Why do I need electrolytes?
Electrolytes are like the oil in your car's engine: they don't power the engine, but without them it won't run smoothly. They play a part in muscle contraction, the transmission of nerve impulses and the maintenance of fluid balance – magnesium and calcium, for example, contribute to normal muscle function.
Just as you wouldn't wait until the engine has seized to top up the oil, don't wait for cramps before you replace electrolytes: by the time you cramp, your performance started to decline long before. The goal is steady, consistent replenishment.
What is the difference between HEED and Endurolytes Fizz?
One scoop of HEED provides 110 kcal of energy and contains roughly as many electrolytes as half an Endurolytes Fizz tablet. Fizz provides electrolytes only, and practically no energy (7 kcal per tablet).
For most athletes, one or two scoops of HEED in a bottle cover their hourly energy needs and part of their electrolyte needs. Heavier athletes, and anyone exercising in the heat, often need additional electrolytes – that's where Fizz tablets or Endurolytes capsules come in.
How does Endurolytes Fizz compare to Endurolytes capsules?
One Endurolytes Fizz tablet roughly equals 2 Endurolytes capsules, and half a tablet about 1 capsule. Only “roughly”, because an effervescent tablet needs different mineral forms:
- The fizz requires sodium and potassium bicarbonate, so Fizz has slightly more sodium and less chloride. In total, half a tablet contains about 130 mg of sodium and chloride, one capsule 100 mg.
- Potassium: 50 mg in half a tablet, 25 mg in one capsule.
- In Fizz, the magnesium, calcium and manganese are in forms that deliver a lot of elemental mineral in a small space and don't inhibit the fizz. In Endurolytes capsules we use amino acid chelates, but in an effervescent tablet these would hinder dissolving and make the tablet too large.
Overall, the electrolyte content of the two products is very similar, so you can dose them in a similar way.
How many minerals are in one Fizz tablet?
Per tablet: 200 mg of sodium, 60 mg of chloride, 100 mg of potassium, 100 mg of calcium, 50 mg of magnesium, 3 mg of manganese and 13 mg of vitamin B6 – the same in every flavour. The Cola flavour also contains 20 mg of caffeine from green tea extract. You'll find the detailed figures for each flavour on the Nutritional Information tab.
Can I chew the tablet?
Fizz is designed to be dissolved in water. Some people chew it during training and haven't had any problems apart from the foaming, but it's best to dissolve it in water or a sports drink and drink it that way.
Can I mix it in advance and keep it in the fridge?
Yes, but drink it within 24–36 hours. After that the minerals may become less effective and the fizz wears off, so the drink will also taste “flatter”.
Why is there sorbitol in Endurolytes Fizz?
Sorbitol (a sugar alcohol), at about 500 mg per tablet, binds the tablet together and – unlike other binders – doesn't inhibit the fizz. It also adds a little sweetness. It isn't an artificial sweetener. Consumed in large amounts it may have a laxative effect, so stick to the recommended dosage.
How should I store Fizz tablets?
Effervescent tablets are sensitive to moisture: in warm, humid weather they can soften and stick together. Close the tube again straight after use (the cap contains a desiccant) and store it in a cool, dry place. In very hot, humid conditions – in a tropical climate, for example – it's best to keep the tube in the fridge.
Why isn't Fizz available in a larger pack?
Because of its sensitivity to moisture: in a large container, the tablets would absorb moisture as it's opened again and again. The 13-tablet tube with its desiccant cap protects the tablets in small portions.
Does Fizz affect blood sugar levels?
Very unlikely. Stevia and monk fruit extract don't raise blood sugar, sorbitol has a minimal effect, and one tablet contains just 7 kcal. If you have diabetes, discuss using any new food supplement with your doctor.
Should I be concerned about the amount of vitamin B6?
One Fizz tablet contains 13 mg of vitamin B6 in the form of pyridoxine hydrochloride. Vitamin B6 is involved in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism: it contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, to normal protein and glycogen metabolism and to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
It's important to know that in 2023 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set the tolerable upper intake level of vitamin B6 for adults at 12 mg a day. If you use several tablets a day, take other products containing B6 (a multivitamin, for example), or have had nerve-related symptoms (numbness, tingling) in the past, talk to your doctor. If such symptoms occur, stop using it.
Do any Endurolytes products contain caffeine?
Only the Cola flavour of Endurolytes Fizz: it contains 20 mg of caffeine per tablet. Endurolytes, Endurolytes Extreme, Endurolytes Extreme Powder and the other Fizz flavours are caffeine-free.
Why is there citric acid in Fizz?
