Nix Hydration Biosensors, Wahoo ELMNT Ace Cleared For In Race Use, More to Come?

Most of us know the UCI, cycling’s global governing body as being, let’s just say, a bit glacial in advancements in technology and sport. The bike weight limit was very slow to change, same with the old aerodynamics 3:1 ratio when it comes to depth to width of frame tubing, handlebars and seat posts. But back in July of 2023, the UCI quietly signaled that they might be opening up somewhat to technology when they announced that “sweat rate sensors fall under the physiological sensor category and therefore are permitted for use during UCI sanctioned races.” Basically, sensors that sit on you are okay to use, but anything that penetrates the skin is not. Recently, Nix Hydration Biosensors announced their sensors are now approved for in race use, with Wahoo following shortly after that the ELMNT Ace and its built in wind sensor is also approved for in race use. Could this signal the UCI is open to other things like continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and other advancements within sports science?

Why So Salty, Brah?

Nix Hydration Biosensors are external sensors that mount to a patch on the arm and read chemical markers in your sweat. Unlike a CGM, the Nix sensor uses a kinesiotape patch with an interface that the sensor mounts onto, so there is no internal sensor going into your body (CGM’s have a small needle that sticks into your skin). The biosensor collects information on the amount of fluid loss, along with the electrolyte and sodium concentration in your sweat. This can help you monitor and adjust not only your hydration, but also what you are taking in to make sure you are replacing electrolytes and sodium appropriately. What it won’t do though, is give you guidance of fueling like you would see from a CGM, which monitors glucose levels in the blood.

I’ve had a chance to use Nix Hydration Biosensors through a partnership with Infinit Nutrition, which is helping me validate my custom blends to make sure I’m getting the right amount of electrolytes and sodium, and helping me put a fueling plan in place for my big events, with the help of their resident nutritionist, Colin Riley. In a recent test, which included three efforts in an indoor setting, I lost 146.6oz of fluids, 12,532mg of electrolytes, and 5,940mg of sodium across 2.5 hours of measurement, which included two 35 minute efforts and a 45 minute effort, with short breaks in between. Most athletes think of dehydration of more of a cramping issue, but studies have show that just a 2% dehydration can lead to athletes incurring up to a 20% loss in performance. The data not only helps to provide potential performance benefits, but also helps athletes and other users monitor to fight against dehydration, heat stroke and other heat related events.

Nix has already announced a partnership that will see the EF Pro Cycling Team using their sensors for training and racing in the 2025 season. Riders will have a flash of lime green on their arms, similar to the Cannondale Pro Cycling Team kit days, with the patch the Nix Hydration Biosensor mounts to. The Nix Pro app will allow the team to monitor information from the biosensors and allow the team to monitor riders in real time to provide a more comprehensive hydration plan based on the actual needs of the riders. The sensor connects to your phone by Bluetooth, so it will be interesting to see how the data is linked to the team staff when riders are spread out during a race.

“EF Pro Cycling places great importance on hydration to ensure peak performance,” explains Dr. Kevin Sprouse, Director of Sports Science at EF Pro Cycling. “We have tested several hydration sensors in recent years, and have found Nix’s platform to be very accurate and easy to use. Our excitement about the technology has led us to now roll it out for all athletes across both the men’s and women’s teams in our continual effort to gain every edge we can for EF Pro Cycling.”

“We were delighted to hear that EF Pro Cycling learned of Nix from Dr. Sprouse,” said Meridith Cass, Nix Biosensors CEO and Founder. “Because of EF’s dedication to human performance innovation, they will be the first full team in the pro-peloton to change the way hydration strategies are crafted in professional cycling. We look forward to our technology contributing to their success.”

Ride More Efficiently

The EF Pro Cycling teams will have another tool in their arsenal this year with the Wahoo ELMNT Ace. The new computer from Wahoo has all of the typical features you normally find on other computers, but also features a new Wind Sensor. The new sensor uses a front-facing pressure sensor, allowing riders to measure the effects of air resistance in real-time with Wahoo Wind Dynamics. The ELMNT Ace will show AirBoost when groundspeed is aided by tailwinds or drafting, or AirDrag when groundspeed is hindered by headwinds. These metrics could help riders find ways to ride more efficiently, especially if they are in a breakaway or out front riding on their own. The data will help create a a real-world wind conditions data set to help further enhance the WWD’s ability to analyze athletic performance in relation to wind.

“The new ELEMNT ACE brings wind speed data in real-time which we think could be a game changer in drafting dynamics,” explains Peter Schep, Head of Performance, EF Pro Cycling. “It’s such a huge factor in how a race plays out, so we are very excited to be working closely with Wahoo on how to get the most out of the ACE’s wind sensor for training and appropriate races.”

Other teams, including UAE Team Emirates – XRG, LIDL – TREK, Team Picnic PostNL, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, as well as more than 25 other UCI-registered teams will be using the ELMNT Ace, so it will be interesting to see how these teams can incorporate the real-time data in their race tactics.

Interestingly, the Nix Hydration Biosensor is not currently compatible with the Wahoo platform for consumers at the time of publication. With the partnership with EF Pro Cycling, this could accelerate development work to link the two platforms, but for now, you can use Garmin Connect to download an app to add to your watch or cycling computer to display your data, or use the Nix app on your phone or smart watch.

What’s Next?

In the past, we’ve written about other emerging areas of sports science, like muscle oxygen sensors and advances in power measurement metrics. Both of these areas are approved by the UCI for use, and have been used by athletes at different levels of the sport. Body temperature sensors have been in use for a few seasons now, with many using the CORE body temperature sensor.

Currently, CGM’s are banned by the UCI for in-race use, unless you have a therapeutic use exemption (TUE), which essentially grants you the right to use it for medical reasons. Having used a CGM a few times, I’m not sure I can fully say that there is a clear benefit to it for non-diabetic athletes. It did give me an interesting look at how my body reacts to different types of foods, along with showing a quite dramatic drop in my glucose levels at night that was rectified by taking in additional protein late in the day. But during athletic performance, my body is able to regulate blood sugar well, and kept me pretty stable, regardless of what food and drink I was taking in. I did test it against various hydration products, including the custom blends I mentioned from Infinit Nutrition earlier, and did help show that I could benefit from alternating between my short effort and long effort blends to help supplement the slow burn fuel with some faster acting fuel. This could be a reason for some athletes to use CGM’s more regularly during their efforts, but I think CGM’s still have a ways to go before they are accurate enough compared to blood testing.

Sports science continues to evolve as scientists and engineers find new ways to measure and quantify athletic performance. It started with heart rate, before moving to power, muscle oxygen, sweat tracking, body temperature, and real-time air pressure readings. For some, this is overload, and it takes away from the joy and simplicity of cycling. For many though, especially pro athletes, there is a hunger for more data on how they can perform at a higher level during training and racing. We’ll have to see what comes next, but as one of those people that loves data, I can’t wait to see it.

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