As a cyclist, in warm conditions it’s crucial to ensure you stay hydrated.  An old maxim is that you should drink little and often, for by the time you feel thirsty it’s often too late.

When you’re in the middle of an event however it can be easy to forget the basics.  A new textile may be just the ticket, as it claims to monitor ones hydration levels as you exercise.

Ensuring you stay hydrated

The textile goes under the brand name SOAK, and the magic occurs via a coating that can be applied to clothing to give the wearer visual cues that they are becoming dehydrated.

The technology was developed by Paulien Routs in partnership with the cosmetic chemistry lab Thewa Innovations, Droog Design and Annabeth Kroeskop.

The coating reacts to our sweat as we exercise, and in particular our levels of basicity and acidity, with the garment changing color to immediately provide the wearer with information on our hydration levels.

The colors are graded, with blue showing high levels of hydration, green a moderate level, and orange or yellow representing dangerous levels of dehydration.

Of course, this isn’t the first technology of this kind.  Back in the 80s Hypercolor was released as a similar sports related clothing line.  Rather than show hydration levels however, the garments would change color based upon the body heat of the wearer.

There are no shortage of wearable fitness devices hitting the market, so garments that change color are almost something of a throwback.  Will SOAK prove to be more successful than Hypercolor?  Time will tell.