Salt Matters...

When we were formulating Hydrate+, sodium concentration was one of the decisions we spent the most time on. New research published in Nutrients validates why — and gives us a useful framework for explaining it.

The study tested commercial electrolyte beverages on active men and women, measuring real hydration markers after real exercise. The findings were clear: drinks with sodium concentrations between 40–100 mmol/L (920–2,300 mg/L) consistently improved hydration status in athletes. Below that range, results became inconsistent.

That range informed our thinking from day one. It's why Hydrate+ has 1,000mg of sodium per serve.

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Why sodium is the key variable

Sodium is what drives the body's fluid retention response. It signals to your kidneys to hold onto water rather than excrete it — which is exactly what you want during and after exercise. Without a sufficient sodium concentration, a drink passes through faster than your body can use it.

This is the physiology behind why hydration isn't just about drinking enough volume. What you're drinking matters. Specifically, the sodium concentration in your drink is the lever that determines whether your body absorbs and retains the fluid, or flushes it.

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Where Hydrate+ sits

At 1,000mg of sodium per serve, Hydrate+ hits the effective range at every standard serving size:

• At 500ml: ~2,000 mg/L
• At 750ml: ~1,333 mg/L
• At 1 litre: ~1,000 mg/L

In each case, you're in the zone the research identifies as producing consistent, measurable improvement in hydration status.

We made a deliberate choice to formulate here. It does mean Hydrate+ tastes saltier than some alternatives — that's intentional, not a flaw. Salt is flavour, but it's also function. We weren't willing to compromise the formula to make it taste milder.

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What this means for your training

Endurance athletes — runners, cyclists, anyone putting in long sessions — typically lose 500–1,500mg of sodium per hour depending on intensity, temperature, and individual sweat rate. Replacing that with a drink that actually holds fluid in your body is the difference between staying on top of hydration and spending the back half of a race managing the deficit.

For a half marathon or marathon, the consequences don't show up in the first hour. They show up at kilometre 30, or on the climb before the finish. That's where formulation decisions become performance decisions.

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The short version

The science now puts a specific number on what effective electrolyte hydration requires. We're glad Hydrate+ is built to it — and even more glad we can show you the research that explains why.

If you want to dig into the full study, it's linked below.

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Study reference: "The Impact of a Commercial Electrolyte Beverage on the Hydration Status of Active Men and Women," Nutrients, MDPI, February 2025. Read the full paper →