You plan the reps. The practices. The recovery. Hydration deserves a place in the game plan, too.

When you train, sweat helps your body manage heat. But sweat also means losing fluid and electrolytes—especially sodium.

And those losses aren’t the same for everyone.

Research examining sweat rates and sodium losses in athletes shows considerable variation depending on the athlete, activity and conditions. That’s why the hydration needs of an easy workout can look very different from a long practice, a hot training day or a full tournament schedule.

The goal isn’t to make hydration complicated. It’s to prepare for the work ahead.

Hydration can affect performance

When the demands go up, hydration can become an important part of staying ready to perform.

In a controlled study of basketball players, researchers tested performance at progressively greater levels of dehydration and found that basketball performance declined as fluid loss increased.

Another study examining dehydration and endurance performance found that beginning exercise with a substantial fluid deficit impaired endurance performance, with the effects of dehydration during prolonged exercise becoming more pronounced in the heat.

Different sports. Different demands. But both studies point to the value of starting prepared and paying attention to fluid intake when training gets longer, harder or hotter.

It’s not only about water

Sweat means losing more than fluid.

Sodium is one of the major electrolytes lost through sweat, and what you drink after a demanding session can affect how much of that fluid your body retains.

In a randomized study involving 26 athletes, participants exercised until they had lost approximately 2.6% of their body mass before rehydrating with water or one of two sodium-containing beverages.

Three and a half hours later, the athletes had retained approximately 58% of the fluid consumed as water, compared with 74% and 77% from the two sodium-containing beverages.

Importantly, the study measured fluid retention after exercise, not performance in a later game, race or workout. But it helps show why what you drink can matter alongside how much you drink.

The Australian Institute of Sport’s sports drink guidance also notes that sodium in sports drinks can support fluid retention and replacement of sweat losses. Because sweat rates and sweat sodium concentrations vary considerably between athletes, hydration strategies should reflect the athlete and the demands of the session.

Built for the days that demand more

That thinking is behind BioSteel Hydration MAX.

We developed Hydration MAX at the request of a top-level professional sports team looking for a hydration option suited to demanding training.

We saw a need that went beyond one team, so we made it available to everyone.

Each serving of BioSteel Hydration MAX provides:

1,000 mg of sodium
500 mg of potassium
50 mg of magnesium

It’s also zero sugar and caffeine-free.

Hydration MAX was built for the sessions where fluid and electrolyte losses deserve more attention: long training days, heavy sweat, hot-weather sessions and tournament days.

Think summer runs. Hard rides. Extended practices. Back-to-back games.

Not every workout has the same demands. Your hydration plan doesn’t have to be the same for every workout, either.

Choose hydration for the session ahead

A hydration routine works best when it fits the work you’re doing—and when it’s easy enough to actually follow.

BioSteel offers different options for different training days.

For everyday activity and regular workouts: BioSteel Hydration Mix comes in packets and larger containers that are easy to mix with water.

For grab-and-go convenience: BioSteel Hydration Drinks are ready for the gym bag, cooler or sideline.

For longer, hotter or sweatier sessions: BioSteel Hydration MAX provides the higher-electrolyte option.

Hydration is also only one part of preparing for demanding training.

The Australian Institute of Sport’s sports drink guidance notes that athletes participating in prolonged, strenuous exercise may need carbohydrate fuel alongside fluids and electrolytes.

Because Hydration MAX is zero sugar, it does not provide that carbohydrate fuel. When your training calls for it, plan your nutrition accordingly.

Prepare for the work ahead

A strong hydration routine doesn’t need to be complicated.

Consider the length of your session. The conditions. How much you tend to sweat. What you have planned afterward.

Then make sure the hydration option that fits those demands is within reach.

Prepare for the session. Put in the work. Hydrate for what comes next.

That’s the thinking behind the BioSteel hydration lineup—and why we made Hydration MAX available beyond the professional team that first requested it.

Follow the Hydration MAX label: no more than one serving per day. It is not recommended for those under 14, and the label advises against using it on the same day as other supplemented foods or supplements containing magnesium or potassium. View Hydration MAX product directions.