Gatorade is expanding into wearables with the “Gx Sweat Patch,” which can tell you how much water (or sports drink) you should consume during your exercises.
Staying hydrated during a workout should be a no-brainer. But the wearable from Gatorade promises to optimize your athletic performance by measuring your body’s sweat loss. It can then recommend the amount of fluid you should drink to maintain peak performance.
“Hydration and sweat are key to athletic performance, and the sports fuel company is providing the knowledge needed to better understand personal needs to stay appropriately hydrated before, during and after exercise,” Gatorade wrote in the announcement.
On Monday, the brand began selling the Gx Sweat Patch, which represents the first time Gatorade has sold a data-based product to consumers.
The Sweat Patch works through Gatorade’s new Gx app, which can store the sweat data and display your health recommendations. (Currently the app is only available for Apple’s iOS.)
To use the product, the patch needs to be placed on your arm before the exercise begins. “As you work out, the patch will collect the sweat and route it through two channels that use non-toxic colored dyes to visualize your sweat results,” the company explains in an FAQ.
Through an iPhone, the Gx app can then scan the sweat patch and begin determining your health results.
The Gx Sweat Patch is currently available on Gatorade’s website for $24.99 for two patches. Unfortunately, each patch can only be used one time. The non-toxic dyes can also accidentally leak on your arm, but Gatorade says the colors can be easily wiped off.
Gatorade recommends the patches be used for high-intensity exercises, such as basketball, running, soccer, tennis and football. The Gx app can also integrate with three other fitness apps including Garmin Connect, Strava and Apple Health.
