Refillable water bottles have become quite the accessory whether you’re taking one on a workout, a hike or even just a long shopping expedition. CamelBak makes a number of rigid bottles, but one recurring complaint is that to get the water, you have to bite down on a nozzle and then draw the water from a straw. CamelBak has just released Chute, a high-flow bottle that is made with the same durable, rugged body of the existing line, but with a high-flow opening that pours water. Continue reading CamelBak Releases High-Flow Chute
Tag: hydration
Gauge Hydration With Fuelstrips
We spend so much time worrying about how much electrolyte drinks, chews and other nutrition we’re consuming when we exercise, but still don’t quite know when we have the right mix. Fuelstrip is a strip that tests sweat to help athletes analyze and detect levels of fuel depletion. The strip helps figure out when you need to guzzle some more drink or down another chew or two in order to balance out your hydration and electrolyte levels. Continue reading Gauge Hydration With Fuelstrips
Drink Fit
Throughout the day how much effort to you make to track your hydration? While calories and even what you ate might be counted, what you drink often isn’t. However, the BluFit could change all that. It is an intelligent water bottle that works in synchronization with a smartphone will help consumers maintain optimum levels of hydration. Through the smart bottle and app, BluFit will determine how much water you need, how much you have consumed and will alert you when it’s time to hydrate. Video after the jump
Drink Up With Oral IV
Hydration is important. We know that. There’s a number of electrolyte drinks and products on the market, and ORAL I.V. has just joined the ranks. This product has actually made its way up the ranks. It was first released in the military and law enforcement community and has been used by SEALS, Force Recon Marines and SWAT teams, among other units.
ORAL I.V. comes in a liquid vial with crystalloid electrolytes dissolved in purified water. It doesn’t contain sugars, stimulants or artificial ingredients. It just contains a concentrated form of the minerals you need to stay hydrated. Of course this tiny vial is no substitute for water. You should continue to drink water before, during and after workout. But the ORAL I.V. helps boost the effectiveness of the water, to keep hydration levels up.
A pack of four 15 mL vials costs $11.99
Nuun New Flavors Based on Customer Faves
To come up with three new flavors, electrolyte enhanced drink tablet maker Nuun asked for customer input. The three flavors that they came up with as a result are Lemonade, Watermelon, and caffeine-enhanced Cherry Limeade. Flavors will be available just in time for spring. Continue reading Nuun New Flavors Based on Customer Faves
Polar Goes Ergo With New Bottle
Polar Bottle is doing more than spinning its wheels these days. While the insulated bottle manufacturer got started catering to cyclists, it’s expanding outside of the water bottle cage and offering products focused on other sports, and everyday lifestyles.
“We kept hearing from our customers that they were using our bottles not only for biking but also to keep them hydrated at the office, gym, etc.,” said Judy Amabile, Polar Bottle’s president. “So, we decided to develop a lifestyle bottle that works as a functional fashion accessory that they can use all day everyday.”
The Ergo bottle has a Half Twist cap that secures closed, and opens to let users sip without risk of spilling. The bottle is developed with the same reflective insulation technology as the original Polar Bottle. The Ergo is 22-ounces and offers dual wall insulation to keep drinks hot or cold. An inner bottle is made from HDPE Plastic #2 makes it possible to carry hot drinks, and not burn your hands when you pick up the bottle.
The Polar Ergo 22-ounce bottle sells for $18.99.
Polar Bottle Official Website
Pour Cold Water on Your Workout
It’s necessary to drink water during workouts. But new research shows that cold water is more effective at helping exercisers keep up the momentum during workouts. Findings in two studies say that cold water helps keep core body temperature down longer, which allows athletes to push harder during workouts. Continue reading Pour Cold Water on Your Workout
The New 24/7 Bobble
A water bottle is now as much an accessory as an MP3 player or pair of running shoes for the exerciser. Bobble just created a new version of its popular filtered water bottle, the Bobble 24/7. The Bobble 24/7 is 24 oz (750 mL), and comes in magenta, blue or gray. Continue reading The New 24/7 Bobble
Got Chocolate Milk? An Alternative to Sports Drinks
Need to replenish what was lost after a workout? Try a glass of chocolate milk. While often thought of as a kid’s drink, low-fat chocolate milk has the nutritional benefits to help you recover after a marathon run, according to a story in The Tennessean, which reports that the St. Jude Country Music Marathon & Half-Marathon in Nashville will be offering low-fat chocolate milk for the first time in its 13-year history, alongside water, sports drinks, fruit, and energy bars.
