as I explore new opportunities, but the product quality is hard to argue with.

Nuzest approached me to be an ambassador. Or an influencer. I’m honestly not sure there’s much difference these days. In exchange for two packs of their Clean Lean Protein powder, I produced some Instagram reels.
Here’s the thing: the product is genuinely excellent. The best-tasting vegan recovery powder I have tried so far. It dissolves cleanly. No lumps, no gritty residue, and the flavour is smooth without being aggressively sweet. Made from 100% European golden peas, with all nine essential amino acids, a 98% digestibility rating, and absolutely nothing artificial. For a plant-based athlete, this is close to the ideal recovery powder.
The relationship, however, went quiet. Good email exchange, genuine enthusiasm, then nothing. Silence. For a brand partnership to work for me, I need at least a full calendar year of commitment. I can’t build content around a brand that might disappear from my inbox after two product drops.
Could I just buy it at full price, given how much I rate it? Yes. That’s a fair point. I hear you.
Clean Lean Protein (per 25g serving): 90 kcal, up to 21g protein, under 1g carbs, 0g added sugar. Ingredients (chocolate): pea protein isolate, organic cocoa powder, natural flavours, thaumatin. Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, no artificial sweeteners.

I have bought more SiS than any other brand on this list. Almost exclusively on sale. This is not a criticism of SiS – their discount strategy is part of their appeal – it’s just an accurate description of my relationship with them.
No ambassador deal, no promo code, no formal anything. Just a very good eye for when the big tubs of REGO go on offer.

The GO Isotonic gels are effective and genuinely easy on the stomach. The isotonic formula means no water is needed, which is practical for racing. The problem is size; at 60ml, they’re bulkier than most competitors, which matters when you’re trying to fit multiple gels into a race belt or jersey pocket.

The GO Hydro electrolyte tabs are excellent. Clean flavour, dissolves perfectly, no faff. One of the most reliable products I’ve used consistently across training and racing.

The REGO Rapid Recovery banana powder is – and I say this without hyperbole – addictive. I’ve gone through more tubs of it than I can count. Here’s a useful update for anyone who’s wondered about the vegan status: SiS reformulated REGO to use soy protein isolate, making it now fully vegan-friendly. The original formula wasn’t, which may be why there was confusion. Some long-term users have complained that the new version tastes more synthetic than before, but I haven’t had that experience with banana.

The recovery bars were solid but left an aftertaste I could never quite ignore. Present but not overwhelming. Enough to stop me reaching for them over other options when I had a choice.

GO Isotonic Gel (60ml): 87 kcal, 22g carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein. Vegan, gluten-free. Ingredients: water, maltodextrin (33%), gelling agents, natural flavouring, acidity regulators, preservatives, sweetener, sodium chloride.
REGO Rapid Recovery (per 50g serving): 184 kcal, 20g protein, 22g carbs, 5.1g sugar, 1.3g fat. Vegan. Informed Sport registered.

I have an ambassador discount code with 33Fuel. If you want one, ask me. But I want to be honest with you: I am a number to them. There are no interactions, no conversations, no sense that anyone at 33Fuel knows or cares who I am. I exist in their ambassador programme as a promo code attached to a follower count.
That’s a shame, because some of their products are genuinely good.

The energy bars share a similar philosophy to Veloforte. Natural ingredients, real food approach, but sit slightly drier in texture. Good for training, fine for the bike in a race.

The chia seed gels are where things get interesting and divisive simultaneously. The concept is brilliant – just four ingredients, with chia seeds as the star, along with coconut sugar, vanilla and Himalayan salt. High in omega-3s, gentle on the stomach, no synthetic anything. But the packaging is genuinely bizarre. Each gel arrives dry. You inflate it by blowing into it, add water, close the cap and let it hydrate. Once prepared, it lasts 24 hours. On paper: eco-friendly, innovative, thoughtful. In practice, at 5 am before a race: deeply impractical, and swallowing a chia gel mid-run takes some commitment that not everyone will have.

The recovery/protein bars (Eroica) were a post-swim staple for a while. Convenient, filling, flavourful. One important caveat for vegan athletes: Eroica bars contain egg white. 33Fuel acknowledges this and is working on a fully plant-based reformulation, but right now, they’re not fully vegan.

The protein powder is decent. Not as good as Nuzest in terms of flavour or mixability, but a respectable option if you’re in the 33Fuel ecosystem.

