Kaged Hydra Charge Review (2024)
In this Kaged Hydra Charge Review, we’ll be taking a look at Kaged’s electrolyte supplement so you can decide if it’s right for you!
Overall, most electrolyte supplements won’t provide much value to the average gym-goer. They’re typically more useful for endurance athletes, although this supplement’s total electrolyte content will likely be too low to greatly benefit these athletes. While you could buy more effective supplements, Hydra Charge would still make a great flavor enhancer for plain water!
Kaged Hydra Charge Review Quick Summary
Kaged Hydra Charge
- Form: Powder
- Flavors: Fruit Punch, Lemon Lime, Strawberry Yuzu, Glacier Grape, Hibiscus Pear, Apple Limeade, Pink Lemonade, Orange Mango
- Key Ingredients: Electrolyte Blend, Taruine, Coconut Water Powder
- Additional Ingredients: Spectra ORAC Blend
- Package Information: 288g
- Serving: 4.8g (60 Servings)
- Company Founded: 2015
- Recommended by Athletes: Andrea Somer, Colt Nichols, Kris Gethin
Kaged is a popular supplement company that offers a wide range of products from protein, to pre-workout, and electrolytes which we’re looking at today.
It’s worth noting this supplement has a very low amount of total electrolytes (311mg/serving), meaning it won’t be a great option for competitive endurance athletes looking to stay hydrated.
However, we have found this supplement to be absolutely delicious, so it could still make a great flavor enhancer for plain water! Just be aware there are many other supplements out there with more effective doses of electrolytes if you want to use this supplement for endurance training.
Kaged is a popular supplement company that offers a wide range of products from protein, to pre-workout, and electrolytes which we’re looking at today.
Positives:
Could be better:
Who and What is Kaged Hydra Charge For?
It should be made clear that electrolyte supplements are generally not necessary for the average gym goer. You likely get enough electrolytes through your diet, making extra supplementation unnecessary. These supplements are most useful for serious endurance athletes who lose significant amounts of electrolytes through sweat during their training.
However, these athletes will likely want a supplement with significantly higher electrolyte content than what’s found in Hydra Charge – specifically sodium. So, those looking for a truly beneficial electrolyte supplement will likely want to look elsewhere.
As a result, this supplement is probably best used as a flavor enhancer for plain water because of its delicious taste.
Kaged Hydra Charge Review
Below we’ll be going in-depth on these Kaged electrolytes so you can decide if this supplement is worth it for you! In short, while this supplement would make an excellent flavor enhancer for water, it’s probably not ideal as an electrolyte supplement.
1. Ingredients Breakdown:
Below we’ll be breaking down the main ingredients included in this supplement, including Taurine, Coconut Water Powder, and the SPECTRA ORAC blend.
• Taurine:
The main active ingredient included in Hydra Charge is Taurine, which may beneficial for endurance performance. It’s dosed here at 1g per serving, which should be sufficient to provide a moderate boost to endurance performance when taken acutely.
• Coconut Fruit Water Powder:
Based on the formula, it appears many of the electrolytes in this supplement come from the inclusion of Coconut Water Powder, which is especially rich in potassium! We’ll be going more in-depth on the electrolyte content of this supplement below.
• SPECTRA ORAC Blend:
Finally, Hydra Charge also includes the SPECTRA antioxidant blend, including ingredients like coffee, green tea, broccoli, apple, and much more. Antioxidants have a wide range of benefits largely related to disease prevention, although it is unclear if the 100mg blend included here will make a major difference to someone with an otherwise healthy diet.
2. Electrolytes per Serving:
As mentioned earlier, Hydra Charge’s electrolytes per serving are one of its weakest points. Each serving contains only 311mg total per serving, broken down between:
- 115mg of Sodium
- 107mg of Potassium
- 15mg of Magnesium
- 37mg of Calcium
- 37mg of Phosphorus
While the recommended sodium intake for endurance athletes is not well established, Australian Institute of Sport guidelines recommend 0.5-0.7g of sodium/L of fluid to strike a balance between thirst drive and palatability of fluid. As you can see, 115mg of sodium is well below this number, which implies Hydra Charge won’t be optimal for most serious endurance athletes, unless you’re mixing ~4-5+ servings into a litre of water.
3. Taste/Flavor:
While Hydra Charge doesn’t have very high sodium/electrolyte content, this supplement is absolutely delicious. From our experience, it mixes well, has a candy-like taste, and is super easy to drink. This makes it ideal if you just want a supplement to act as a flavor enhancer to plain water to help you drink enough throughout the day!
4. Nutrition Label Transparency:
Kaged offers fairly clear nutrition labels, although there are a few minor issues. First, this product is not certified by a third-party like many other Kaged products, which are often certified by Informed Choice. This may be an issue if you’re concerned about the overall quality of your supplements. Also, this supplement does contain some artificial sweetener in the form of sucralose.
Overall, these are fairly minor issues, and in our opinion, Kaged has a great track record of overall quality, so they shouldn’t cause too much concern.
5. Value for Money:
This supplement does come at a fairly affordable price, costing only ~$0.50 per serving. However, as we’ll be covering below, if you want to use this supplement for endurance training, you will likely need to use multiple servings, which could get pricey. In this case, you may be better off choosing a supplement richer in total electrolytes.
How Do You Use Kaged Hydra Charge?
Ultimately, we will mainly recommend this product as a flavor enhancer to help average gym-goers drink more water throughout the day. If you want to use it for endurance training, you’ll likely need to use multiple servings, which could get expensive. This is why we generally recommend a supplement higher in electrolytes for those engaging in serious endurance training.
Overall, there shouldn’t be any Kaged Muscle Hydra-Charge side effects, so you shouldn’t have any issues if you’d prefer to take a larger dose than what we recommend below.
