Wait, what?
It's not as gross as it sounds. While we've been throwing back cups with lightning bolt logos of popular performance drinks, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute has been researching innovations to help people better understand their bodies: the $24.99 Gx Sweat Patch analyzes athletes' sweat profiles, hydrates It is a new type of wearable that analyzes an athlete's sweat profile to help with hydration strategies.
According to Gatorade's official announcement, the one-time-worn patch uses a "lab-based sweat testing protocol" to determine a person's hydration status. The patch is scanned and analyzed by the companion Gx app (iOS only), which syncs with health services like Garmin Connect for the best Garmin watches and Apple Health for the iOS/watchOS ecosystem.
This means that along with workout data, sleep tracking metrics, and other vitals, Sweat will know about you, specifically how you should hydrate before and after exercise.
While most people would not want their sweat tested unless they were being rewarded, such at-home testing could be useful for serious athletes. I don't consider myself such an athlete since high school, but even as an avid exercise enthusiast I would be interested in ideal hydration levels for workout and recovery.
If I were to use the Gatorade Gx sweat patch, I would apply it to the inside of my left arm during one workout. As I sweat, the patch would fill up. When I sweat, I scan the patch with the Gx app to see my sweat profile.
While I think knowing how to stay hydrated is helpful, I'm not really interested in the "sweat profile" itself. Besides, it's a little weird to peel a sweaty Band-Aid off my forearm. Would you feel the same way?
The Gatorade Gx sweat patches cost $24.99 for a pack of two, which sounds a bit pricey for a one-time use, and I probably wouldn't expect to test my sweat every day. Anyway, any normal person would want to.
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