We’ve all heard how important it is to drink plenty of water (and we encourage it throughout our classes) but do you know why it’s important and how to tell whether you are dehydrated?

Nick, our Co Founder sat down with George Kruis, a professional rugby player who started fourfive – a wellness brand backed by athletes and made from 100% natural ingredients – to find out why hydration is a hot topic and why they developed their ever-popular hydration tablets.

George, why are you so passionate about hydration?

It was bred into me really early in my career in professional sport. Every morning we’d have to give a urine sample which was tested for our levels of hydration. If we were too dehydrated we’d actually get pulled from training due to the risk of injury from a lack of concentration. So for me, making sure I’m hydrated has become a habit which has a real genuine effect on my body and day to day life. 

What are some of the signs of dehydration?

There are a few good signs you can look out for to check for dehydration. One rudimentary check is to look at your urine – if it’s like a cup of orange juice then you are dehydrated and you need more liquids on board. Other physical signs include muscle cramps or it might take longer to recover and for the soreness to die down after exercise. There are also more mental signs of dehydration including feeling lethargic, having a slight headache or your cognitive function is slower.

Why is HydroPlus better than water?

As humans we’re advised to drink between two and three litres of water a day. Obviously if you’re doing exercise in the heat like at Hotpod Yoga, you’re going to sweat more. When you sweat you lose salts and electrolytes. Drinking water alone sometimes isn’t enough, especially in a hot environment. Our products contain five key electrolytes that allow you to absorb the water for longer and hydrate quicker.

How does it compare to other hydration tablets?

Currently the top five brands in the market all include artificial sweeteners. We’ve taken out the artificial sweeteners and the unnatural fillers and we’ve put in a plant-based sweetener called stevia, which is a lot cleaner and has a much less chalk-like taste. You can really taste the difference, as well as feel the difference.

How did fourfive start?

Myself and my partner Dominic Day, started fourfive about five years ago. Off the back of playing 15 years or so of professional rugby. It was bourne out of the fact we were coming to the end of our careers – we were getting tired more easily and recovery was poorer. We really needed something to help to optimise our performance and so we developed a range of products – which includes not only these hydration tablets, but also nutrition products, CBD and most recently, functional mushrooms.

Find out more about fourfive and their other products at fourfive.com

HydroPlus tablets from fourfive are available now in many of our studios – find your local studio here.