The Science Behind H2O Overdrive
H2O Overdrive has taken a top level hydration product to market, lining up events all over the country and contributing to the Action Sports scene in a big way. As a sponsor of events like Battle of the Paddle, in Dana Point, CA, US Cup Mountain Bike Race put on by Sho-Air, and our very own Over the Hump Mountain Bike Race Series. From the very beginning, H2O Overdrive set out to meet the needs of endurance and performance athletes in a marketthat competes with Goliath hydration products with thousands times the marketing budget and Coke sized mass distribution of much larger companies. But H2O Overdrive is more than a marketing campaign. Putting their name on events is not a gimmick. They are raising body performance awareness. H2O Overdrive believes when put next to mega-market competitors in the athletic beverage department, there is not an equal.
Co-founders Randy Olshen and Terry Giles set out to do something different with H2O Overdrive. Having been in the health and nutrition business for years prior, they came up with a product that would change the way an athlete hydrated. Randy tells me, “No other company can make this clinical claim, H2O Overdrive is the only hydration product on the market that truly hydrates at a cellular level”. It’s a special mix of just the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, and low glycogen/sugar content, which makes the product stand out, all delivered at a perfect PH balance best delivered in a liquid form (you can only find H2O Overdrive in a bottle).
“People need to address their body’s needs for performance,” Randy said, “with as much careful consideration and planning as they spend time and energy, in a bike shop. An athlete can spend hours in a bike shop looking at all the carbon handlebars, lighter seat posts, and faster wheel sets, which is all good. But if you take that much energy picking a rear cassette, and don’t hydrate correctly during peak performance the athlete can’t perform.”
So for the gear-head “in” all of us, I wanted to take a look at what’s in the H2O mix. H2O Overdrive balances a proprietary mix of protein, carbohydrates, electrolytes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, then add to that that it contains only 3 grams of sugar per serving. Those minerals, without a huge load of sugar added make for some mean science. Some phenomenal athletes to rely specifically and only on H2O Overdrive for their nutrition needs during performance.
Sid Taberlay, professional mountain bike racer for Sho-Air and world champion cross-country mountain bike champion literally only carries h2o’s product when he races, Sid told me “Not only does H2O Overdrive fulfill my sweet tooth, it gets me through a mountain bike race, like no other product has ever done before. No gels or bars, simply H2O overdrive in my bottles which gets me through to the end of the race without much more than a sweat.” So when he showed up at the last race, with his bottle in the cage I sarcastically nudged him and said I was from UCI and wanted was going to make sure it was only h2o Overdrive in his bottle, rather than some other performance cocktail. With a silly Taberlay grin he spun off the lid of this bottle and offered me a swig…straight h2o Overdrive, right out of one of their bottles. The skeptic in me actually had already been satisfied.
Quoting from H2O’s documentation here’s how it works.
“Based on extensive scientific research and numerous published studies, the team at Innovative Health Solutions developed the unique proprietary formula for H2O Overdrive™ to provide effective rehydration, boost energy and sports performance and aid muscle recovery. Hydration research studies have demonstrated the positive proof that a precise ratio of protein and carbohydrates promotes cellular rehydration and supports muscle recovery, including a recent study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism which measured the effectiveness of three different beverages in rehydrating athletes. This particular study was conducted on 13 endurance athletes who drank either (a) water or (b) a carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink or (c) a protein-carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink or water after losing 2.5% of their body weight through exercise-induced sweat loss. Investigators found that the protein-carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink rehydrated athletes 15% better than the carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink and some 40% better than water.”
So on those long extended competitive or athletic efforts our bodies breakdown and dehydrate. H2O Overdrive takes that dehydrated and depleted cell, not just masking the effects of dehydration but truly rehydrating the cells, allowing for more effective and longer lasting hydration during the effort. That mix of protein to carbohydrate ratio in H2O Overdrive, provides the perfect balance to rehydrate intracellular fluids optimizing the absorbsion and utilization of electrolytes in the body. Electrolytes are the chemicals that form electrically charged ions in the body fluids. These ions carry the electrical energy necessary for numerous physiological functions including muscle contractions and the transmission of nerve impulses.
So what’s in it? (full chart below) Besides the noted proteins, carbs and minerals, there are two other essential ingredients in H20 Overdrive, that are delivered in perfectly measured amounts to optimize performance. Taurine and Caffeine. Both essential. Here’s how they work:
Taurine is a major building block for all proteins in the body – it is the principle free intracellular (inside the cells) amino acid in human and animal tissues – found in extremely high amounts in the brain and in myocardium, skeletal and smooth muscle. Taurine is classified as an essential amino acid – it is found in all meats, fish, eggs and milk. Taurine besides its use in cognitive response and mental alertness has extreme anti-oxidant activity.
Caffeine: research has shown, with positive results that caffeine can improve endurance in sports like cycling, running and other endurance sports. Caffeine is shown to decrease fatigue and increase mental acuity.
Glycogen is the immediately consumed fuel for muscles (stored in the muscles), but fat is the most prominent and stored food source. But fat is not the body’s first stop for reserves. So caffeine, when consumed in conjunction with carbohydrates has an additive effect on muscle glycogen accumulation, and the caffeine also forces the muscles to use stored fat first, saving the muscle’s glycogen reserves for use later. Net Result: fuel within the body is used more efficiently. Studies have shown that moderate caffeine use in physical activity can actually increase output by up to 7%.
How does it compare to others? H2O Overdrive ™ actually pulls nutrients into the muscle cells of the person using it, and does so about 30 to 40% better than pure water or other types of sports drinks can. It actually hydrates the body at the cellular level (intracellular—inside the cells) unlike any other. Intracellular hydration is the mechanism that drives energy, glycogen resynthesis, muscle function, stamina, protein synthesis and recovery. many people “perceive” that high sugar products give you energy – TRUTH is those high sugar products actually can do more harm than good by causing unwanted insulin spikes resulting in instability in your blood sugar levels and a NET Loss in energy available to the working muscles. In addition, consuming high amounts of sugar puts the user at a greater risk for developing diabetes and other health complications and weight gain. So put it against others and you can see for yourself what the each offer.
Compared to energy drinks:
Compared to goos, gels, and powders: click here
After I’d heard Sid say all he rides with is Overdrive, I thought I’d give it a whirl. Mountain biking from Cook’s corner to Old Camp (a two hour ride with 2.500 plus vertical feet of climbing) I usually go through a gel of some kind, carry a sports drink, and have a bar depending on how much I’ve eaten. Almost inevitably on this ride my legs cramp and have to drop an Endurolyte (or five) to recover.
So last weekend when I loaded my bottle I poured Overdrive in my bottle. I am a believer! Literally, not one cramp and I felt consistently strong along the ride. In fact, even though I’m only a once a week rider right now, I made it to Old camp with 5 minutes of rest along the way in 1 hour 19 minutes….my personal best. My minds made up: I plan to pack H2O Overdrive in my bottles for endurance rides from now on.
So whether your convinced by empirical data, or just the good old fashioned “I’ll give it a try myself” approach, know this: all roads lead to the same place. H2O Overdrive is the real deal. Get all the product information at http://h2ooverdrive.com