nuun

the one-size-fits-all mentality doesn’t work in our active lives. we simply want to keep you hydrated… allowing you to focus on your gels, bars, bananas or cookies. & anyway, would you pick a sticky drink over a brownie if you had your choice?

what are the new flavours?

lemon+lime (new & improved), tri-berry & citrus fruit.
try a tube of each new flavour in our triple tube sampler pack.

why did you change the format?

we love hearing feedback, & we kept hearing that you enjoyed nuun, but wanted it to last longer, & taste better. we've now doubled the strength so that one nuun tab creates 16oz. of electrolyte hydration. we’ve also fine-tuned the taste of the lemon+lime & added 2 new flavours for fun - citrus fruit & tri-berry. have a go, & then share your thoughts with us ihavetriedit-ilikeit@nuun.com

can i mix nuun with other drinks?

nuun is designed to be a balanced ratio of water to electrolytes. if you find mixing nuun with other hydration products works in your training, fantastic! we drink nuun on it’s own, although we have been known to throw it in a margarita or two. & let me tell you – vodka-tonic-nuun’s are the wave of the future. the great thing is: you get to choose what works best for you!

how many servings are in nuun?

a lightweight nuun tube provides 1.5 gallons of electrolyte hydration. there are twelve nuuns per tube. one nuun creates a 16oz electrolyte drink (and can easily be broken in half for 8oz).

what are electrolytes?

electrolytes are sodium, potassium, magnesium & calcium. your body is like a big balloon filled with salty water & electrical signals are able to buzz about in there. er, simply though – electrolytes are things you need, especially when exercising. the american college of sports medicine recommends that people who are active for more than one hour get 500–700mg of sodium for every litre of water they consume. this is up to three times the sodium that traditional “sports drinks” provide. nuun provides 700mg of sodium for every litre of drink - this amount, in addition to the other critical electrolytes contained in every nuun tablet, ensure that you are adequately replenishing your body’s stores to help you perform at your best, & stay healthy.

is nuun carbonated?

nope. when dropped in water, nuun fizzes to dissolve, but once it’s finished dissolving, the drink has a bit of a charge, but will eventually go flat. it's designed to be flat – else we’d have a lot of burping athletes out there!

can i eat nuun?

well, we’ve heard of some people who’ve tried - maybe those re-living the days of pop-rocks, but nuun is designed to be mixed with water. whatever you do – don’t eat nuun & drink a fizzy drink…you’ll explode

how many calories are in nuun?

nuun has no sugar & is nearly calorie-free but there are couple of calories in there from some of the stuff that makes it fizz. when you add it up, it comes to less than 5 calories per 16oz drink.

can my kids & my dog drink nuun?

ours do. nuun’s great for hydrating & it’s a great way to get more fluids into kids. just make sure they don’t use the dog bowl.

can nuun help my aching head?

we all like to party from time to time (especially the people in the pub beneath our office!) & too much celebrating can lead to dehydration. since nuun hydrates more quickly than water alone & most sports drinks on the market, you might find us drinking nuun after our post-race celebrations. take two nuuns & call us in the morning.

can i recycle my nuun tube?

yes – the tubes can be recycled but the stoppers can’t.

how much does a nuun tube weigh?

the nuun tube weighs less than 2oz. & it’s just the right size for your jersey pocket or pack.

is nuun legal to race with?

many are surprised with their increased performance when drinking nuun. no worries, you don’t have to wonder if it’s secretly laced… it’s just electrolytes & water.

i’ve seen the nuun logo on pro athletes – do they actually use it?

yes, we’re proud these pros drink nuun & some even claim nuun as their ‘secret weapon’. there’s a talented bunch of others out there that use nuun even though they display other logos (if that’s not a real endorsement then what is?); ask around, you’d be surprised.

is nuun water-resistant?

well nuun isn’t, but the tube is.

nuun’s hypotonic – what does that mean?

we got this definition from oxford, so it must be right! “a hypotonic solution is one in which the concentration of electrolytes to water forces water to flow into cells instead of the other way around”. basically, a hypotonic solution is the quickest way to get hydrated, since it allows the efficient replenishment of water.

can nuun help prevent hyponatremia?

hyponatremia occurs when there’s too little sodium in your blood stream. if you lose electrolytes (read: sweat a lot) but try to replace them with plain water, it can be a serious risk. at nuun we’re seasoned athletes & have been working to combat hyponatremia for years. nuun is designed to deliver a constant ratio of critical electrolytes to water, giving you a simple alternative to plain h2o for more info, see science

what does nuun taste like?