Chia Gel (per serving): 100 kcal, 11.3g carbs, 6g sugar, 2.3g protein, 4g fat, 5g fibre. Ingredients: chia seeds, organic coconut sugar, pure vanilla, Himalayan pink salt.
Premium Protein Powder (per 48g serving): 173 kcal, 30g protein, 15g carbs, 10g sugar. Ingredients: pea protein, organic coconut sugar, organic rice protein, organic sunflower protein, organic raw cacao, organic banana. Vegan and gluten-free.
Eroica Protein Bar (per 100g): 409 kcal, 20g protein, 43g carbs, 38g sugar. Contains egg white — not fully vegan.

Styrkr is where I was in 2025. My race nutrition. The brand on my bike bottles and in my pockets at Ironman Cascais last year.
I’ve applied to their ambassador programme. Their team has not yet replied. Their support team, on the other hand, replaced a box of gels that arrived with a hole in it without any drama whatsoever. Make of that what you will.
The address on their website lists Unit 1, Gatwick Distribution Centre, Crawley. My instinct that this feels more like a distribution operation than a brand with deep roots in the sport isn’t entirely wrong. But the products tell a different story – they’re developed with genuine sports science input and Vegan Society registered across the entire range.
Here’s where I land on each product:

The BAR50 rice cakes are excellent. Genuinely excellent. 50g of carbs, 250 kcal, real food texture, easy to eat on the bike, doesn’t fall apart in your jersey pocket. This is the kind of fuel that makes long rides feel manageable. Highly recommended.

The GEL50 is effective – 50g of dual-source carbs in a single sachet is impressive from a pure numbers perspective, and the 1:0.8 maltodextrin-to-fructose ratio is thoughtfully calibrated for gut comfort. But 50g in one go is a lot for race day. I’ve used them extensively in training, and they work, but I find the size unwieldy when I’m trying to manage my gel intake carefully across an Ironman bike leg.

I’d tell you to avoid the electrolyte/hydration powder for racing. It clumps. Badly. We’re talking visible lumps floating in your bottle, powder stuck to the sides of your hydration system, a general dissolving failure that is genuinely the last thing you need at 7 am on race morning. Tablets instead, always.

GEL50 (per serving): 50g carbs via 1:0.8 maltodextrin-to-fructose ratio. Ingredients: water, maltodextrin, fructose, pectin, L-citrulline, L-arginine, natural flavouring, steviol glycosides, citric acid, trisodium citrate, potassium sorbate. Vegan Society registered.
BAR50 (per bar): 50g carbs, 250+ kcal, vegan, gluten-free. No artificial sweeteners or preservatives.

100% vegan across the board. No artificial sweeteners, no colours, no preservatives. Good price-to-carb ratio compared to most dual-carb competitors.

High5 has been very generous to Berkshire Tri Squad as a club. Samples, support, and product at events. That generosity is genuinely appreciated, and I want to say so clearly.
But here’s my honest take: I find it hard to fully commit.
The gels are too liquid for my preference. More drink than gel. That’s not objectively wrong. Plenty of athletes prefer the watery texture and find it easier to consume without additional fluids, but for triathlon, specifically, where I want something I can take quickly and move on, it doesn’t suit me.
The wider range also contains products that aren’t vegan, which creates friction for me in building a coherent fuelling strategy around a single brand. Interestingly – and worth noting – High5 was founded in 1994 by British triathletes, which makes my instinct that it feels more like a running brand than a triathlon brand slightly unfair. But perceptions are perceptions, and this one has stuck.
The gels themselves are vegan. The electrolyte tabs and carbohydrate bars are too. It’s the broader range where plant-based alignment breaks down.
Energy Gel (40g): 89 kcal, 22g carbs, 3g sugar, 0g fat, 0g protein. Vegan, made with real fruit juice, caffeine-free, and no artificial sweeteners. Ingredients: glucose syrup, water, maltodextrin, fruit juice concentrate, acidity regulators, sodium chloride, vitamin B6.

I came across VOOM the way most people come across things in this sport — tucked inside a bag of gear freebies that arrived with something else I’d ordered. At the time, they were still early in their journey and the Pocket Rocket Electrolyte Energy Bar was essentially their whole range.
The lemon flavour was genuinely excellent. Melt-in-the-mouth, not sickly sweet, and easier to eat on the move than you’d expect from something in bar form. Vegan and gluten-free too, which is a bonus.
The problem? Format. At 47g, it’s a chunky unit. It won’t sit on a race belt. You’re not reaching for it mid-run. Maybe on the bike if you want something solid and have your jersey pockets organised, but for triathlon specifically, it’s awkward. They’ve since expanded their range significantly into hydration and recovery products, none of which I’ve tested. But on the basis of what I’ve tried, VOOM makes a genuinely good product that I’d consider for long training rides rather than race day.
Pocket Rocket Electrolyte Bar (47g): 176 kcal, 45g carbs, 41g sugar, 120mg electrolytes. No fat, no protein. Ingredients: raw cane sugar, glucose syrup, water, dried fruit, electrolytes, natural flavouring, B-vitamins. No artificial sweeteners, thickeners or preservatives.

