Based on over 15 years of research, and data on thousands of athletes across numerous sports, athletes simply don’t sweat the same. General hydration guidelines are just that, general, and aren’t useful for helping the athlete determine their unique fluid and electrolyte needs. Your Sweat Profile is uniquely yours, and could differ dramatically from another (over a hundred fold), even if they have a similar diet, body type, size, etc.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are essentially salts that can carry an electrical charge. The cells in your body rely on electrolytes to control cell membrane stability and to carry the electrical charges needed for muscle contractions caused by nerve impulses. Without electrolytes, the cells in your body couldn’t communicate with each other or perform these essential functions.
Adequate function of the nervous, cardiac, digestive and muscular systems all depend on a proper balance of electrolyte levels.
Not All Electrolytes are Created Equal
Electrolytes are salts that help your body perform essential functions. As you sweat, your body tries to naturally regulate the balance of electrolytes. In some cases, your body does this very well. For instance, when you train or compete, your muscle fibers break down. When your muscle fibers break down, potassium is released into the body. Your body does this very efficiently, even at modest levels of activity.
SWEAT RATE
The amount of sweat volume (rate of fluids lost) can vary greatly from one athlete to another, over a 37-fold difference. While sweat rate is slightly correlated to size (larger athletes typically sweat more) and gender (males sweat more than females), two athletes of similar size and gender can have very different sweat volumes. That is why sweat testing is critical for determining your exact fluid and electrolyte replenishment needs to maintain peak performance.
Year over year: If you were tested today, and the same time last year…our studies indicate your results would be the same. The test is very accurate and allows for precise recommendations of your customized electrolyte replenishment solution. However, if your diet, weight, medications or level of activity change dramatically, this could affect your sweat composition. We recommend re-testing annually to ensure accurate recommendations of LEVELEN™ products.
Season to season: As the weather warms and cools,