nuun tastes like water with a bit of flavour. we got fed up with diluting our sports drinks & washing out the electrolytes because the taste was so overwhelming. nuun’s flavours are just enough to remind you to keep drinking. did you know… adding a flavour to water encourages you to drink 40% more than normal & adding electrolytes can up your intake by 90% vs. plain water!

who is using nuun?

cyclists, triathletes, runners, hikers, yoga-bods, travelers, adventure racers, kids, rowers, motor-cyclists, people at work, & anyone else ‘doing stuff’ & trying to stay properly hydrated.

am i dehydrated?

probably! did you know that it’s estimated that only 10% of people are properly hydrated. but since you’re here we’re going to assume you’re one of the smart ones trying to sort out this stat. signs you’re dehydrated: thirst, irritability, fatigue, headache, cramps & death.

did you say sorbitol?

ok – sorbitol is naturally occurring & in lots of things from toothpaste to apple juice. there is sorbitol in nuun but there’s less than you’d find in a small glass of apple juice. remember, we designed nuun because we love to stay active in the outdoors & we use nuun when we’re out being active, so we’re not going to take on anything we don’t think should be there. sorbitol is in nuun to help it work as a tablet but it’s at really low levels. simply, we only want to put good stuff in our bodies, & we want you to do the same. read more about us

should i use salt tabs?

salt tabs can be great if you know what you’re doing, but most people don’t, which means poor electrolyte replacement, & poor hydration. think about it this way…it’s not about the “salt”, but about the salt to water ratio. it’s tough to get that right out on the move, especially when temperatures soar, especially given that one of the common side effects of dehydration is a fuzzy head. it’s pretty easy to drink balanced nuun water, even if you are a bit confused.

by having nuun dissolve in water you’re always taking in salts at a proven ratio which is best for most people, most of the time. if you do know what you’re doing, & you have a medical need, then salt tabs can be used with nuun to increase the ratio. but remember, too much salt is bad for you, just as too little is.

that name, where does it come from & what does nuun mean?

nuun is pronounced ‘noon’ & the origin is a lot less interesting than the rumours…so we’ll stick with the rumours. we’ve heard that nuun has several meanings – from dog names to salt, to an island somewhere even to a place in the legends of zelda!. to us, it means we’re providing a product that keeps you out there.

in real words? imagine being out on a long run or ride, or being in the gym. rather than settle for water or buy a sugary drink from a convenience store, you just fill up your water bottle and drop in a couple of nuun tabs. by the time you’ve tied your laces or put on your pack, you’ve got a complex electrolyte drink that recharges your salts, but is refreshing and more efficiently absorbed than water alone or most sports drinks on the market.

said simply

nuun was designed, formulated and tested to keep you optimally hydrated, wherever you are.

nuun is:

portable

nuun comes in a tough tube that is water resistant and perfect for carrying in your hand, bike jersey, pack…wherever. 1 tube = 6 litres (~1.5 gallons) – enough for a good ride or a week at the gym. and if you travel, forget trying to find your normal drink or suffering the indignity of bags of powder bursting in your luggage, a couple of tubes in your bags will get there in one piece and get you through the week of training in colorado or the pyrenees.

balanced

we spent years researching the levels of electrolytes needed for the product to be absorbed the quickest and to provide optimal salt balance to prevent cramping and maximise hydration. an editor of a major triathlon publication used nuun and had “no cramping issues for the first time ever in an ironman”.

refreshing

designed for the active palate, nuun’s got a light flavour that’s not overwhelming when you’re on the go. if you’ve ever watered down sports drinks because they’re too strong, then you’ve made them less easy to absorb; this ultimately defeats the purpose of using them. some call the nuun taste ‘tart’ and that’s probably the best description we’ve found yet, other than ‘just right’!

simple

a bottle of water, 1 nuun per 500ml (~16oz) … doesn’t matter where you are, how windy it is, how much space you’ve got – drop in nuun and you’re good to go.

nuun is not:

no energy

nuun has no carbohydrate. we did this two reasons:

1) your choice - we believe that you are the best one to manage your carb intake. gels? bars? bananas? pretzels and fruit? your call. we’re all different so what’s right for you isn’t right for us. combining hydration and energy as all other sports drinks do is therefore counter-intuitive to us. we believe you should have the choice on how to refuel. nuun hydrates - optimally.

