Gatorade launches new sweat patch for personalised hydration strategy

Sports drink producer Gatorade has unveiled a patch that calculates how much sweat you produce in a workout and measures sodium loss to help you maximise your performance and avoid cramping or dehydration

We first caught wind of this back in November 2019, when Gatorade said the GX Sweat Patch would be available in the summer of 2020... and a few months later than planned Gatorade's first wearable device is finally here, allowing athletes to perform a scan after their workout using Gatorade’s app, Gx, to reveal their personal sweat profile.

The single-use patch is designed to measure the fitness and hydration levels of athletes and creates a sweat profile. This profile is said to help the Gx app calculate your sweat loss, sweat rate and sodium loss for a workout. With access to this data, you can personalise your hydration strategy for your individual needs.

Gatorade says this allows the app to recommend how much fluid and electrolytes you’ll need the next time you do the same activity for the same intensity.

The brand recommends choosing a workout that will see you drenched in sweat. “Make sure it’s one you complete often, in a consistent condition, to make the most of your sweat profile,” Gatorade says.

The patch should be placed on your inner left forearm,  two to three inches from your elbow crease, before a sweaty smash-fest.

 “As you work out, the patch will collect the sweat and route it through two channels that use non-toxic coloured dyes to visualise your sweat results.”

Non-toxic food dyes are used to obtain this measurement.

To complete an accurate test Gatorade says the workout needs to last 30 minutes or until the patch is partially full. 

Straight after completing your workout, the sweat patch can be scanned to access your personalised sweat profile. The Gx Sweat Sweat Patch is only scannable via the Gatorade Gx iOS app.

“With this sweat profile, Gx can provide more accurate hydration recommendations and help you have better preparation and recovery.”

If you repeat the workout in the same conditions you can reuse the profile, with no need to wear another patch, Gatorade explains. However, for different types of workouts or the same workout in different conditions, a new sweat test will need to be completed so the Gx app can tailor results specific to those workouts.

A pack of two costs $24.99 at www.gatorade.com. We're looking into UK availability and will update you when we get a reply.