The Lowdown
I’ve found a place for Tailwinds Active Hydration in my workouts. I often do 30-60 minute kettlebell/weightlifting/rowing workouts, and I like the idea of having a little bit of added sugar for a boost during those. However, due to the higher sugar content, I won’t be reaching for it as an everyday hydration option — that slot will remain filled by Nuun and plain old lime juice.
Overall
Pros
- Taste is generally pleasant
- Offers several vitamins and minerals
- Can provide a shelf-stable option for electrolytes and boosted hydration anytime
- Multiple flavor choices
Cons
- The science on collagen as a supplement in drinks is still unclear
- Pricey versus other hydration drink options
I will be the first to admit I have a problem with hydration. Intellectually, I get that you need to drink plenty of liquids, especially if you’re working out regularly or living through the current east coast heat wave. But I’m terrible at actually drinking enough water, so when I was offered the chance to try the new Tailwinds Active Hydration Drink Mix, I was excited that it might improve my usual dehydrated state. How was it? Read on to find out!
Tailwind sent two flavors, Cherry Acai and Strawberry Lemonade. Both have the same nutritional statistics, with certain key highlights: 35 calories per packet, 75mg of sodium, 7g of carbohydrates, 2g of protein, 20mg of calcium, 50mg of potassium, 47mg of vitamin C, and 5mg of magnesium.
It’s recommended that you mix a packet with 12 ounces of water. If you mix one packet in a 24-ounce bottle, you’ll just get a faint flavor that’s a lot less tasty, so it’s smart to stick with the one packet to 12-ounce water ratio.
The ingredient list is pleasantly simple for a supplemental powder. It doesn’t include anything too complex: Cane Sugar, Collagen Peptides, Natural Flavor, Tartaric Acid, Sodium Carbonate, Sea Salt, L-Malic Acid, Potassium Carbonate, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Magnesium Oxide.
That all maps pretty clearly to the nutritional information above, and the presence of cane sugar as the first ingredient explains the 7 grams of carbohydrates.
I tested Tailwinds Active Hydration by drinking it on a day when I was super dehydrated and then again before and during a few intense but short workouts. It’s hard to say for sure if it had a specific impact over, say, drinking extra regular water during a workout, but I did notice I felt better when I drank it while dehydrated.
Tailwinds Active Hydration helped my slight headache, and I generally felt better overall, so it worked well in that sense. Tailwind also suggests using it if you’re sick to your stomach or otherwise in need of electrolytes. Since the packets are quite small and shelf stable, they’re something you can easily keep on hand for emergency use as well as prepping for better workouts.
There are three issues that would make me hesitant to recommend the Active Hydration Drink across the board.
One, the use of collagen means it is not vegan or vegetarian as collagen is derived from cows. It’s also a little unclear if a small amount of collagen in a supplemental drink will make a huge long-term health difference, as the science is still evolving.
Second, while 7 grams of carbohydrates isn’t a lot, if you’re sensitive to added sugars, that can add up over time.
Finally, 35 calories per packet isn’t a lot on its own, but again, that can add up fast.
If you use a 24-ounce water bottle and fill it three times over the course of a day, you’re using six packets of Tailwinds Active Hydration, or 210 calories/42g of sugar. That’s not a bad thing if you’re out on a hike or bike ride for the day, but it’s probably not ideal if you’re just sipping it at your desk because you need to stay hydrated and don’t like the taste of plain water.
None of this even matters if Tailwinds Active Hydration doesn’t taste good. I found that cold water brings out more of the flavor than lukewarm water, so ice is definitely your friend.
Active Hydration comes in strawberry lemonade, cherry acai, tangerine grapefruit, and tropical orange flavor, so you’re bound to find one that fits your tastes. For instance, I found that the strawberry flavor isn’t my favorite, but I thought that the acai cherry was extremely tasty and refreshing.
A box of 12 Tailwinds packets is $21, which works out to about $1.75 per drink — assuming you’re getting the water you’ll mix the packet with for free. In other words, Tailwinds Active Hydration works out to be slightly cheaper than you’d pay at a convenience store for a 12-ounce bottle of Gatorade (~$3/12-ounce drink), but it’s significantly pricier than, say, Nuun tablets (~$0.74/12-ounce drink).
Tailwinds Active Hydration is a bit more nutritionally complex than Nuun, so whether or not you give it the edge depends on how much you want to seek out the extra protein and potential joint health benefits of collagen.
I’ve found a place for Tailwinds Active Hydration in my workouts. I often do 30-60 minute kettlebell/weightlifting/rowing workouts, and I like the idea of having a little bit of added sugar for a boost during those. However, due to the higher sugar content, I won’t be reaching for it as an everyday hydration option — that slot will remain filled by Nuun and plain old lime juice.
Tailwinds Active Hydration sells in a pack of 12 for $21; it is available directly from the manufacturer.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Liked: Taste is generally pleasant; Offers several vitamins and minerals; Can provide a shelf-stable option for electrolytes and boosted hydration anytime; Multiple flavor choices
What Needs Improvement: The science on collagen as a supplement in drinks is still unclear; Pricey versus other hydration drink options
