Can Electrolytes Benefit Your Work & Daily Life? Our Contributor Explains + More Gear Tips

I was recently talking to someone who has yet to do a triathlon, and the concept of wearing the same outfit to swim, bike, and run baffled him. Biking while dripping wet was a no-go for him, despite my reassurance that you don’t really notice it when you’re out enjoying training or racing.

It did get me thinking, though, about the comfort the right gear can provide in a sport that doesn’t have a ton of comfort. We’ve once again asked our team to share their favorite gear they’ve discovered or simply can’t live without this month. Drop your favorites in the comments to help a fellow athlete find that extra bit of comfort as we push through the final months of the triathlon season.

Precision Fuel & Hydration’s Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix

$32, Amazon

It’s been brutally hot in Boulder this month, and I’m building swim and run volume for Ötillö Colorado in October. I try to get out before the temperature rises as often as possible, but that doesn’t always happen.

Enter Precision Fuel & Hydration’s Carb & Electrolyte Drink Mix: 30g of carb per 16oz serving, plus 500mg sodium, 125mg potassium, 24mg calcium and 12mg magnesium. I’m not a salty sweater, but I cramp easily in the pool if I don’t stay on top of my electrolytes, especially if I’ve already run that day. This has largely solved that. I’ve also noticed my focus and productivity are sharper on the days I keep my electrolytes dialed in.

It tastes good, which sounds like faint praise until you’ve forced down your third bottle of something with an ingredient list you can’t pronounce. And it’s Informed Sport certified, meaning every batch is tested for banned substances. As someone who’s worked in the supplement industry, let me tell you this: always look for products that are third-party tested and certified. If you’re racing sanctioned events, that’s non-negotiable.

I’ll admit I have a soft spot here, too. Back in the day (2005 onwards, yikes) I wrote for 220 Triathlon alongside a young sports scientist named Andy Blow, who went on to co-found Precision Hydration. From humble beginnings in the UK, it’s great to see where he’s taken it.

— Emma-Kate Lidbury, contributor

Sports Research Magnesium L-Threonate

$30, 90 capsules

If you’re feeling tired these days, I guarantee you’re not alone. In fact, we’ve recently highlighted a study that confirms that triathletes are, in fact, terrible sleepers.

This makes me sad, because I love sleep. Over the past few years, I’ve been dialing in my sleep regimen with more attention to any Ironman race plan I ever dreamed up (to be fair, that’s not a high bar to clear: my Ironman race plans are usually “Start slow, get slower, make it to the run aid station with Oreos.”) It’s a strict routine, one that involves completing all my workouts before noon, banishing my phone to a drawer after I wrap up work, and using a cooling mattress pad to keep hot flashes at bay.

This sleep-optimization process has involved testing several magnesium formulations, and this one from Sports Research has by far worked best. Though magnesium glycinate formulations are typically recommended for sleep, a nurse practitioner friend of mine told me L-Threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier more effectively, which is why it’s typically recommended for mental clarity. Based on my N=1 testing, it works for both – I’m finally sleeping soundly through the night and waking up feeling refreshed.

— Susan Lacke, senior editor

Sweat and Milk Chloe 4 Running Nursing Bra

$62, Sweat and Milk

I recently got back to working out after welcoming a baby in late June. With my previous babies, I didn’t really see a need for a nursing sports bra — I would just get ready, go for a run or bike ride, take a shower, and be ready to feed baby.

But with this fourth baby, life doesn’t slow down for multiple wardrobe changes per day. So instead, I get dressed to work out first thing in the morning. Sometimes that’s five minutes before a workout, and sometimes it’s five hours.

I love that this nursing sports bra is high impact but not uncomfortably snug. It has good support for more intense workouts but is comfortable to wear all day. It has two separate layers to unsnap for feeding, which I don’t love as I don’t use the layer designed for hands-free pumping, but few nursing sports bras have enough support for high-intensity, so it’s an inconvenience I willingly put up with to ensure that when the stars align, I’m ready to work out.

– Rebekah Brately, associate editor

Buzz Bomb

$25, Amazon

(Photo: Travis Mundell/Triathlete)

As someone who is caffeine-sensitive but loves a cup of coffee and the energy it provides, I have always been stuck between a rock and a hard place – wanting the energy while trying to avoid the jitters and anxious, scatter-brained state that follows.

Decaf coffee has never quite sat right with me, but matcha has been a go-to alternative, with lower caffeine content and naturally occurring L-theanine that gives me energy without making me feel like I swallowed a hummingbird. However, when it comes to training, the benefits of caffeine are clear – and downing a matcha right before a workout would be the quickest way to have me calling my wife for a pickup two miles down the trail.

That’s where I discovered a woman-run company called Buzz Bomb, which makes small, sugar-free packets containing 50 mg of caffeine that you take sublingually. At first, I nervously poured half a packet under my tongue, and although I was shocked by the sour flavor (the Buzz Bomb name holds true), I was impressed by how quickly the energy kicked in, and by how easily it sat in my stomach during a run.

I’m a big believer in not becoming dependent on this sort of stimulant. However, every now and then, we all need a pick-me-up, and bringing these along while traveling or when I am just dragging has been a great solution compared to timing my matcha, and I imagine it would be similar for others trying to time your morning coffee or sip exactly the right amount of an energy drink.

So for now, I’ll be taking these with me wherever I go. Hopefully, I’ll get used to the sour taste – otherwise, my wife says I’ll be adding even more wrinkles to my face. Thankfully, not all the flavors are sour.

— Travis Mundell, social media strategist