Thirsty?
These Hydration Tracking Devices Help You Track Your Water Intake
Whether you’re a casual athlete or a fitness freak, you need to stay hydrated, especially during the summer months.
To keep you on target, there are general guidelines that suggest how much water you should drink each day. Fitness tracking apps, by default, suggest 64 ounces of water per day, even though reviews suggest that the old “drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day” rule is actually a myth.
Have you ever actually tried to drink 64 ounces of water per day? It’s a lot. The truth, as the Mayo Clinic reminds us, is that you actually get much of your daily required water intake from other sources, like food and other beverages. So how many glasses of water do you really need?
Like most nutrition, proper hydration is actually very personalized. To get a more accurate picture of your recommended water intake, you need to account for individual factors like health, fitness level and even the local weather. That’s why companies are working on advanced hydration tracking devices to help take the guesswork out of this process.
Jawbone Looks Within
Jawbone is one of the market’s most popular fitness tracking brands, and the company touted its UP3 wearable as “the world’s most advanced tracker.” Product manager Jayanth Chakravarthy wrote in a blog that the company incorporated bioimpedence sensors, which “measure the resistance of bio-tissue to a tiny amount of electric current,” within the band to capture “a wide range of physiological signals.”
In other words, the wristband itself can measure certain changes within your body — from blood flow to changes in oxygen levels in your blood and cells. Among other things, the device can actually track your respiration to measure your personal hydration levels. This feature is available in both the UP3 and UP4 wearable bands.
Your Cup Runneth Over
If fitness bands aren’t your thing, you can track water intake via intelligent water bottles. There are actually quite a few of these available. Hydracoach makes a bottle that will determine your daily hydration goals based on weight, duration of exercise, and other customizable features. Camelbak’s Flow Meter can be hooked in to any Camelbak product to measure daily intake and activity.
A recent Kickstarter campaign introduced HidrateMe, a connected water bottle that actually glows if you haven’t had a drink in a while as a reminder to stay hydrated. If you’d rather keep using your favorite Nalgene, you could slip on The Hug, a sensor band that wraps around almost any water bottle and relies on motion sensing measure hydration needs.
Drink Up, Stay Healthy
There’s no doubt that most of us aren’t drinking enough water every day, but you don’t have to shoot for an arbitrary number of glasses to be healthy. Connected devices are helping both committed athletes and everyday Joes learn more about their personal health needs. And with that information, you can drink smarter.
Want to join the #NutritionRevolution? Support our Indiegogo campaign for Nourish, the world’s first intelligent countertop supplement dispenser and your new personal nutritionist.
