In the bustling bazaar of health elixirs, where kale smoothies rub shoulders with protein shakes, a new contender struts onto the scene: BioSteel Hydration Mix. It whispers promises of hydration and vitality, but is it the real deal or just another flash in the pan?
Before you sip or skip, let’s embark on a flavorful journey to decode this mysterious mix. Ready your taste buds and detective hats; it’s time to quench our thirst for knowledge! 🥤🔍
Key Takeaway:
BioSteel Hydration helps if you regularly get dehydrated during your exercise. Even though it is one of the safest hydration beverages, it can have side effects. Avoid drinking too much of it and have enough water.
What Are the Benefits of BioSteel Hydration Mix?
Let’s explore the different benefits of BioSteel and how they relate to various types of athletes, gym-goers, and health-conscious individuals who live an active lifestyle.
Here are the 7 key benefits of BioSteel:
1. Rehydrate Without the Calories
The BioSteel formula is a diabetic-friendly and weight loss-friendly solution that is as low in calories as it is high in electrolytes.
With zero sugar and minimal calories per serving, BioSteel is a great oral rehydration and recovery solution for athletes and gym-goers.
It can also eliminate weight gain among sedentary gamers by replacing sugary drinks with relatively healthier ones.
2. No Artificial Sweeteners
While most zero-calorie beverages feature plenty of artificial sweeteners, BioSteel uses natural stevia.
Why does this matter?
Aspartame in artificial sweeteners has been known to cause cancer in a very tiny minority of lab mice.
This isn’t an immediate health concern for human consumers, but those who use artificial sweeteners daily have reason to be cautious of aspartame which some studies link to a 13% higher risk of cancer. But BioSteel customers don’t have to worry about this because its recipe contains stevia, which is a natural sweetener.
Just like regular sugar is made from sugar cane extract, stevia sweeteners are made from the extract of stevia leaves. It is much safer than aspartame for regular and high-intensity use.
Many people don’t enjoy the taste of stevia. Some lesser-known natural sweeteners like Allulose and Monk fruit are starting to make waves in the market. Consumers consider these better-tasting natural sweetener alturnatives compared to their more popular counterparts.
3. Enhances Mental Focus
Hydration can improve physical performance, but athletes and gym-goers don’t have enough room to take multiple beverages for different benefits.
BioSteel doesn’t just hydrate the consumer.
It also helps with focus.
The stimulants used in BioSteel are generally safe as the manufacturer tends to avoid opting for harmful or risky contents in favor of short-term results. This also means that the mental boost you will get from BioSteel will not be as quick and intense of a high as you’d get from an energy drink.
4. Promotes Muscle Recovery
Muscle cramps occur when there isn’t enough water to help recover the muscles within the resting period.
While complete recovery takes over 24 hours, muscle fibers need to be repaired to an extent between sets.
Even aerobic exercise requires the muscles to remain hydrated. With a proprietary blend of amino acids, BioSteel goes beyond promoting muscle recovery with hydration alone. It also provides the long-chain amino acids needed to rebuild muscle fibers.
5. Improves Joint Health
There are no specific ingredients in BioSteel that directly repair your joints. However, studies show that cartilage health is directly proportional to the water content the body retains.
Long-term use of BioSteel can therefore help improve one’s joint health by facilitating lubrication.
6. Helps Filter and Excrete Toxins
Again, this is a benefit that comes from long-term improvement in hydration. BioSteel contains electrolytes that can act like sponges and retain more water.
Without electrolytes, water can escape your body quite rapidly through breathing (water vapor), sweating, and urinating.
7. Improves Digestion and Immunity
Finally, more water can make your kidneys’ job easier.
Better kidney function helps the body stay toxin-free and in top shape to deal with infections. Overworked kidneys can make it harder for the body to maintain its immunity.
Moreover, the water content in the body can aid digestion, while lack of water in the digestive tract can lead to constipation.
BioSteel contains a healthy dose of electrolytes that can ensure that you have enough water in your system.
BioSteel Pros vs. Cons
The benefits of BioSteel covered in the earlier portion are valid only because the beverage hydrates the body.
