POLAR FIT is backed by over 20 years of collaborative medical research between Flinders and Yale Universities. The original clinical research devised a better oral rehydration solution (ORS) to treat severe dehydration arising from diseases like cholera and rotavirus for people living in developing countries.
Traditional World Health Organisation (WHO) ORSs only trigger fluid absorption in the small intestine, and fail to trigger the absorption capacity of the large intestine (up to 5L per day). Our research team identified a unique resistant starch, which was able to promote absorption of fluid in the large intestine whilst maintaining optimal absorption in the small intestine. This new formulation was able to improve hydration by 39% when compared with the WHO recommended ORS (Ramakrishna et al 2000).
Using the same unique patent-pending resistant starch, PREPD was adapted from this ground-breaking medical research (Binder et al 2014) to boost hydration and meet the fluid loss needs of athletes. While our founders still pursue the goal to reduce severe dehydration in developing countries, they also share our vision to pioneer a new frontier in sports hydration and performance.
Image below: Prof Graeme Young: Flinders Professor of Gastrointestinal Health, SA Scientist of the Year (2013), Order of Australia AM (2014), PREPD co-inventor.
There are many different types of resistant starch, which are found naturally in small quantities in everyday foods like potatoes and green bananas. Resistant starch (RS) is resistant to digestion in the small intestine and eventually reaches the large intestine where it acts as a prebiotic to feed the good bacteria in the gut. During this process, the RS is broken down into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and certain combinations of SCFAs have been proven to activate fluid absorption in the gut. Through this process, athletes can absorb additional fluid to replace what they are losing through sweat.
While there are many different types of RS, our research team have extensively tested a diverse range of resistant starches to identify the best one to drive fluid absorption. In doing so, PREPD is able to boost the body’s hydration effectiveness by accessing the largely untapped potential in the gut to absorb up to 5L fluid per day.
It is also worth noting that numerous research studies have linked resistant starch to positive effects on gut health including maintaining healthy gut function, increasing good bacteria and vitamin production, better immune health and breakdown of toxins (Birt et al 2013).
Image below: Resistant starch molecules under a microscope create the unique ‘extinction cross’ pattern you’ll see in our branding.
While carb-loading has been a popular approach for athletes to meet energy requirements in endurance sports, until now there has been no equivalent for hydration. After all, the human body can’t store water in reserve. However, using the unique resistant starch in PREPD, we can prime the body to be able to boost hydration and increase fluid absorption.
The PREPD two-step system has been specifically developed to boost the body’s hydration effectiveness before, during and after intense exertion.
Boost the impact of any sports drink and make water work harder with POLAR FIT. Shop the POLAR FIT range здесь.