Many nutritionists and fitness mags are advocating chocolate milk for post-workout recovery, and you’ll find plenty of chocolate-flavored protein shakes. “Chocolate milk after a workout or after a run has got protein in it for replenishing muscles and more carbohydrates in the lactose,” said Jimmy Burkhard, a licensed nutritionist interviewed in the story.
Another expert quoted, Tracy Noerper, recommends drinking eight ounces of chocolate milk within two hours after a training run or after completing a marathon or half-marathon. She says chocolate milk has the right mixture of protein to carbohydrates.
Of course, the thought of drinking several glasses of something thick like milk might turn off a lot of people, but who doesn’t enjoy chocolate?
Hydrate with the Relaj Water Bottle
The water bottle is quickly becoming a statement of style and personal choice. Though we still like to see function trump fashion in this case with some technical elements, those elements are usually what determines those preferences. The Relaj water bottle brings its own look and technical details to the shelf.
GU Has a New Brew
The sports nutrition company behind energy gels, GU continues to bring out new ways to deliver electrolytes for those of us who sweat. One of GU’s new products is GU Brew. An electrolyte tablet, GU Brew gets dropped into 16 ounces of water and gives your liquid more energy.
GU Brew is sweetened with stevia leaf extract as instead of sugar or other substance. Stevia is a plant, a natural sweetener said to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. The South American natural sweetener is said to have some health benefits, though some find it to have a licorice-like aftertaste. It’s worth a try.
Each tablet is 10 calories, zero fat, one gram of carbohydrates and provides 55 mg of potassium to restore your electrolytes. GU Brew comes in 12-count tubes that cost $6.50. Three flavors include Lemon Lime, Orange and Peach Tea.
Carry a Reservoir on Your Back
Dehydration on the trail is not an option. One, maybe two bottles tucked into cages on your bike only supply so much fluid. A backpack hydration system such as the Osprey Packs Hydraulics line Raptor Series gives you 2- and 3-liters of H20. The Raptor Series is focused on mountain biking and trail running, giving you a few pockets to stash gear in a streamlined design. Osprey puts a great deal of design into its pack.
Start with the water reservoir. Three of the four Raptor styles come with 3-liter reservoirs; the streamlined Raptor 6 has a 2-liter capacity. The reservoir is built with a plate that aligns with the contours of your back so the water doesn’t barrel. You won’t feel the shape of water as it all buckles at the bottom of the tank while you ride. The framework of the straps are constructed by perforated molded foam to create a lightweight and flexible support. The same foam is ridge molded to create a ventilated back panel. Lightweight webbing adds reinforcement surrounds both the straps and back panel. The A LidLock helmet clip straps through the vent holes on your helmet — when you’re off the bike — so the two stay together and ready to pick up and go. The bite valve rotates to an open and closed (no leak) position, and has a magnet so the sip portion stays in a handy location on your sternum strap instead of flying around with every bump on the trail.
Features are too many to go into. Research, trials, and serious evaluation went into the development of the Raptor Series hydration packs. Every pocket, strap, and tab is built for a specific need while the unnecessary bits of a backpack were left out to keep the pack lightweight and streamlined for a more enjoyable ride.
Osprey Raptor Series ($79 to $119)
Sip on a Better Bottle from CamelBak
What do you get when you go for a bike ride with just any water bottle? Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phalates, a chemical that has been linked to obesity, neurological disorders, cancer, and a number of other health problems.
CamelBak makes BPA-free bottles from a material called Tritan, that doesn’t allow properties to leech in the water and compromise taste and health. KineticShift took a look at three of CamelBak’s bottles, two made from BPA-free materials, and one stainless steel. Here’s what we found.