Why create Kaiju when there are already so many products?
I was looking for a precise combination: sodium, potassium and magnesium, no sugar, with an Informed Sport certification. We built Kaiju around those criteria. That does not mean the other products have no merit. Some cost less, others deliver more sodium or carbohydrate alongside.
Did you really try all of these drinks?
Yes, I tried them in training, mixed to the doses each pack recommends. But the table compares their composition and their price, not their effect on my performance. My own impression is not enough to conclude that one drink works better for everyone.
How can I trust a comparison published by Kaiju?
I am a co-founder of Kaiju and the criteria chosen reflect what we were looking for in our own formula. That is worth knowing. To form your own view you can compare the amounts, the prices and the references of the products shown. Kaiju is neither the cheapest nor the one with the most sodium per serving.
Doesn’t sugar help you absorb water?
Yes. Some drinks that combine carbohydrate and electrolytes help water absorption during exercise, and the carbohydrate also provides energy. Our sugar-free choice simply lets you dose the two separately, according to what you have planned to eat or drink during the session.
Why look at the sodium figure?
You lose sodium when you sweat. How much varies between people and with training conditions. Looking at the amount per serving and the concentration per litre helps you compare drinks. To choose, you also need to account for how much you drink and what else you take in during the session.
Why choose Kaiju over the 0,30€ Decathlon tablets?
If price is your first criterion, the Decathlon sugar-free tablets are an economical option. Kaiju delivers more sodium, potassium and magnesium per serving, with an Informed Sport certification. It is for you to judge whether those differences match what you are after.
What is the difference between a tablet and a powder?
Mostly what has to be in the pack. A powder dissolves because you stir it. A compressed tablet cannot: it has to break itself apart in water, and that needs an acid and a carbonate carried in bulk, plus a bulking agent for the tablet to be pressed against. Those ingredients are there so the tablet works as a tablet.
You can see it in the ingredient order, which EU law sets by descending weight. On SiS GO Hydro the two largest ingredients are citric acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate, and the sodium chloride comes fourth, after the sorbitol. On Decathlon’s sugar-free tablet the largest single ingredient is legally declared as a bulking agent. On Hydratis, dextrose is first and polyethylene glycol, an anti-caking agent, is listed ahead of both sodium salts.
To be clear about what this is and is not. Every additive named here is authorised for food use in the EU, and none of it makes a tablet unsafe or the minerals it carries less useful. It is a question of how much of what you buy is the electrolyte. A powder in a stick needs none of it, which is the reason we chose that format — and it is a choice, not a rule: Baouw builds its tablet on potassium bicarbonate and takes its sodium from salt, so the same thing can be done in tablet form.
Can I just add salt to my water?
Yes, table salt provides sodium and chloride. You do need to measure what you add, though, because a spoon is not a precise dose. The point of a stick is knowing the amounts it delivers and getting the same preparation every time. Kaiju also contains potassium and magnesium.
What about athletes subject to anti-doping testing?
Kaiju is Informed Sport certified. That programme runs batch analyses to screen for banned substances. You can consult the product record and check the batches listed. This reduces the risk of contamination without guaranteeing zero risk. For other brands too, check the reference and the batch you are using.