But there are other hydration drinks on the market, many of which also contain stimulants. This creates an opportunity cost in beverage selection.
To make an informed decision, you need to compare the pros and cons of the beverage.
Here are the pros of BioSteel Hydration:
- More electrolytes than the average sports drink – BioSteel Hydration doesn’t contain just potassium and sodium (which are the main electrolytes in most sports drinks like Gatorade). It also features Calcium, Magnesium, and Chloride. This can help the body retain water in a more balanced way.
- Less sugar than most rehydration solutions – Average sports beverages contain 50 to 70 calories per serving. With around 6 calories per serving, BioSteel Hydration is significantly less fattening. And its lack of sugar content prevents sugar crashes that follow chugging sugary beverages.
- Includes amino acids for muscle health – This benefit is not as potent as the hydration benefits of the beverage but is still worth noting. While oral rehydration drinks can often have mental stimulants, they don’t have muscle recovery supplements nearly as often. The BioSteel formula includes L-Isoleucine, Glycine, Taurine, L-Glutamine, L-Valine, and L-Leucine. These amino acids can help improve focus, speed up muscle recovery, and delay muscle breakdown, improving your performance in the gym and during sports events.
Check out our Additive Information List database, where we explain the function of ingredients typically found in sports drinks.
The above benefits might make you want to reach out for the “buy now” button on the BioSteel Hydration sales page. But while you can open it and keep it minimized, you shouldn’t buy it until you’ve learned about the drawbacks of the formula.
The cons of BioSteel Hydration are:
- Bitter aftertaste due to stevia – Too much stevia can help sweeten drinks, but it leaves a bitter aftertaste in one’s mouth. This effect is pretty prominent in the citrus flavors of the BioSteel line.
- Can bloat older consumers – If you don’t do a lot of aerobic exercises and there isn’t noticeable water loss (effects of dehydration), you shouldn’t be taking BioSteel Hydration too often. The beverage can bloat you significantly if you’re an older individual with a less active metabolism.
- It is not a pre-workout beverage – While BioSteel Hydration was used exclusively by high-performance athletes before it was brought to the market, it is not a pre-workout. It doesn’t have caffeine, so you won’t notice the same energy boost you would get from a regular pre-workout.
- It doesn’t give you an instant rush – BioSteel Hydration does supply your body with enough electrolytes to improve water retention but does a poor job of sending this message. You feel refreshed upon drinking most sports drinks because of caffeine and sugar. The lack of these two in BioSteel Hydration can prevent you from getting this feeling.
- High price point – The BioSteel Hydration Mix price point is high compared to competitors.
BioSteel Drink Side Effects
Here are the most common BioSteel side effects:
Side Effect | Situation/Context | How to Prevent |
Diarrhea | You take more than two servings of BioSteel Hydration in a day | Start by consuming BioSteel once a day |
Low blood pressure | You drink more than one serving of the drink in one sitting | You must drink one serving in one sitting and be ready to sip water for an hour after consuming |
Drowsiness | You drink BioSteel Hydration, but don’t drink water | Drink plenty of water after BioSteel, but don’t gulp it. Sip it slowly. |
Cramps | You consume the beverage in place of water | ⅞ of your water consumption should be aided by one part BioSteel. For every ounce of BioSteel, you should drink 7 ounces of water throughout the day. |
Bloating | You don’t lose water (sweat, urinate, or live in a high-heat climate). It also happens if you are over 45 of age and drink BioSteel regularly. | Don’t drink BioSteel daily. Save it for times when you’re feeling dehydrated. |
Weakness | You consume BioSteel right after drinking coffee or an energy drink. | Don’t pair BioSteel with caffeinated beverages. |
Swelling in feet | You have a slow metabolism. | Consume a beverage with fewer electrolytes or reduce the BioSteel powder in your hydration drink. |
Mood changes | You are overdosing on electrolytes and don’t drink enough water. | Cut your BioSteel serving in half and drink twice as much water throughout the day. |
When Should I Drink BioSteel?
You should drink BioSteel after you have finished your workout if you pump iron.
BioSteel shouldn’t be treated as a pre-workout.