2) more product - sugar (the carb) is big and bulky. adding even small amounts of sugar bulks up the tabs and results in less drink. if you’re like us, you want a product that actually lasts and goes the distance for a ride/run…so there’s no sugar. with no carb, nuun is perfect for those avoiding carbs, for whatever reason. after all, why drink an energy loaded sports drink in the gym when all you really want is the hydration for spin class? and if you’re on ‘that’ diet, nuun’s perfect.

no powder

ever been in a race and used powder in bags? half of it ends up on the floor; and if it’s windy or raining, you end up with half of it glued to your face. oh, and if the bags bursts, you’ve got a sticky mess in your bag and no more drink. powder’s just an outdated solution and has not kept pace with the sports and activities we do.

not difficult

how much powder to use? where’s the scoop? lost the bottle to measure out the liquid? where to put the trash? not with nuun – 1 tab per 500ml/~16oz.

not fizzy

nuun is an effervescent so that it dissolves quickly and ends up properly mixed (no need for you to shake). but once dissolved, it’s not fizzy…it’s flat. in fact, this has been the hardest thing to achieve and taken us a bit of time, which is why there’s a patent pending on the process.

who uses nuun?

cyclists, triathletes, runners, hikers, yoga-bods, travelers, adventure racers, kids, rowers, motorcyclists, people at work, and anyone else 'doing stuff' while trying to stay properly hydrated. nuun is a complex hydration system that’s easy to use, but the real step forward is that it’s portable, which means you now have a solution wherever you are; in the gym, hiking, adventure racing, running, kayaking, long rides, traveling and even expeditions.

in the gym

gyms are notorious for draining you out. we used to go before/after work and if we didn’t hydrate properly, we left drained after a good class. nuun’s been great for our friends who visit gyms regularly. they keep a tube of nuun in an empty water bottle in their gym bag. at the start of each workout, they fill up at the water fountain and off they go. by the way, you should know the dangers of not cleaning out bottles after they’ve been filled with sugar solutions. nuun’s lack of sugar means you just need to rinse out your bottle and you won’t come back to a furry biochemical disaster next time you open your bag, which we think is rather clever.

bike and run

this is where it started. going out on long rides and refueling half way meant rummaging through the convenience store; often settling for something we’d never heard of, or just going with water - figuring we were on the way home. with nuun you start out with the same drink you finish with, and know that on rides off the beaten track, you have a serious electrolyte hydration source and something that works for you.

adventure racing

i don’t think we need to say much here: nuun offers a perfect balance of electrolytes to ensure the most efficient hydration and is in a sturdy, waterproof, easy-to-carry container. nuun can be used in windy conditions and even on the move, plus one tube will provide 6 litres (~1.5 gallons) of hydration. there’s no surprise that nuun’s become a staple for the adventure racers we know.

in the pool

perfect for lap swimming and now used by several swim groups and instructors we know. hydration is critical while swimming, but given the length of the workout, energy isn’t as important during the exercise. nuun’s focus on total hydration in a portable format (nestled in your bag) is perfect, especially for sea and lake swims…just add the nuun to your bottle and fill up at the fountain.

on the trails

you’re purposely not near convenience stores and often away for days. powders are difficult to carry and horrible to use in windy conditions, so this should be a no-brainer. use your water filter to refill, drop in the nuun and you’ve got the ultimate in hydration and electrolyte replacement as well as having a refreshing flavour.

globe trotting

we’ve been through our fair share of harsh travel holidays: trekking in thailand, bushwacking the outback in oz, multi-day hikes across maine, climbing in the tetons and even just visiting the hustle and bustle of hong kong. we’ve also found ourselves desperate for a drink and looking at the local offerings with no idea what they all are! in environments where the humidity and temperature are high, and you’re more interested in seeing the sights than reclining by the pool, nuun’s portability is perfect. find water, drop in nuun and get going.

the science

nuun is a simple and easy to use solution but addresses a serious issue. we spent a lot of time getting the performance of the product right and ensuring the optimal balance. if you’d like to know more about what nuun is, and why, read this...

