From someone who's been working with hydration, electrolytes and minerals for over 20 years.
by Nik Tokovic, Edge Electrolytes Founder & CEO
And how to (always) be well hydrated, without drinking sugar-filled 'sports drinks' or unrealistic amounts of water everyday.
1. Morning Hydration Is The Key To An Energy-Filled Day
Don’t underestimate how much fluid you lose during sleep and how much this fluid loss can impact rest of your day. Start your morning with a big glass of water. I always keep a 500mL bottle of water on my bedside and one of the first things I do is have a good drink. Doing this will make your blood less viscous (thick and sticky) enabling greater oxygen circulation and more efficient delivery of nutrients to your energy producing cells. It’s the best way to start your day.
2. Caffeine Is A Temporary Fix To An Underlying Problem
We all know that caffeine is a stimulant, but did you know that caffeine doesn’t actually stimulate energy? It only ‘simulates’ it by increasing the circulation of certain hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin. As a diuretic, excess caffeine consumption will only mess with your fluids and when you are messing with your fluids, you’re messing with your minerals and consequently everything else. Like all other drugs, the more you consume, the more resistant you become to its energising effects. A coffee a day may be harmless enough, but it shouldn’t be how you start your day.
3. Avoid Sugar-Filled 'Sports Drinks'
Sports drinks by definition are inherently unhealthy. And the first clue is that the vast majority of sports drinks are made by the same people that are responsible for the greatest man made health crisis in all of history. We’re talking diabetes, heart disease, cancers and a range of degenerative disorders that are terrifying. So what’s in a sports drink? Lots of sugar, a bit of sodium and not much else other than artificial colours, flavours and other chemicals that you don’t need. How do sports drinks help? They don’t. A little bit of sugar goes a long way by aiding in the co- transport of fluid and electrolytes, but a lot will actually slow the rate that fluids empty from the gut. Sports drinks can actually dehydrate you. They’ll definitely mess with your fluid and electrolyte balance.
4. Some 'Super Foods' Aren't All That Super
Minerals are super important and we all know that ‘Super Foods’ are loaded with minerals. But what a lot of people don’t know is that these foods are also loaded with oxalates, phytates, lectins and other natural compounds that will mess with your body’s ability to absorb the very minerals found in them. Excess consumption can actually lead to mineral deficiencies. These compounds commonly referred to as anti-nutrients are found in varying concentrations in different plants and inhibit absorption of very important minerals by binding to them and making these minerals unavailable. While green juices have some proven health benefits, they are also rich in oxalates and for this reason are not a good source of bioavailable minerals. Give that juicer a break. There are better ways of getting minerals into you.
5. What Vitamin Companies Don't Want You To Know
There are always supplements – right? Well that’s right, but mineral supplements aren’t always the answer and are rarely up to the task because of one word, “absorption”. It may seem convenient to pop a pill and get on with it, but does a pill get the job done? What compounds are being used and what other chemicals, fillers and binding agents are being used in the manufacture of these pills because in the end they all play a very big role in just how much you're going to absorb. More importantly, minerals are team players, they work together and if you concentrate on one mineral and ignore the others, then you are messing with your minerals and there is no better way of messing with your fluid and electrolyte balance than by messing with your minerals.
4x Mr Australia Rohan Reid On Why You Shouldn't Mess With Your Mineral & Electrolyte Balance
“When you start to mess with an athlete’s minerals, you’re creating imbalances. It often creates more problems than not. Why do we experience muscle weakness, lethargy, brain fog and water retention? It’s quite often because you’re dehydrated, and instead of drinking mineralised water, you’re drinking tap water or distilled water - which contains no minerals. You need to drink water with minerals in it.”
So, if hydration is about mineral and electrolyte balance (as well as fluid) where should you get these important minerals from?
Introducing Edge Electrolytes, the world's most complete hydration mix.
It’s not a supplement, potion or pill. It’s a very simple beverage mix that is made with a very special ingredient that comes from a very special source. Ocean water. Hey! Don’t laugh. Didn't you know that ocean water is natures electrolyte solution? Plus, it's not that dissimilar to your own blood plasma. That’s right - ocean water and your blood are, chemically, almost identical.
