Being fit is the new fabulous. People pay more attention than ever before to all things wellness, including eating well, working out, and of course, athleisure has now gone mainstream.
But today’s savvy consumer often gives little thought to the beverages they consume throughout the process. Sure, everyone knows that sugary drinks and sodas aren’t a good idea, but unless you’re really training professionally or running a marathon, polishing off a calorie-laden sports drink post workout is unnecessary. Isn’t water good enough? Apparently not.
HFactor is taking water to the next level. The brand is a U.S. sourced and packaged water that utilizes patent-pending, chemical- and magnesium-free processes to infuse extra hydrogen into drinking water. Hydrogen is credited as a “super element” that offers multiple anti-inflammatory and oxidant benefits, as well as side perks like increased energy and alertness, relief from system stressors like jet lag, and improved athletic performance.
Founder Gail Levy first came across the idea while traveling in Japan, where hydrogen water is commonly consumed.
We sampled the water, which comes in a unique environmentally-friendly pouch said to keep the hydrogen benefit potent, to test the benefits for ourselves.
The Price & Packaging:
At $18 for a six-pack or $2.99 for as single serving, this water isn’t cheap. The packaging reminds us a bit of an old-school Capri Sun, with its handy taped-on straw and squishy bag design, but it did work well in a purse or gym bag. BPA free and recyclable, the design sparked some odd looks at the gym, but did prove remarkably convenient as it was easily portable. The bag must be torn from the top to open, however, and we often found this a bit cumbersome unless we had a pair of scissors handy. As annoying as those Capri sun “holes” were, we’d almost prefer to see that added in for convenience. A recyclable straw would have been a nice touch as well.
Taste:
As expected, HFactor tastes like water. It has a slight metallic aftertaste not unlike flat water that was once carbonated, but isn’t at all unpleasant.
The Results:
We’ve been regularly ramping up our circuit at HIIT training schedule in prep for our upcoming wedding (gotta get in bride shape) and have to say that our muscle recovery time does seem to have improved slightly. Even if it’s a placebo effect, we’ll take it. We haven’t yet had the chance to try this after a long flight to test if it is as effective on jet lag as touted, because unfortunately the size is a bit large to fit through security. We’d love to see this added to airports, as well as gyms, for convenience.
The Verdict:
If you’re a serious gym goer, give it a go. It’s cheaper than a shoe rental at Soul Cycle, after all!
