elete electrolyte add-in offers much less

(that's a good thing)


elete electrolyte add-inelete electrolyte add-in may be the only bona fide electrolyte supplement out there because it's just that: a supplement. When mixed correctly, you can hardly taste it; gone are sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and, what's even more refreshing, it's lower in sodium than average sports drinks. Hold on, you say, isn't sodium something I need? Generally speaking, not if you live in North America, where the diet is typically high in sodium and low in magnesium and potassium (most commonly found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds).

Sarah Kaufman
Sarah Kaufman discovered elete when she started racing long-haul races in 2005. With dozens of sport nutrition products competing for her cash, Kaufman chose elete because of its simplicity - no big jolt of caffeine or calories - and it helped her stay focused deep in the clutches of a gigantic ride. In fact she liked it so much, she joined the company where - unlike normally sponsored racers - she is partly responsible for the success of the company.

An expert both on and off the bike, Kaufman explains why elete is precisely suited to a range of athletes (diabetics, pay attention!) and how you shouldn't take her word for elete's exhaustive testing.

What does elete taste like?

Kaufman: If mixed correctly, you can hardly taste it. Taken straight, it is pretty nasty stuff. If you mix it a little strong in water, you will pick up a slightly mineral flavor - I have grown to crave that flavor. Mixed in sports drinks or other beverages, you really can't taste it. And it is so easy to customize; if the flavor bothers you, mix it a little weaker and you won't taste it at all.

It's mentioned on the elete website that elete is lower in sodium than typical sports drinks. Isn't sodium something we need more of when we put in a hard effort on the bike?

Kaufman: Absolutely...but maybe not quite as much as you might think. Most sports drink companies base their sodium levels on a typical sweat profile. You've heard them claim that they are replacing what the body sweats out. Unfortunately, that is misguided. Imagine a typical American diet: very high in sodium and low in magnesium and potassium. The body is getting rid of what it has excess of and conserving what it is deficient in. So, studying a typical sweat profile shows large amounts of sodium and very low amounts of magnesium and potassium, but that doesn't mean the body needs huge amounts of sodium and only a little magnesium and potassium. elete was built around the belief that the body tries to maintain homeostasis by excreting excess sodium and conserving magnesium and potassium. For that reason, elete has less sodium and more magnesium and potassium than most other sports drinks. That being said, elete still offers enough sodium to make it a competitive sports electrolyte mix. The key is the balance of electrolytes.

How does elete do its performance and nutrition testing?

Kaufman: Every lot of elete is tested at every stage of its production. We have an in-house lab, full-time chemists, and a QA staff. Our manufacturing facility is Good Manufacturing Practic (GMP)-certified through NSF and Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS)-tested by the USFDA standards. elete is backed by geno-toxicity tests, including the Ames Assay test and the mouse lymphoma test (these essentially certify that the product is safe for human consumption). In addition, every lot of elete passes the heavy metals safety test as established by the US Food Chemicals Codex. elete is also tested by Informed Choice in their independent lab and certified to be free of any World Anti-Doping Agency banned substances.

Elete offers something less than its competitors: sugar and related sweeteners, which is something for diabetics to cheer about. What other nutritional benefits are available to diabetic athletes?

Kaufman: elete is great for diabetics since it is like a sports drink without sweeteners of any kind. Furthermore, diabetics have an even greater need to balance their minerals, keep their sodium levels down and magnesium and potassium levels up so elete is perfect for this.

Elete is sponsoring a generous product donation to military medics, many of whom are treating soldiers in the extreme environments of Iraq and Afghanistan. elete also provides special military pricing for individuals and/or family members in the military; are there any more details available about this offer?

Kaufman: We offer a military discount of 20 percent. In addition, we have donated more than $100,000 worth of product to troops in Afghanistan, Iraq and all over the world.

For more information about elete, visit the website at: www.eletewater.com