Product review: Prepd Hydration
I first heard about Prepd Hydration from the Sports Dietitians Australia newsletter. These performance drinks are certified by HASTA, which means they do not contain any banned substances. These products have been developed in partnership with researchers at Flinders University.
The drinks
Prepd Hydration drinks come in 2 varieties: Prime and Recover. These are designed to be taken pre- and post-event, respectively. Both types come in 2 flavours: mango + passionfruit and strawberry + kiwi. All beverages come in 350ml bottles and are ready to drink.
Prime contains resistant starch to improve fluid uptake. They should be consumed 6-18 hours before exercise.
Recover contain the electrolyte needed to replenish fluids lost during exercise and about half the resistant starch contained in Prime. Recover should be consumed immediately after intense exercise.
All products are low in sugar and are advertised as having a smoothie-like consistency.
Ingredients
- Prime mango + passionfruit: Water, modified corn starch (1420), mango puree (5%), passionfruit juice (3%), apple juice concentrate, maltodextrin (tapioca), citric acid (330), xanthan gum (415), natural flavour, potassium sorbate (202), natural colour (E160), sucralose powder (955)
- Prime strawberry + kiwi: Water, modified corn starch (1420), strawberry puree (5%), apple juice concentrate, maltodextrin (tapioca), natural flavours, malic acid (296), xanthan gum (415), potassium sorbate (202), sucralose (955), natural colour (E120)
- Prime mango + passionfruit: Water, modified corn starch (1420), apple juice concentrate, passionfruit juice, maltodextrin (tapioca), xanthan gum (415), malic acid (296), sodium citrate (331), salt, potassium sorbate (202), natural colour (E160), natural flavour, dextrose, potassium chloride (508), sucralose powder (955)
- Recover strawberry + kiwi: Water, modified corn starch (1420), apple juice concentrate, strawberry puree (1.8%), maltodextrin (tapioca), natural flavours, xanthan gum (415), malic acid (296), sodium citrate (331), salt, potassium sorbate (202), dextrose, potassium chloride (508), sucralose (955), natural colour (E120)
Nutrition information
| Nutrient | Prime mango + passionfruit Per serve (350mL) | Prime strawberry + kiwi Per serve (350mL) | Recover mango + passionfruit Per serve (350mL) | Recover strawberry + kiwi Per serve (350mL) |
| Energy (kJ) | 662 | 623 | 358 | 380 |
| Protein (g) | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Fat, total (g) | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| – Saturated (g) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Carbohydrate (g) | 36.5 | 36.5 | 18.9 | 21.4 |
| – Sugars (g) | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.8 |
| Dietary fibre (g) | 3.17 | 3.2 | 1.97 | 2 |
| -Resistant starch (g) | 33.8 | 33 | 16.22 | 16.27 |
| Sodium (mg) | 77 | 79 | 397 | 382 |
Taste test
My husband and I tried Prepd Hydration products before and after a moderately intense Krav Maga session. This was at 1pm on a Saturday, so we had the Prime drinks the night before (about 15 hours pre-exercise). We had the Recover drinks a few minutes after finishing the session. We did not have any other electrolyte drinks from the day before until the day after the session.
Texture-wise the beverages are indeed thicker than other electrolyte products but I didn’t think they had a smoothie-like consistency as advertised. They were a bit chalky IMO. Taste-wise, we prefer more “clean”, “natural” flavours.
Having said that, we did not feel any gastrointestinal discomfort due to the resistant starch content. The products did seem to enhance hydration as we did not feel overly thirsty or fatigued despite having lost quite a bit of fluid through sweat.
Pros
- Lower in sugar than other ready-to-drink hydration products.
- Two different formulations for different timing-dependent needs.
- Certified by HASTA.
- Formulated based on research, which indicates it is more effective at replenishing fluids than other products.
Cons
- Not widely available yet, must be bought online from the manufacturer’s website.
- The preservatives, gelling agents, colours and sweeteners (i.e. everything with numbers) may cause issues in people who are highly sensitive
- Expensive. Single flavour 8-packs cost $52 and the mixed-flavour 4-pack normally costs $30 (I bought it for $22). Standard shipping within Australian metropolitan areas is $12.95.
More info
Head to Prepd’s website for more information on their products.
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