Hmm... well, personally I think the biggest determinant of performance for stuff like this with non-elites is how your stomach/digestive tract responds to whatever you put in it. Heck, maybe it's the same thing for elites, but couldn't tell you since I'm most certainly not one. All I know is it doesn't really matter how much science is packed into one of these packets if they make my body decide mid run it wants to flush out my system asap, if you know what I mean
I'd also note that there are so many extraneous variables that could have a large(er) impact on how I perform on a given day when I use Maurten or another gel. Sleep, nutrition in the days leading up to said run, weather, water intake, how my body is responding to where I currently am in the training cycle... there are so many variables I'm unable to hold constant when taking these gels. Kind of like with running shoes where some people hate the turbos even though I absolutely love them and some people love the new vomeros while I think they're straight up garbo (and they're in fact the only nike running shoe I've returned after running in them because I thought they were so subpar). It's not that the shoes are definitively garbage, per se, it's just that they don't mesh with what I wanted out of the shoe, my stride/form, my build/weight, etc...
Since I have zero desire to try and run some type of controlled running experiment because I've finally found something that pretty much never upsets my stomach, it makes it hard for me to feel confident enough to say definitively that they will help you with performance. That being said, it sure feels like they help me.... and so even if it is just a placebo, does it really matter? Races aren't just about physical exertion, they're also about winning the battle going on between your ears. I’m a huge believer in the power of placebos for countless things in life, including running. They don’t piss of my stomach and I believe they help me perform at my best. And so even if the only reason I preform better while using Maurten is because my belief gives me an advantage in the metal battle (and there’s no actual physical advantage), that’s enough for me.