Purpose | Recommended Dose |
---|---|
Flavor Enhancer for Plain Water | Mix ~2-4 Servings per Liter of Water |
Endurance Purposes | Mix ~4-6 Servings per Liter to achieve 0.5-0.7g of sodium per litre. Consider consulting with a coach or dietician for a more individualized plan |
Kaged Hydra Charge Alternatives
Below we’ll be comparing Hydra Charge to a few other popular electrolyte supplements on the market from Transparent Labs and Promix. This way you can decide if these suit your needs better than Hydra Charge.
1. Kaged Hydra Charge vs TL Hydrate Electrolytes
Transparent Labs Hydrate Electrolyte Powder
- Form: Powder
- Flavors: Tropical Punch, Peach Mango
- Key Ingredients: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium
- Additional Ingredients: Coconut Water Powder, Taurine
- Package Information: 304g
- Servings: 40
- Price Per Serving: ~$0.75
- Company Founded: 2012
- Recommended by athletes: Paul Sklar, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson
Transparent Labs’ Hydrate also contains Taurine and Coconut Water Powder, although it contains way more electrolytes with 884mg total, including 500mg of Sodium and 250mg of Potassium. This makes it a better choice for endurance athletes, although the taste will be impacted by this. It is also more expensive, costing about ~$0.75 per serving.
2. Kaged Hydra Charge vs Promix Electrolyte
Promix Electrolyte
- Form: Powder
- Flavors: Grapefruit, Lemon Lime
- Key Ingredients: Sodium
- Additional Ingredients: Potassium, Magnesium, Vitamin C
- Sodium per Serving: 1000 mg
- Servings: 30 servings
- Company Founded: 2011
- Recommended by Athletes: Matt Zelaya, SOPHIE BARTELS, Joe Phair
Promix’s electrolytes are even higher in total electrolyte content with 1260mg total, broken down between 1000mg of sodium, 200mg of potassium, and 60mg of magnesium. As a result, these are a great pick for serious athletes, but we recommend mixing each serving into 1.5-2L of water to preserve a palatable taste. This supplement comes in single-serving sticks or a jar, which will cost either ~$1.12 or ~$0.98 per serving.
3. Kaged Hydra Charge vs Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier
Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier
- Flavor: Passion Fruit
- Servings per Container: 16
Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier contains 1010mg of electrolytes split between 630mg of sodium and 380mg of potassium. It also contains a significant amount of sugar with 11g per serving. It only comes in single-serving sticks, which will cost you ~$1.17 per serving for a 16-pack.
FAQ
How Much Caffeine is in Hydra-Charge?
Hydra-Charge is a completely caffeine-free supplement. If you’re looking for a caffeinated supplement from Kaged, consider checking out one of their pre-workouts instead. Pre-Kaged Original is our top pick for most people!
When Should I Take Hydra-Charge?
If you’re taking Hydra Charge for performance, it’s probably best to take intra-workout during exercise lasting longer than 1 hour. However, if you’re just taking it as a flavor enhancer for water, feel free to use it at any point during the day!
Does Hydra-Charge Have Sugar?
No, Hydra Charge does not contain any sugar and is instead sweetened by sucralose. While this is a zero-calorie sweetener, it is also artificial, which some people may prefer to avoid. Keep this in mind when deciding if Hydra Charge is right for you.
Conclusion
Overall, because of its low total electrolyte content, Kaged’s Hydra Charge supplement is far from the most effective electrolyte supplement on the market for serious endurance athletes. However, this low electrolyte content does lend itself to outstanding flavor, making Hydra Charge a great flavor enhancer for water.
Overall, we believe Kaged’s Hydra Charge would be beneficial to help motivate people to drink more water, although endurance athletes will likely want to find a supplement with a higher total electrolyte content. We hope our Kaged Muscle Hydra Charge reviews can help you make a more informed choice!
Have you ever tried any electrolyte supplements? Are you looking to use electrolytes for endurance performance, or just as a flavor enhancer for water? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Also read:
- Pre Kaged Stim Free Review
- Kaged Creatine Hcl Review
- Kaged Elite Pre Workout Review
- Kaged Clean Burn Review
References:
- Kurtz, J.A. et al. “Taurine in sports and exercise.” J Int Soc Sports Nutr 18, 39 (2021).
- Kacie Vavrek, “Is Coconut Water Healthy,” The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/is-coconut-water-healthy (Accessed February 10, 2023).
- The Nutrition Source, “Antioxidants,” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/antioxidants/ (Accessed February 10, 2023).
- AIS Sports Supplement Framework, “Electrolyte Replacement Supplements,” Australian Institute of Sport, https://www.ais.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/1000487/36194_Sport-supplement-fact-sheets-electrolytes-v5.pdf (Accessed February 10, 2023).
- Informed Choice Certification Process, “Informed Choice: Four Steps to Certification,” INformed Choice https://choice.wetestyoutrust.com/about/certification-process (Accessed February 10, 2023).
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All products we select are primarily approved and tested by the Olympic Weightlifting Champion Oleksii Torokhtiy. Under his guidance, we provide honest and reasonable assessments of the products we review by checking their characteristics, packaging, design, comfort and durability features, and general product rating. We select products from only high-quality and trusted sports brands, thus vouching for their quality.
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Author: David Sasha Schulz
Doctor of Chiropractic, BSc Human Biology, CSCS
Strength coach (CSCS) – 10 years
Sasha is a Chiropractor and Kinesiologist practicing in Kelowna, BC, Canada. He has been practicing Chiropractic since 2019, integrating manual therapy, strength training and programming principles, and nutritional strategies to get his patients optimal results. He currently scratches the competitive itch in fitness, and the occasional endurance race, and plays golf and snowboards for fun. He has an interest in all strength and fitness-related sports.