🔥Upside Sponsored Post: Revolutionizing Athlete Hydration: Introducing InFlow by Intake Health
Revolutionizing Athlete Hydration: Introducing InFlow by Intake Health
In the world of competitive sports, the marginal gains from advanced training techniques, nutrition, and technology can be the difference between winning and losing. As athletic trainers, coaches, and performance staff, a constant quest is to find innovative solutions that enhance player safety and performance. That’s why we’re excited to share some updates on our new hydration feedback system: InFlow by Intake Health.
The InFlow Advantage
Hydration is a critical element of athletic performance and health, yet routine testing and keeping hydration top of mind can be challenging. Enter InFlow, a groundbreaking device that is transforming how we approach hydration testing in athletes.
Designed to seamlessly integrate into the daily routines of athletes, InFlow adheres to the back wall of a urinal, operating passively to measure hydration levels. The genius of InFlow lies in its simplicity and immediate feedback system. As athletes naturally use the urinal, InFlow automatically runs a test, providing real-time feedback through an intuitive LED system: green for hydrated, yellow for moderate dehydration, and red for dehydration.
Dana Bielinski, MS, RD, Performance Technology and Research Dietitian at University of Colorado and her teammate Steve Englehart, MS, CSCS, USAW, Director of Sports Performance for Men’s Basketball, began using InFlow last spring to evaluate how it could best fit into their workflow. While they anticipated a steeper learning curve for athletes, the reality was that integrating InFlow became easy after a quick introduction.
“Once [our athletes] understood InFlow they were excited to use it. We got great buy-in by gamifying the results and they were reporting back to us more frequently, using InFlow more and more while trying to improve their results day to day.”
Adoption and Impact
The InFlow device has rapidly gained traction, now being utilized in nearly half of the major U.S. sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS. Its reach extends beyond just professional U.S. leagues into NCAA teams and international organizations, highlighting its global impact on athlete health.
But InFlow's application isn't limited to sports alone. Its efficacy and ease of use have paved the way for adoption in tactical and workplace safety environments, underscoring its versatility in promoting hydration awareness and safety.
Beyond Traditional Methods
Traditional hydration testing methods, though effective, are often logistically burdensome and time-consuming. Tracking down players to pee into cups is a chore for players and staff alike. InFlow revolutionizes this process by enabling athletes to undergo hydration testing as part of their natural bathroom routine, eliminating the need for additional staff time and resources while ensuring consistent testing. The burden of traditional testing methods left testing schedules often at once per week, if that. InFlow, by contrast, allows testing to be done multiple times every day, for every player. And for hydration, which is perpetually dynamic on and daily, and even hourly basis, frequent testing keeps hydration top of mind. Our friends at Millwall F.C. said this,
"The players find InFlow easy to use and like the clear, instant feedback. We've already had a couple of players think they were hydrated but got instant yellow feedback and immediately increased their fluid intake. This was around our matches, so it's definitely making a positive impact without us having to chase them!"
Empowering Athletes
At the core of InFlow's development is the principle of player empowerment. In Bielinski’s experience at the University of Colorado shares,
“Even one session has an impact on hydration status. Athletes hear from us all of the time, but for them to actually see it firsthand for themselves- that reinforcement was huge.”
By providing immediate and actionable feedback, InFlow encourages athletes to take charge of their hydration management, fostering a culture of self-care and awareness that translates into improved performance and well-being. Connor Whicker M.Ed ATC, Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Minnesota Vikings, had this to say:
"Our players love the InFlow hydration system for its daily and game-day utility. It significantly improved hydration habits, a big win for us, and keeps hydration at the forefront. We saved time by replacing specific gravity testing with this more effective process. On game days, it helps educate players seeking IVs by assessing their hydration status and promoting oral hydration first. I believe InFlow would benefit any group seeking hydration improvements."
Continuous Innovation and Future Directions
Intake Health is not resting on its laurels. We are actively engaged in academic studies to further refine and validate the behavior-change impact of InFlow. Moreover, we are excited to announce the upcoming release of our updated version of InFlow. This iteration incorporates machine learning to enhance accuracy and better account for more supplements, alongside a much longer battery life targeting 20 times more tests. Transparency is important to us, so we are building upon our previously published work in Frontiers in Sports & Active Living with another peer-reviewed publication on our updates. Connect with us to get notified when the paper is released.
Looking ahead, we are expanding our product lineup to include a toilet-integrated version and a comprehensive data connectivity platform. These innovations aim to provide a holistic view of athlete health, enabling more personalized and effective hydration strategies.
Join the Hydration Revolution
As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in athlete health monitoring, we invite you to join us in this journey. Whether you're part of a professional sports team, a collegiate program, or a performance-focused organization, InFlow offers a unique opportunity to enhance your athletes' safety, performance, and well-being.
Stay tuned for more updates from Intake Health as we lead the charge in revolutionizing athlete hydration management. Together, we can set a new standard for athlete care and performance optimization.
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