Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration Mix, also known as “Secret Drink Mix”, was developed and tested in the field with athletes competing in races like the Tour de France. For years, athletes would secretly dump their sponsors’ drinks to replace it with ours, earning the name SDM from the pros who used it. Those athletes will tell you that they felt better, performed better, and didn’t experience the bloating and stomach issues that they did with other sports or electrolyte drinks. The secret was that Skratch's drink just worked better. And now that the secret is out, everyone can use this exercise drink mix to optimize hydration – whether cycling, running, skiing, clubbing, or heck, whenever you’re sweating.

• Actual fruit for flavor
• A light and clean taste profile
• All natural ingredients
• No artificial “anything”
• Optimal sodium for exercise
• Less sugar and more electrolytes

RECOMMENDED USE
To use simply add content to a reusable container filled with approximately 16oz (500ml) of water. Mix, drink, sweat, repeat.

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size: 23g / 500ml prepared
Contains 1 serving

Amount Per Serving	% DV*
1% Juice
Calories 80    Calories from Fat 0
Total Carbohydrate 20g	7%
Sugars 20g
Vitamin C 22mg	37%
Calcium 60mg	6%
Magnesium 45mg	11%
Sodium 310mg	13%
Potassium 40mg	1%

*Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ingredients: sucrose, glucose, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, calcium citrate, magnesium citrate, freeze dried fruit, citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

FAQ
The first ingredient is sugar- what’s up with that?
We have been taught that sugar is bad for us. I know that because we keep getting asked this question about sugar. But if you lead an active lifestyle, sugar is pretty important.

In small amounts during exercise, sugar is absolutely one of the most important and ergogenic* substances out there. Not only is having some calories critical for maintaining blood glucose and exercise performance, a little bit of real sugar paired with sodium significantly enhances the rate of water absorption through the small intestine. This is why clinically based oral rehydration solutions developed by the World Health Organization contain sugar and glucose just like Skratch- it hydrates you better. Which is kind of a good quality to have in a product designed to do just that.

Sugar free may be great if you’re sitting on your butt all day, but if you’re working hard and sweating, a bit of sugar will improve your performance significantly.

*(Just in case you’re anything like the guy transcribing these answers, “ergogenic” means: an external influence that can be determined to enhance performance in high-intensity exercises.” And that’s straight outta Wikipedia so you know it has to be true. I mean, it’s not like anyone can just add any information they want, right?)

Ultimately, what's bad for us when we are sitting on the couch can be extremely performance enhancing when we are active. So if you're not sweating and working hard, don't use our Exercise Hydration Drink Mix- that word “Exercise” is in there for a reason. But if you are sweating you need to put back both the water and the electrolytes you’re losing and can best do that with a drink that contains a little bit of sugar and plenty of sodium.

Why do I cramp? How do I stop cramping?
Cramps can happen because of muscle fatigue, because of an electrolyte disturbance, and because of dehydration. There are plenty of models showing that all are potentially valid mechanisms for exercise-induced cramping. Sometimes it's just one of these factors. Often times, it's a combination of factors. Training better, drinking more, keeping electrolyte intakes high are all important to prevent cramping.

Everyone knows they can die of dehydration. But how much can performance really suffer after just small losses of fluids?
The prevailing thought is that as little as a 2% loss of body fluids can significantly affect aerobic performance. There are over 28 published studies demonstrating decrements in performance that show dehydration in the range of 2 to 4% of total body weight can impair performance anywhere from 7 to 44% when measured as time to exhaustion, work done, or peak exercise performance. That all said, there's probably more at play here than just dehydration or a loss of body weight. In fact, simply being thirsty, regardless of change in body weight due to dehydration, can also impair performance. Furthermore, in practice, many athletes competing in real world conditions can maintain a high level of performance even with a significant loss of body fluid (up to 10% loss). In our experience, if we could encourage athletes to drink enough to not lose more than 3% of their body weight, they were able to maintain a relatively high level of performance. For a great reference on this topic take a look at:

Sawka, M. N., & Noakes, T. D. (2007). Does dehydration impair exercise performance? Med Sci Sports Exerc, 39(8), 1209-1217.

How much Exercise Hydration Mix should I be drinking?
That is a tough question to answer because everyone is different. The right amount depends on not only the conditions (think temperature and humidity) and length and intensity (how long, how hard, how far) but also on the individual. One to two 500mL servings per hour is a good starting point and then experiment to see what works best for you. One way to check if you’re drinking enough is to weigh yourself before and after a workout. If you’re losing more than a 3% loss in total body weight, your performance is almost certainly suffering and you probably need to drink more.

Why doesn’t Skratch dissolve 100% clear?
Because we use actual fruit for flavor instead of chemicals that taste like fruit. Any "floating stuff" you may see in your bottle is small bits of fruit pulp. Sometimes a trace amount of the electrolyte salts in Skratch may hang around the bottom of your bottle too, but just give it a little shake before taking a swig and drink up. They're good for you.

If you prefer a clear beverage try the Lemons and Limes. If you like a small amount of real fruit pulp/seed try the Raspberries or Pineapples.

How long will Skratch stay fresh? How do I need to store Skratch?
Because Skratch is all natural and we don’t add any preservatives of any kind, our drink mix needs a little bit of TLC. Dry drink mix should be stored in a cool, dry place either in its zip top bag or in any other airtight glass or plastic container. Extreme heat and direct sunlight are like Kryptonite for Skratch, so don't keep it in your car or your tent in the middle of the Sahara. Once added to water, a good rule of thumb is to treat it like fruit juice. After mixing, it is ideal to drink it within the day and can be drunk warm without lessening its efficacy. If mixed and then kept in the fridge it will stay good for up to a week. You will know when you have let it hang around in your bottle too long, it will smell a little bit funky and your inner voice will tell you "don't drink that". Listen to your inner voice.

Does Skratch Labs contain Wheat/Gluten/Soy/Dairy?
No, Skratch Labs Exercise and Everyday mixes are free of wheat, gluten, soy and dairy.

Is Skratch Kosher?
Yes! Skratch is Kosher approved by The Scroll K - Vaad Hakashurs of Denver.