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4 min read<\/p>\n4 min read<\/p>\n
Lately on rides I\u2019ve started to feel a bit like a lab rat while I\u2019m getting ready to roll out. Before I\u2019m even clipped into the pedals I open three apps, make sure all my sensors are on and connected, and make sure my head unit<\/a> has power<\/a> to pull all this data<\/a> together. It\u2019s easy to throw my hands up, toss all the tech, and ride like it\u2019s 2006. But recently, I tried a sensor that reminded me how far cycling technology has come\u2014and how today\u2019s tools can improve our riding in ways we couldn\u2019t have imagined twenty years ago.<\/p>\n If you are anyone from a weekend warrior to a masters crit racer, you have probably experienced a ride where you ran out of water. What\u2019s more, you\u2019ve most certainly been on rides where you weren\u2019t hydrating appropriately for your own personal losses, but you may not have even known it. The Nix Sensor is here.<\/p>\n Nix<\/a> started out as a necessity. The founder and CEO, Meridith Cass, was a marathon runner and a student at Harvard Business School. After being a part of launching several startups in the Boston and New York City areas, she noticed an opportunity in the wearable space.<\/p>\n \u201cPhilosophically, I believe that humans\u2014not \u201cpatients\u201d\u2014should have access to understandable, actionable means of improving their health. And while wearables have tried to close this gap, they\u2019ve also fallen short. In particular, by not using validated biomarker data and failing to solve true pain points for the user,\u201d says Cass. After talking with other athletes, the opportunity quickly became apparent. Athletes need reliable data to be able to properly dial in a personalized hydration plan\u2014and the Nix Sensor was born.<\/p>\n Sweat testing<\/p>\n Historically, for riders to get their sweat tested, the best methods were to go to a lab like the Skratch Labs HQ in Boulder, Colorado, and get the levels tested there. But there are downsides to this approach. First off, it\u2019s cost-prohibitive to travel to a lab that does sweat testing, get the testing done, then to fly home. The other hurdle with on site testing is that the athlete may be testing outside the conditions they typically ride or race in.<\/p>\n For example, I live in New Jersey, where the altitude of my house is roughly 300 feet above sea level. If I were to go to Skratch Labs for a sweat test, it\u2019s a slight change in altitude\u2014a difference of about 5,000 feet. Simply put, the way my body responds to altitude and the level of humidity where I typically ride make me want to test in the conditions where I ride every day.<\/p>\n Nix is a small biosensor about the size of a half dollar that clicks into a patch that you place on your bicep while you ride. The patches are not reusable, but when you buy a refill there are four of them in the pack (and four patches come in the starter pack). There is a corresponding app that stores the data and tracks your sweat data in real time, and the app shows everything from what your cumulative sweat rate is to a post ride rehydration plan. It even will pair different drinks based off your sweat data after your ride. For example, on a recent heat session on the trainer, I used the Nix sensor while I was cruising in Zwift. For this heat session I was layered up like it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit\u2014topped off with a painter\u2019s suit. The app said I lost 64.3 ounces of fluid loss, 1,341 milligrams of sodium loss, and for this session said my sweat composition is a 98 percent composition match to Fastfood Hydrator mix.<\/p>\n By this point you might be asking yourself, \u201cwhy do I need yet another sensor on my rides?\u201d Remember, this isn\u2019t a sensor you put on for every ride. This is a biosensor that allows you to gauge your hydration needs based on whatever conditions you\u2019re in that day\u2014that\u2019s exactly how I\u2019ve been incorporating it into my riding calendar. Gauge sweat rates, electrolyte losses, and hydration needs on a hot and humid six-hour zone two ride with a lot of climbing versus a short hard interval effort in mild conditions. Once I\u2019ve gotten the data, I can better plan for my next ride in similar conditions.<\/p>\n Your own personal hydration plan<\/p>\n Under-hydrating<\/a> does more than leave you thirsty. It has severe performance effects. \u201cRehydration during Endurance Exercise: Challenges, Research, Options, Methods\u201d published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients<\/a> in 2021 found, \u201cvirtually all researchers agree that moderate-to-severe dehydration results in greater physiologic strain and decreased aerobic exercise performance.\u201d<\/p>\n This data is so important because it allows you to set up a proper fueling plan based on your individual rates and the conditions you\u2019ll be in. The Nix app helps here by recommending individualized fluid and electrolyte intake based on the environmental conditions that it calls the Nix Index. It takes into account factors like temperature, humidity, solar load, and altitude.<\/p>\n![\"Nix](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/89a6c492-21ae-44ff-9890-1f25c42975cc.jpg\" "\\"Nix")
The biosensor and app<\/p>\n
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