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Hydration Advancement with The Right Stuff

October 7th, 2014 3:43pm

Hydration Advancement with The Right Stuff

Hydration is one of those topics that usually makes you roll your eyes. Memories of your mother telling you drink water all the time come to mind. But for the competitive rider, water is the life blood of performance.



Studies show that your performance begins to suffer as soon as your healthy fluid levels drop below 2% of your body mass. This equates to just shy of a 1/2 gallon of fluid in a 175 lb athlete - which if you are sweating isn't much.   This includes track sprinters as well as endurance athletes and decrease dramatically affects their VO2 max. Imagine being able to increase your performance output by 5% just by being hydrated!



That is the perfect lead into the story of a remarkable product that I tested. It's called "the Right Stuff" and is a hydration formula designed by NASA to keep astronauts hydrated specifically while in the re-entry phase and in space where there is no moisture. Sounds a lot like Arizona (where I live and ride) but I digress. The products' success in the real world has been noticed by astute observers and is quietly being used by professional sports teams inside that familiar orange container. So don't be surprised to find out that all those marketing dollars being spent by sugary sport drink companies is nothing more than a wrapper for "The Right Stuff".



The Right Stuff is rocket science. It was thoroughly researched and developed by NASA in micro-gravity (outer space) and here on mother earth with endurance athletes and had numerous papers published on it. I don't want to go on with the pedigree speech, you probably got the point a while back. So how did it perform?



I have a strong body awareness and pay close attention to the foods and drinks I consume and how they affect me. When I first tried "The Right Stuff", it was during the summer in Arizona. I began consuming my water with The Right Stuff added at about 30 minutes into my ride. Within a short period of time I noticed how hydrated I felt. More importantly, I didn't fatigue at the end of the ride or feel excessively thirsty. Since I only had several packets to try, I used them on my longer rides when I could really put it to the test.



Each ride revealed more of the same result. Never nauseous and feeling strong on the bike at the end of my ride. The real proof came when I completed a 3.5 hour mtb ride in near 100 degree temperatures in Sedona Arizona. Every rider in our group faded due to the heat but me and I was not the fittest rider out there. I completely attribute that to using "The Right Stuff".



The product is designed to increase absorption rates into the blood stream and maintain your electrolyte levels. There is no added sugar but does have a small quantity of citric acid and sucralose to help offset the naturally salty flavor of electrolytes.

 

The Right Stuff

The Right Stuff comes in three light but refreshing flavors



The Right stuff comes in three flavors Berry Blend, Orange Tangerine, and Citrus Blend
. No matter what flavor you choose, it is very light which is important because the PH balance in your mouth changes as you exercise and makes it more sensitive to tastes. The light flavor means you don't have mess probably wont have to mess around to get the flavor right.



The company had the product tested by sports governing bodies to ensure it is free from any banned substances and passed with flying colors. Its ingredient list is quite short which is good. Less is more when it comes to foods.


  •     Filtered Water  - to liquefy the solids
  •     Sea Salt  - Electrolytes  (Sodium & Chloride) - NASA patented blend
  •     Sodium Citrate - Electrolytes  (Sodium & Citrate) - NASA patented blend
  •     Citric Acid - For flavor, to help offset saltiness and natural preservative (used in soft drinks, beer and seltzer water)
  •     Sucralose -  Small amount of zero carb sweetener derived from sugar
  •     Flavors - Concentrated, natural varieties used for taste
  •     Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Citrate - Small quantities for preservatives


The Rigth Stuff Label of ingredients



Recommendation?  The Right Stuff does get a full recommendation from me. Even with its slightly elevated price. At a cost of $2.50 a piece (in bulk), you may not want to use it everyday unless your are in serious training or live in hotter or more humid than average climates, then you will use it every day to maximize all the hard work you put in. But for the long rides, hikes, runs and races, it will be included in our fuel mix from now on.

 

For more information on the product or to order it on-line ( I haven't found any stores carrying the product) go to www.therightstuff-usa.com. Don't expect to be overwhelmed by their web site, but do expect to be pleasantly impressed with the product.

 

Location: News >> Hydration Advancement with The Right Stuff


 
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