formulation and nutrition

nuun’s formulation is based upon research and feedback from some of the world’s top academic and practicing experts in the field of sports medicine (specifically in dehydration and hyponatremia). development focused on the three most important aspects for proper hydration:

speed of absorption

the most important characteristic of what you drink while you are active is the speed at which your body can absorb it. the concentration of dissolved salts and sugars (osmolarity, for those more technically inclined) determines how fast the drink can cross from your gut into your bloodstream where it can re-hydrate and replenish. nuun produces a hypotonic solution so that your body will absorb nuun faster than the leading “sports drinks” or even water alone. your body is therefore, able to restore optimal water and electrolyte balance more quickly.

electrolyte content

the american college of sports medicine recommends that people who are active for more than one hour get 500–700mg of sodium for every litre of water they consume. this is up to three times the sodium that traditional “sports drinks” provide. in fact, some experts in the field believe that sodium concentrations should be closer to the 700–1000mg range. nuun provides 700mg of sodium for every litre of drink - this amount, in addition to the other critical electrolytes contained in every nuun tablet, ensures that you are adequately replenishing your body’s stores to help you perform at your best, and stay healthy.

carbohydrate content

to ensure rapid absorption, nuun contains no carbohydrates. ingesting drinks containing high levels of carbohydrates can have two undesirable effects when it comes to hydration. carbohydrates can slow the rate at which your stomach empties and therefore delays the availability of the water and electrolytes. they also increase the osmolality of what you are drinking; delaying absorption beyond your stomach. please note: if you are participating in intense exercise for more than one hour you should also consume carbohydrates to ensure that you can sustain energy levels for working muscles. carbohydrate loaded sports bars, or gels are effective means of providing you with the energy you require.

nutritional information

the following is the nutritional information for a serving of nuun based on one tablet dissolved in 500ml (~16oz) of water. there are 6 calories per nuun tab.

active ingredients level (mg)

Sodium (carbonates)                                                    360.0
Potassium (bicarbonate)                                              100.0
Calcium (carbonate)                                                     12.5
Magnesium (sulfate)                                                    25.0
Vitamin C                                                                          37.5
Vitamin B2                                                                        500mcg

other ingredients: citric acid, sorbitol, sodium carbonate, natural colours flavours, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, polyethylene glycol, magnesium sulfate, sodium benzoate, calcium carbonate, acesulfame potassium, riboflavin-5-phosphate.

hyponatremia - what is it?

we hear a lot about drinking more water being good for us but the increasing reports of hyponatremia showcase the fact that water is not always enough, especially when being consumed in large quantities over short periods of time. hyponatremia is the long word for low concentration of sodium in the blood and can occur from over hydrating with plain water. doing this, especially during exercise can deplete essential electrolytes from the body, causing disorientation, illness and in rare cases, death. for athletes, effects are generally seen in longer (and hotter) races since that’s when the levels of water intake are likely to be high.

so how does it occur?

there are a number of different drivers for hyponatremia and the answer is not simple, but if you imagine that when sweat (which is salty) is replaced by plain water (which is not salty) the bloodstream becomes diluted so there’s less sodium (and potassium etc). sodium, particularly, is essential for optimal cell function – it helps with the electrical signals that occur in our bodies and through osmosis it helps regulate cellular osmotic pressure (remember that school experiment with the bag-like thing and the salty water?). when hyponatremia occurs the cells throughout the body take on more water than normal and expand. rings and watches will get tight, you’ll look all puffy and, the bad bit, your brain swells. since your brain is in a rather inflexible skull...it gets a bit squished and that’s where the disorientation (and the fatalities) come from.

when does it happen?

we get letters and emails from people who have suffered from some degree of hyponatremia and often the common link is that they were preparing for a tough event in a tough/hot environment, like a ride in death valley or a long run in a canyon, but you can get hyponatremia anywhere that you’re consuming a large quantity of water without electrolytes. a good electrolyte sports drink will do a lot to help prevent hyponatremia and this has been well documented and accepted in medical journals. “maybe we need to make sure there is more sodium in the beverages we're encouraging athletes to drink," says nancy auer, md, vice president of medical affairs at swedish medical center in seattle. as for the "conventional wisdom" behind the handouts of free water at athletic events, "that wisdom may not be the best wisdom."

what can you do to avoid it?

our advice? be sensible. take on electrolytes, either in a sports drink, with nuun (which is obviously a sports drink...but without the sugars that most have) or using salt caps. just be aware of the potential issues of taking on lots of plain water. water’s good, there’s no argument there, but in extremes (and often less than extremes) you need more than water alone.

will nuun eliminate cramps?

what's in nuun?

why no carbs?