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Kaged Muscle is a reputable brand that makes supplements specifically to help with exercise performance, muscle building, and weight loss, so they have a variety of supplements like creatine, pre-workouts, protein powders, fat burners, BCAAs, and more.
If you’re familiar with the term “electrolytes”, then you’re surely able to grasp the importance of a supplement such as Hydra Charge as it contains elements that your body needs to help you perform consistently.
Main Takeaways
- Hydra Charge is formulated to help in rehydration and maintaining electrolyte balance, which is crucial for those who engage in heavy exercises and sweat profusely. The inclusion of Coconut Fruit Water Powder, which is rich in essential electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, makes it particularly effective for post-workout recovery.
- The supplement contains 1 gram of Taurine, an amino acid that has shown promise in supporting increased endurance and reducing symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness, potentially accelerating strength recovery after exercise.
- Priced at $0.49 per serving or even lower with a subscription, Hydra Charge is reasonably priced. However, its benefits are most pronounced for individuals who engage in intense or prolonged physical activity leading to heavy sweating.
What Does Hydra Charge Do?
Hydra Charge is a vegan-friendly post-workout supplement that contains water, minerals, and sugar, so its main purpose is to help you rehydrate and regain your electrolyte balance.
If you don’t know what “electrolytes” are, they are essential minerals that your body needs to stay hydrated before, during, and after exercise. They also help regulate a variety of your body’s most essential functions, including nerve signaling, pH balance, and muscle contraction. 1
They help your body retain fluid during heavy exercise when you’re sweating, so they can also keep joints lubricated and maintain your energy, avoiding dehydration-related fatigue.
The consumption of an electrolyte-rich supplement such as Hydra Charge is usually only warranted if you’re someone who exercises heavily (say, you tend to sweat a lot from your workouts and have a very consistent workout routine).
Apart from the essential electrolytes, Hydra Charge also contains 1 gram of Taurine, which the brand claims to be “an amino acid scientifically shown to support improved endurance, cellular water balance, and electrolyte utilization”.
However, is that really the case? Let’s have a hard look at what the science says about taurine and the remaining ingredients in Hydra Charge.
Hydra Charge Ingredients & Benefits
Hydra Charge contains the following ingredients:
- Taurine
- Coconut Fruit Water Powder
- SPECTRA Total ORAC Blend.
These ingredients contain essential minerals that help you with re-hydration, and potentially contain compounds that help increase your endurance.
Taurine (1000 mg)
Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that is not involved in protein synthesis but is essential to cardiovascular function and the development and function of the brain, retina, and skeletal muscle.
It is a common ingredient in energy drinks, which have been shown to enhance various aspects of physical performance (e.g., endurance exercise performance, and vertical jump height). 2 However, energy drinks also contain caffeine as well as other ingredients, so it’s unclear how much of their benefits can be attributed to taurine.
Several studies have investigated whether taurine supplementation improves endurance exercise performance. 3
It seems that taurine has a small positive effect on time to exhaustion in both untrained healthy individuals and older adults with heart failure. 4 However, taurine does not seem to benefit time trial performance.
One of the main theories defends that taurine may aid performance by increasing the use of fat for fuel and reducing the contribution from glycogen, as well as improving the function of mitochondria. 5
Research was also conducted to understand whether taurine impacts muscle strength and power, but the findings were limited and inconclusive.
With that being said, taurine has shown promise for reducing symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness and accelerating strength recovery following exercise. 6
In most studies, between 1 and 6 grams of taurine have been used per day, and Hydra Charge contains 1 gram per serving, which is on the low end. Regardless, taurine may still be helpful, particularly as it acts in conjunction with the other ingredients in this formula.
Coconut Fruit Water Powder (500 mg)
Coconut fruit water powder is as you can tell derived from the liquid inside a coconut, also referred to as coconut water.
Over the past several years, coconut water has become one of the most popular beverages on the market, and it’s now bottled and sold worldwide.
Coconut water is naturally low in sugar and contains a variety of electrolytes, including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. 7
As we’ve mentioned earlier, these electrolytes are absolutely essential for hydration and recovery post-workout, and coconut fruit water powder is an excellent source.
SPECTRA Total ORAC Blend (100 mg)
This patented blend contains a variety of ingredients, including coffee extract, and green tea extract, as well as a variety of vegetable and fruit concentrates.
This combination of fruits, veggies, and botanical extracts is an antioxidant blend that helps the body fight against oxidative stress and free-radical damage caused by intense physical activity. 8
Although antioxidants don’t play a role in improving exercise performance, their intake is recommended for your general well-being.
Hydra Charge Price
One canister of Hydra Charge costs $29.99, equivalent to $0.49 per serving, which is not expensive, especially when compared to other reputable brands.
You can make Hydra Charge even cheaper if you adhere to their subscription service, which allows you to get a 10% discount, bringing the cost per serving down to $0.45.
If you’re interested in getting your hands on Hydra Charge, feel free to do so through Kaged Muscle’s official website.
Is Hydra Charge Worth It?
According to the scientific research available, Hydra Charge seems to contain ingredients that replenish hydration and lead to a slight increase in endurance performance.
Even though further investigation is required, Taurine has shown promising results in assisting endurance performance, as well as recovery, including recovery related to symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness and the acceleration of strength recovery following exercise.
However, keep in mind that a supplement like Hydra Charge may only be helpful if you exercise arduously and consistently, to the point where you’re sweating profusely (and losing the so-called electrolytes).
Otherwise, we think that a diet rich in minerals and water will be sufficient to address your body’s needs.
Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.
References:
1. Shrimanker I, Bhattarai S. Electrolytes. [Updated 2021 Jul 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan.
2. Souza DB, Del Coso J, Casonatto J, Polito MD. Acute effects of caffeine-containing energy drinks on physical performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Nutr. 2017 Feb.
3. Hansen SH, Andersen ML, Cornett C, Gradinaru R, Grunnet N. A role for taurine in mitochondrial function. J Biomed Sci. 2010 Aug 24.
4. Waldron M, Patterson SD, Tallent J, Jeffries O. The Effects of an Oral Taurine Dose and Supplementation Period on Endurance Exercise Performance in Humans: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2018 May.
5. Kurtz JA, VanDusseldorp TA, Doyle JA, Otis JS. Taurine in sports and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021 May.
6. Bongiovanni T, Genovesi F, Nemmer M, Carling C, Alberti G, Howatson G. Nutritional interventions for reducing the signs and symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage and accelerate recovery in athletes: current knowledge, practical application, and future perspectives. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020 Sep.
7. FoodData Central – 100g of Coconut Water (liquid from coconuts).
8. Maria L. Urso, Priscilla M. Clarkson. Oxidative stress, exercise, and antioxidant supplementation. Toxicology, Volume 189, Issues 1–2, 2003.