If you engage in prolonged aerobic exercise, then it is okay to sip BioSteel while resting during your workout.
If you pump iron, you don’t lose as much water during your workout. Moreover, your exercise session is shorter than cyclists and runners. It is useless to fill yourself with BioSteel Hydration before you lose any water. But if you notice yourself sweating, you can take a few sips of the beverage.
If you’re a runner or engage in cross-fit, you lose a lot more water. This calls for electrolyte maintenance in the middle of your exercise session.
You can drink BioSteel before, during, or after your workout. If you’re fasting, you need to know if BioSteel will break a fast (or not).
BioSteel Ingredients: What is in BioSteel, Anyway?
Ingredient | Amount |
Magnesium | 5.4 mg |
Calcium | 12.6 mg |
Zinc | 162 mcg |
Sodium | 78.5 mg |
Sugars | 0g |
Amino Acids | 3,481 mg |
Organic Minerals | 59 mg |
B Vitamins | 1,761 mcg |
The exact proportions of some of the blends within the product are protected to prevent competitors from stealing the BioSteel Hydration formula. Still, we know what’s in them.
The amino acids in the drink are Glycine, Taurine, L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Glutamine, and L-Valine. The organic Minerals are Magnesium (Magnesium Citrate) and Zinc (Zinc HVP Calcium (from Lithothamnium Calcareum).
B Vitamins in BioSteel include Inositol, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine, Biotin, Thiamine, Niacin, Cyanocobalamin, Pantothenic Acid, and Choline Bitartrate.
The beverage mix also contains Organic Stevia Citric Acid, Celtic Sea Salt®, natural flavors, Sodium Citrate, Powder, Sucralose, and Potassium Citrate.
BioSteel vs. Other Hydration Drinks
While BioSteel Hydration can have side effects if consumed excessively, it is still healthier than most sports drinks.
BioSteel Has Fewer Calories Than Other Hydration Drinks
For starters, it contains 9 times fewer calories!
What makes it better is that BioSteel Hydration also has zero sugar, while drinks like Gatorade have 36 grams of sugar per serving.
BioSteel Has Natural Colors, Flavors, and Sweeteners
Most sports drinks have processed sugar and added food color to make the drink look appealing. BioSteel side-steps everything that doesn’t contribute to consumer health.
BioSteel Has More Electrolytes Than Most Hydration Drinks
BioSteel contains 5 electrolytes, while Gatorade (shockingly) only has 2. If you’re curious, check out the BioSteel vs. Gatorade performance showdown.
Body Armor and Powerade feature 4 electrolytes, while Propel Fitness Water has 2 electrolytes.
BioSteel Hydration Has Amino Acids
While sports drinks have started adding amino acids, most that fall into the “hydration water” category still don’t have enough or any amino acids.
BioSteel has these, and their long-term consumption can improve muscle growth.
Other Drinks Can Have Caffeine
Caffeine can be dehydrating, but many “hydration” drinks have it. Usually, the dehydration from caffeine is balanced by the drink’s hydrating effect.
Overall, the caffeine in beverage mixes like G-Fuel is a net positive as it helps athletes focus and feel pumped up. BioSteel’s lack of caffeine can sometimes lead to bloating as it overhydrates some people.
If you’re curious how these 2 drinks stack up, don’t miss my in-depth BioSteel vs. G-Fuel breakdown.
Other Drinks Can Have Sugar
Sugar is a net negative in most contexts, but 36 grams of sugar isn’t a big deal for highly active athletes. In fact, it gives an instant boost in energy and helps them feel refreshed.
Sugar is entirely absent from BioSteel.
Recap: Is BioSteel Hydration Right for You?
So should you drink BioSteel or consume another hydration drink?
It is best to purchase BioSteel if you engage in drawn-out aerobic exercise. But if you lift weights, you might need a caffeine-enhanced energy drink with electrolytes.
BioSteel is safe and healthy but has some risks associated with irresponsible use.
Don’t drink too much of it, and don’t take it when you’ve just had coffee.
Above all, make sure you drink enough water after you consume this beverage.
Photo altered by dejittr.com | Photo attribution: Valentin Salja