InnovAAte Blog

Emeritus Professor Tim Roberts AM FRSN, provides a fascinating insight into the consequences of dehydration. He explains how to manage hydration best to keep you performing at your best for longer and improve recovery rates.

If you're only replacing water and salt, you're leaving a critical gap in your recovery strategy. Because when you sweat, you lose more than fluid. You lose high-demand amino acids, and failing to replace them forces your body to break down muscle just to keep up.

During intense training—especially in heat—the body rapidly depletes specific amino acids. These aren’t just building blocks for muscle; they’re essential for maintaining systemic balance. Without adequate supply, the body enters a catabolic state, which can be described as metabolic scavenging—breaking down muscle tissue to access what it needs in real time.

Unlike traditional BCAA, HDAA support energy restoration, tissue repair, and metabolic balance. Our research shows they’re used and lost in far greater amounts during exercise — and replacing them is key to faster recovery and better endurance.