For the fizz: the citric acid reacts with the bicarbonates in the tablet (such as baking soda) to release carbon dioxide, which is what makes the tablet fizz in water. We only add as much as is needed for this. Endurolytes capsules contain no citric acid at all.
Is Endurolytes Extreme Powder carbonated like Fizz?
No. Endurolytes Extreme Powder doesn't fizz: it's a powder you dissolve in water or another Hammer drink, with a higher sodium and potassium content.
Why is Fizz better than a simple salt tablet?
Many athletes focus only on salt (sodium chloride), yet your body needs the full spectrum of electrolytes: besides sodium and chloride, it also needs calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese – continuously and in balanced proportions.
If you take in too much salt (from salty food, salt tablets or products with excessive sodium content), your body detects the external supply: the hormone aldosterone “shuts down” sodium recycling in the kidneys, so your body excretes even more sodium. Meanwhile another hormone, vasopressin, comes to the fore, which can cause uncomfortable water retention and swelling.
Optimal electrolyte replenishment during endurance exercise is gradual and steady, covers ALL electrolytes, and doesn't upset your body's own regulation. That's what Endurolytes, Endurolytes Fizz, Endurolytes Extreme and Endurolytes Extreme Powder are made for.
What do you think about sweat test results?
Question: I had a sweat test, which says I need at least 1000 mg of sodium per hour. What's your opinion?
Answer: It can give you interesting data, but we're not fans, because it shows only a small slice of the whole picture. The test typically measures fluid and salt loss for about an hour under controlled conditions – that may be accurate for the first hour, but not for what happens in the hours that follow.
In the first 30–60 minutes of exercise you really do lose a lot of fluid and salt. Your body detects this, however: the hormone aldosterone recycles some of the sodium via the kidneys, so the loss doesn't stay the same hour after hour. On top of that, your body already holds several tens of grams of sodium.
The common mistake: based on the test, someone replaces 1–2 g of sodium per hour – that's 2.5–5 g of salt, which is a lot. Excessive sodium intake switches off aldosterone regulation, your body excretes even more sodium, and vasopressin can lead to water retention, oedema and raised blood pressure. If your hands, ankles or face are swollen at the end of a long training session or race, or your clothes are heavily caked with salt, you've probably taken in too much salt.
Bottom line: don't try to replace the full loss measured by the sweat test every hour – moderate, steady, full-spectrum replenishment is the way to go.
Can I take Fizz together with Anti-Fatigue Caps?
Yes. All Endurolytes products combine well with Anti-Fatigue Caps and the other Hammer Nutrition products.
Do I need Endurolytes Fizz with Perpetuem?
Yes. The minerals in Perpetuem come only from the natural mineral content of its ingredients; it has no purpose-built electrolyte blend like HEED does. So treat Perpetuem as an “energy-only” fuel and replace your electrolytes separately with Endurolytes Fizz tablets or Endurolytes capsules.
Does Fizz contain allergens or animal-derived ingredients?
No. Endurolytes products are made in a facility free of tree nuts and allergens, and every production batch is tested by an independent laboratory for purity and consistency. Endurolytes Fizz is vegan and gluten-free.
Can children use it?
Endurolytes Fizz is a food supplement intended for adult athletes. For children, discuss its use with a paediatrician – because of the dosage and the vitamin B6 content. The Cola flavour contains caffeine, so it isn't recommended for children.
Can I use it while pregnant or breastfeeding?
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, discuss the use of any food supplement with your doctor. The Cola flavour contains caffeine, so it isn't recommended during this time.
How acidic or alkaline is a drink made with Fizz?
Slightly alkaline: a dissolved tablet has a pH of about 8 or a little higher. That's down to the bicarbonates (such as baking soda), which are also needed for the fizz.
How much manganese is in Hammer products?
We believe athletes need somewhat more manganese than non-athletes: manganese takes part in the energy-producing enzyme reactions of muscle cells and contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress (it is a component of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase). Your body uses it up during exercise and also loses it through sweat, and only a small part (about 3–5%) of orally ingested manganese is absorbed.
Manganese content of Hammer products:
- Endurolytes – 0.25 mg per capsule
- Endurolytes Fizz – 3.0 mg per tablet
- Endurolytes Extreme – 0.5 mg per capsule
- Endurolytes Extreme Powder – 0.5 mg per scoop
- HEED – 2.0 mg per scoop
- Recoverite – 2.9 mg per serving (2 scoops)
- Vegan Recoverite – 0.6 mg per serving (2 scoops)
- Premium Insurance Caps – 1.07 mg per capsule