Now, Edge isn't just straight ocean water. We've developed a unique process where we ultra-concentrate ocean water into a fine powder, loaded with the powerful, raw and untouched minerals from the sea. Our cOMx mixture (Complete Ocean Mineral Complex®) is low in sodium, a great source of magnesium and naturally contains all the other major and trace minerals naturally found in ocean water, and your body. It not only helps to replace the important electrolytes you lose throughout the day, but helps you nail you mineral nutrition too.
- Nik Tokovic, Edge Founder & CEO
Finally, a healthier
hydration option.
Finally, a healthier
hydration option.
After a decade of development, we're proud to introduce the world's first ocean powered electrolyte drink.
After a decade of development, we're proud to introduce the world's first ocean powered electrolyte drink.
★★★★★
109 Reviews (4.8/5 rating)
Finally, a healthier
hydration option.
After a decade of development, we're proud to introduce the world's first ocean powered electrolyte drink.
★★★★★
109 Reviews (4.8/5 rating)
How It Helps
What you'll feel when hydrating the right way.
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Health & Wellbeing
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Sport & Performance
Rapid Hydration
Natural electrolytes that deliver hydration, fast.
More Energy
Be well hydrated and feel infused with steady energy.
Sharper Thinking
Feel focused and think with razor-sharp clarity.
Healthy Ingredients
Nothing artificial added, healthy ingredients only.
All The Electrolytes
Replace everything you sweat out, not one or two.
Energy On Demand
A rapid energy boost, when you need it most.
Better Endurance
More energy to push longer, harder and faster.
Faster Recovery
Everything your body needs to recover quickly.
Why It Works
When compared to a traditional 'sports drink'.
A World First
It's the world's first ocean mineral electrolyte mix. True hydration innovation.
22x The Electrolytes
Most sports drinks contain one or two electrolytes. Edge contains over 70+.
4.2x The Magnesium
Most sports drink contain zero. For the ones that do, Edge has 4.2x more.
Created Naturally
Electrolytes created in the ocean. Not formulated or put together in a 'lab'.
+ Bioavailability
A natural source of electrolytes that your body can absorb properly.
Zero Preservatives
Zero preservatives, artificial colours or flavours. Healthy, natural ingredients only.
Why It's Better
And what big sports drink makers don't want you to know.
They've been lying to you about sodium, 91% of people already consume too much.
In a recent Saint Louis University study, two groups of endurance athletes underwent two hours of exercise, losing litres of sweat. One group received sodium supplementation and the other, a placebo. The results showed no advantage from sodium supplementation on performance.
Now, we're not saying that sodium isn't important for hydration, because it is. We're saying that sports drink makers have overstated its importance for the everyday person. Sure, if you're an ultra-endurance athlete exercising over 3 hours per session, you might need all that sodium.
If not, all you need is a moderate amount to replace what you sweat out on a daily basis. There's no need to consume an excess from a sports drink or supplement, as it can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol, to name a few.
They ignore magnesium when 3 in 4 people are deficient.
Most people consume excess sodium, but the opposite can be said about magnesium. In fact, it's estimated that 3 in 4 people don't consume enough, athletes included. So, why is consuming enough important?
Magnesium plays a vital role in hundreds of cellular processes throughout your body. It aids in energy production, regulates your heartbeat, maintains muscle function, improves oxygen delivery and reduces inflammation. Essentially, it's like your bodies puppet master, pulling all the strings behind the scenes.
To add to that, research shows that magnesium deficiency can significantly limit athletic performance. With strenuous activity, ATP (cellular energy) is turned over quickly and magnesium demands are high. Therefore, to ensure peak performance it's important to consume enough of this vital mineral.
It's interesting that 'sports drinks' contain too much of the minerals we don't need, and not enough of the minerals we do need.
The few minerals they do contain, your body can't absorb properly.
It's no secret that highly processed food and drink loses much of its nutritional value. So, by the time the few minerals sports drinks actually contain are blended with sugar, preservatives, artificial colours and chemical fillers, how well will your body able to absorb them? Not very.
