Hydration

Strangely enough, the mechanisms behind thirst and satiation are somewhat of a mystery to science. Now researchers from Caltech have investigated and found two connections between body and brain that control the process.

The marketplace is pretty well served when it comes to clever hydration systems. But Hydrade, the newest player in the space, steps things up a notch offering solar power; a nifty sensor that knows if you're drinking from it or pouring it out and a sip-for-sip partnership with a major water charity.

​While many outdoor athletes like to add a liquid energy supplement to their water, doing so can cause their hydration pack or bottle to retain that booster's taste and color. Infuze offers a solution, in the form of two products that introduce liquid pep down the line from the main water supply.

A study has revealed a new reason why getting less than eight hours of sleep a night could be damaging to our health. The research found adults who only got around six hours of sleep per night were more likely to be dehydrated, and the cause could be a particular hydration-regulating hormone.

​There are problems with adding energy boosters to the water in your hydration pack – they can stain the pack's bladder, and cause mold to grow in it. A couple of California-based entrepreneurs may have a solution, though, in the form of the HybriFlow system.

The water bottle cage is one of those things that some people are just determined to make obsolete. Over the years, we've seen alternatives like magnets suggested. One of the latest such inventions, the Freedom Cycle Hydration System, uses a "pin" that plugs into the bottom of the bottle.

A number of groups have been developing wearable devices that measure the user's hydration levels, letting them know when they're getting low. One of the latest comes to us from North Carolina State University, and it can take the form of either a wrist strap or an adhesive chest patch.​

​As we all know, it's important to stay hydrated when we're working out. We can't just use thirst as an indicator, however. So, how do we know when to take a drink? BSX Athletics has developed what it claims is the answer, in the form of the world's first wearable hydration monitor. ​

​Perhaps you don't like having a water bottle cage cluttering up your bike, or you have multiple bikes and you don't want to buy separate cages for each one. If so, then you're the target market for the Clipon Bottle.

Hydration packs' bladders can retain the color and taste of added energy supplements. That's the reason Infuze was created. It adds a supplement to hydration-pack water, downstream from the bladder.​

​We've already seen magnets and clips used in products that let cyclists do away with their water bottle cage. The problem with both systems is that they require users to stick with a brand-specific bottle. With the new SnapFlask, however, riders can use any bottle they want.

While it's important for all of us to stay hydrated, it's particularly important for athletes. That's why a Virginia-based startup has created SMRT Mouth. It's a mouthguard that measures the wearer's hydration levels, and alerts coaches if they're getting too low.