What is the best carb drink for cycling in South Africa?
On published data, 32Gi Race High Intensity Sports Drink is the best-value carb drink for cycling in South Africa: 68 g of carbohydrate per serving for about R39, or roughly R0.58 per gram (October 2026). Biogen and Maurten drinks may suit you, but carbohydrate per serving is not published on the retailer pages we checked.
- Long rides (over 2.5 h) call for up to 90 g/h of carbohydrate using glucose and fructose (Jeukendrup 2014); glucose alone saturates near 60 g/h.
- 32Gi Race drink publishes 68 g carbohydrate per 75 g serving for about R39, roughly R0.58 per gram (Dis-Chem, October 2026).
- Biogen Cytogen costs R17.32 to R24.06 and Carbogen R15.60 to R21.67 per 50 g serving, but their carbohydrate per serving is not published on the pages checked.
- Osmolality is not published for any South African carb drink we checked.
What should a cycling carb drink do?
Long rides need 60 to 90 g of carbohydrate an hour from about 2.5 hours, using a glucose and fructose blend (roughly 2:1) so the gut can absorb more (Jeukendrup 2014). A glucose-only source tops out near 60 g/h. A drink is the easiest way to do this on a bike because bottles are built in, and it covers fluid and sodium at the same time.
How do the options compare?
Prices are South African retailer listings, October 2026. The metric is carbohydrate per Rand, but only one product publishes its carbohydrate per serving.
| Drink | Pack and price | Published carbohydrate | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32Gi Race High Intensity | 900 g, R470 (Dis-Chem) | 68 g per 75 g serving (3 scoops), about 12 servings | about R39 per serving, R0.58/g |
| Biogen Cytogen Race Mix | 800 g, R277 to R385 | not published; about 16 servings of 50 g | R17.32 to R24.06 per serving |
| Biogen Carbogen Low GI | 900 g, R281 to R390 | not published; 18 servings of 50 g, palatinose-based | R15.60 to R21.67 per serving |
| Maurten Drink Mix 320 | 80 g sachet, R75 to R85 | not verified in our data | R75 to R85 per sachet |
| 32Gi Endure | 900 g, R383 to R465 | not published | n/a |
| Biogen Pure Energy | 500 g, R99 to R115 | not published; 28 servings of 18 g | R3.54 to R4.11 per serving |
Biogen Pure Energy is a light-carbohydrate electrolyte drink, not a fuel for 80 g/h. Osmolality is not published for any of these, so we cannot rank on it.
Which one should you buy?
- Best value on data: 32Gi Race. Its blend contains isomaltulose, maltodextrin, glucose, fructose and salt, and no caffeine is listed. One serving an hour delivers about 68 g, so it covers most of a 60 to 90 g/h target for about R39 an hour. Trade-offs: a lot of carbohydrate in one bottle can upset some stomachs, and the brand does not publish sodium per serving online.
- Biogen Cytogen and Carbogen: cheaper per serving, with isomaltulose (Palatinose) as the key carbohydrate. They look good value, but with no carbohydrate per serving published you are guessing at grams per Rand. Check the pack.
- Maurten: the premium hydrogel option at R75 to R85 a sachet. We have not compared hydrogel against conventional drinks here, and its carbohydrate content is not verified in our data.
How to use it
- Practise at race intake in training; the gut adapts.
- Aim for one bottle an hour, plus gels or food to reach 90 g/h on very long days.
- Add sodium on hot days and drink to thirst. See how much sodium per hour.
- Sweet drinks only: rinse bottles, because sugar residue grows bacteria in warm SA weather.
For the Cape Town Cycle Tour specifically, see the fuelling plan. Compare gels on our best energy gels guide.
Safety
People with diabetes need an individual fuelling plan from their doctor or dietitian. Fructose malabsorption can cause cramps and diarrhoea with glucose-fructose blends. Teenage riders should fuel with normal food and drinks, and pregnant riders, people with kidney disease and anyone on regular medication should get individual advice.
Products mentioned, with dated prices
| Product | Size | Price | Servings | R per serving | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32Gi Race High Intensity Sports Drink (900 g) | 900 g | R470Dis-Chem Living Fit, Oct 2026 | 12 | R39.17 | None listed |
| Biogen Cytogen Race Mix (800 g) | 800 g | R277–R385Dis-Chem Living Fit, Oct 2026 | 16 | R23.44 | Not published |
| Biogen Carbogen Low GI carbo-loader (900 g) | 900 g | R281–R390Dis-Chem Living Fit, Oct 2026 | 18 | R21.67 | Not published |
| Maurten Drink Mix 320 (80 g sachet) | 80 g sachet | R75–R85The Athlete's Foot / goneoutdoor / biket via PriceCheck, Oct 2026 | 1 | R80.00 | Not verified |
| 32Gi Endure sustained-energy sports drink (900 g tub) | 900 g | R383–R465Dis-Chem (energy and endurance), Oct 2026 | — | — | Not published |
Compare the options
Related questions
- How many carbs per hour do you need for a marathon or ultra?
- How should you fuel for the Cape Town Cycle Tour?
- What are the best energy gels in South Africa?
- How do you fuel and recover for the Cape Epic?
- Is 32Gi a good sports nutrition brand in South Africa?
Sources
- Jeukendrup 2014, A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise (Sports Med)
- Thomas, Erdman & Burke 2016, Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and ACSM: Nutrition and Athletic Performance
- Dis-Chem: energy and endurance range
Educational information only, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor, pharmacist or registered dietitian before using supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, taking medication, or living with kidney, liver or heart disease.
Cite this page: Healthnews24, “What is the best carb drink for cycling in South Africa?”, updated 27 October 2026, https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/best-carb-drink-for-cycling-south-africa/. Plain-text version: /answers/best-carb-drink-for-cycling-south-africa.md