I discovered Rawvelo at the very start of my triathlon journey, before I was plant-based. That timing matters, because it meant I never fully committed to them despite being drawn to exactly what they stood for.
Rawvelo’s philosophy is simple and admirable: real food, natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, 100% plant-based. Their energy bars are built on a base of Deglet Noor dates and ground almonds, with maple syrup, no refined sugars, no preservatives, nothing that reads like a chemistry experiment.
At the time, I defaulted to SiS instead. Cheaper, more widely available, and I wasn’t yet thinking about plant-based alignment. Looking back, that was the wrong call. Now that I am plant-based, Rawvelo sits near the top of my “brands to properly revisit” list. Their philosophy matches mine completely.
The cost is real though. Premium positioning with premium pricing to match.
Organic Energy Bar (45g): 199 kcal, 23.4g carbs, 17.1g sugar, 9.2g fat, 4.3g protein, 4.4g fibre. Ingredients: Deglet Noor dates, ground almonds, maple syrup, natural flavourings. No refined sugars or artificial anything.

Maurten is everywhere in Ironman. On the start lists of the best athletes in the world, on the tables at aid stations, in the transition bags of people who take their nutrition very seriously. It has a reputation. It has the price tag to match.
I have never deliberately fuelled with Maurten. My experience is limited entirely to the aid station variety — gels and drink mix grabbed mid-race when my own nutrition plan had disintegrated and I needed something, anything, to get me to the finish line. It worked. I crossed the line. Beyond that I cannot tell you much.
One thing I have noticed: for a brand at this price point, they are remarkably reluctant to give anything away at race villages. No samples, no freebies, no tasters. For comparison, Maurten gels retail at a premium that makes Veloforte look accessible. When you’re charging that much, the odd sample feels like the least you could do.
In terms of plant-based credentials: all ingredients are vegan, though one ingredient is processed using a non-vegan processing aid. Maurten notes there are no traces of this in the final product, but the range is not certified vegan.
Gel 100 (40g): 25g carbs, no added flavours, colours or preservatives. Ingredients: water, glucose, fructose, calcium carbonate, gluconic acid, sodium alginate.
Drink Mix 320 (per 500ml): 80g carbs. High fructose content designed for carbohydrate intakes above 90g per hour. Same hydrogel technology — converts from liquid to gel on contact with stomach acid.

Precision Hydration sounds like it was invented by a mad scientist in a shed. It probably wasn’t — their founder actually has a sports science background and previously worked with Formula 1 teams — but the branding leans hard into clinical precision, sweat testing, personalised sodium concentrations, and a general aura of “this is what the pros use.” That’s not criticism. It’s just observation.
My ex-coach used it. He may have been an ambassador. I never tried it myself, and I’m not entirely sure why. It felt like a brand that required homework before entry. A brand you needed to earn the right to use properly.
That’s probably unfair. The core concept is genuinely smart: electrolyte drinks in multiple sodium strengths — 500, 1000 and 1500mg per litre — designed to match your individual sweat sodium losses rather than offering a one-size-fits-all solution. A small carbohydrate hit accelerates fluid absorption via sodium-glucose co-transport. All-natural ingredients, Informed Sport registered, vegan-friendly.
For an Ironman athlete chasing a sub-10, personalised hydration strategy is probably one of the biggest marginal gains available. Precision Hydration might well be the brand I should have tried years ago.
PH 1500 Electrolyte Packet (per 500ml): 1500mg sodium, 250mg potassium, 48mg calcium, 24mg magnesium. Ingredients: sugar, sodium citrate, citric acid, vitamin C, natural flavouring, potassium chloride, calcium lactate, magnesium carbonate. Vegan, gluten-free, Informed Sport registered.

Ten brands. Years of training and racing. A lot of opinions.
If I had to summarise where I am right now: Styrkr BAR50 on the bike, TORQ gels and flapjacks in training, Nuzest for recovery, and a close eye on what comes next. Veloforte remains the benchmark for natural gel and chew quality. Precision Hydration is overdue a proper trial. Rawvelo deserves a second chance now that plant-based is non-negotiable for me, not just an aspiration.
The sport nutrition market moves fast. Brands that are strong today can go quiet tomorrow — as Veloforte’s marketing pivot showed. What I look for beyond the macros: consistent ambassador support for a full year minimum, a brand that knows my name, and products that actually work when it matters. Not all ten brands on this list score well on all three.

What’s in your kit bag? I’d love to know what’s working for you. Drop a comment below or find me on Instagram at @oli_le_triathlete.