When drinking water is not enough
Our body is made up of 60% water on average and it is therefore important to keep it well hydrated. Maintaining an adequate level of hydration throughout the day is a good rule of thumb for the basic rules of wellness, which applies to everyday life as much as to physical activity.When practicing sports, it is necessary to provide the body with the right level of water and mineral salts, which we normally disperse during sports performances. Just think that a 2% drop in water in the human body can lower the level of cognitive and physical performance by more than 30%.

We have always thought that it was enough to remember to drink a certain amount of water during the day, not only according to our needs, but (also) with respect to individual needs, but it doesn’t necessarily works like that.To achieve our daily hydration goal, technology can help us in many ways: there are apps that tell us when to drink so that, throughout the day, we can bring the right amount of fluids to the body. However, there are also high-tech solutions that go much further, because it is important to know how much you have to drink, but even more so when: in fact, the right level of hydration is obtained when drinking at the best time.
Technologies to achieve the right level of hydration
Therefore, what are the new technologies to monitor and improve the quality of our daily hydration? In this editorial, we explore some of the segments in which hydration technology is taking its first steps:
Hardware for identifying the level of hydration

Today technology comes to their aid: smart patches, made up of strips of filtered paper worked by laser, applied to a transparent plaster and waterproof, easily applicable on the skin and protected from external factors provide an immediate feedback on the level of hydration. The estimate is that the patch can be used from 15 to 90 minutes: thanks to sweating, the paper strips change from blue to red, immediately indicating a lowering of the level of hydration.On the same philosophy of practicality and immediacy, wearable devices are also being developed: objects similar to heart rate monitors to be applied to arms and calves provide real-time data on hydration.

App and hydration: when your smartphone tells you when to drink

Intelligent water bottles for the hydration of the future
Due to a greater attention to the environment, we see more and more people moving around with water bottles, but some are smarter than others.Athletes are in fact experimenting with so-called smart bottles: by taking advantage of compatibility with an app or smartwatch, these containers can synchronise with fitness trackers and, thanks to the data they have available, they are able to keep track of consumption to recommend the most suitable time to drink. You can also have complete reports that indicate both the progress of hydration and the nutrients we are taking.


Energy drinks – hydration with an extra gear
Inside these smart bottles, the battery is not only used to keep the device connected and updated with the app, it also serves to dispense additives to the water.In an experiment made by Gatorade, a smart bottle had been customised to contain three small cylinders can be inserted at the base of the bottle, which vaporised vitamins, minerals and natural flavours inside the water, reaching up to 45 different types of flavouring.

It’s not just about giving the water a different taste, these additions help to increase hydration, give energy before training, sleep better or accelerate energy recovery.The addition is very simple: insert the three small cylinders at the base of the bottle, close and click on the button on the container. In a few moments, you can see the aroma appear in the bottle. Further customization is offered by the possibility of individually controlling the delivery of the additions.
Not only hydration
