e load™ is the Heat Endurance Sports Drink

1. The most important sweat electrolyte is sodium, with an average concentration of 800 mg/litre ⁽³⁹⁾ and with an average as high as 1000-1100 mg/litre, especially in hotter, more humid environments ^{(40, 41)}.

2. Falling potassium levels can contribute to all of the heat illnesses, including cramping and hyponatremia ⁽¹⁵, 16).The potassium concentration in sweat averages 195 mg/litre ^{(39, 40)}.

3. The sodium:potassium ratio in sweat is approximately 3:1 to 5:1. Some drinks have this ratio reversed-this is not the way sweat is formulated, and should not be the way your drink is formulated.

4. The average amount of calcium in sweat is 50 mg/litre ^{(39, 40)}. Calcium is important for normal muscle contraction and nerve conduction (hence, it probably has a role in preventing muscle cramps). Calcium supplementation may also have a role in protecting bones from reduced bone mass secondary to inadequate replacement of sweat calcium losses ⁽³⁸⁾.

5. The average amount of magnesium in sweat is 25 mg/litre ⁽³⁹⁾. Magnesium may have a preventative effect on muscle cramping ⁽¹³⁾.

6. The calcium:magnesium ratio in sweat is approximately 2:1. This should reflect the ratio of these same electrolytes in your drink.

7. The average amount of zinc in sweat is less than 1 mg/litre ⁽⁴⁵⁾. Zinc is associated with optimal energy metabolism, endurance and tissue regeneration. Athletes may have a zinc deficiency induced by poor diet and loss of zinc in sweat and urine ⁽⁴¹⁾.

8. In the heat, your carbohydrate should be rapidly absorbed, and should facilitate sodium absorption from your small intestine. Dextrose is the only choice here, as it has a glycemic index of 100. Additionally, dextrose is the only known carbohydrate that facilitates sodium aborption from the small intestine, while aiding in sodium reabsorption from your kidneys ^{(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)}. Finally, many sport nutrition products use fructose, or fruit sugar, as a sweetener. There is no dispute that fructose can be a gastrointestinal irritant ^{(6, 7)}, especially in the heat.

9. 6-8% solutions of carbohydrate are optimal for gastric emptying, regardless of the type of carbohydrate used ^{(22, 24, 25,} 26, 27). However, according to our many users, in the heat, solutions with greater than 6% carbohydrate concentration are too 'thick and syrupy', contributing to nausea, a common problem in the heat ⁽²³⁾. Furthermore, use of too much long chain carbohydrate, like maltodextrin and amylopectin, may lead to undigested remnants of the carbohydrate remaining in the intestine ⁽⁴⁶⁾, contributing to bloating, diarrhea and dehydration.

10. The primary purpose of a heat performance drink is to prevent heat illness secondary to electrolyte depletion and dehydration ⁽⁴⁴⁾, and NOT to provide high amounts of calories. Extra calories can be ingested using other sources. A lower amount of carbohydrate is used in e load™ to facilitate gastric emptying and to reduce the gastrointestinal irritation that is so common in the heat. A drink with a caloric density of 200-240 calories per litre (5-6% carbohydrate) is ideal. e load™ weighs in at 5.4% (216 Calories per litre), an optimal amount ⁽²⁸⁾ for use in the heat.

11. Exercise in the heat is especially stressful, and as such will increase the amount of acid in your stomach (stress increases stomach acid, as many of you with stomach ulcers will know). This can lead to stomach pain/cramps. Therefore, you want to minimize the amount of acid in your drink. Quite simply, e load™ has the least amount of acid of any drink on the market today.

12. Part of what makes e load™ so effective in controlling acid is MultiCitrate™, which not only helps control stomach acid, but once absorbed, helps control lactic acid ^(9, 23).