It’s been a bumpy road, but Osmo Nutrition will be back online this January with a selection of men’s and women’s hydration products, along with the not-inconsequential endorsement of two-time world champion Peter Sagan.
After the brand went offline for a few months, ownership has changed and riders will be able to buy the product online and in shops beginning in January.
Osmo has three products, PreLoad, Active Hydration and Acute Recovery, which each come in men’s and women’s versions.
Ben Capron co-founded Osmo Nutrition in 2012 with Dr. Stacy Sims, who also helped start Skratch Labs. Sims is no longer with Osmo — she’s now working at a lab in New Zealand and helping another hydration company, Nuun — but her original science remains with Osmo.
Osmo products for men (Courtesy Osmo)
The basic premise behind Osmo is in the name. Drinks with a low osmolality, or low solute concentration, are more rapidly absorbed by the body than plain water or high-calorie, sugary drinks with a high osmolality.
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Capron claims that Osmo Active Hydration replaces body water twice as fast as plain water.
After helping launch Osmo, Capron returned to his original employment with Specialized. Earlier this year, he and business partner Lee Hutchinson of Seven Design bought Osmo.
As for the Sagan connection, Capron’s relationship with the world champ began three years ago. Sagan had been having problems with cramping, and through an Osmo relationship with his then-team Cannondale, he began experimenting with Osmo, including using urine dipstick analysis.
“We did all the tests. I was training, and peeing on a paper to see how hydrated I was,” Sagan recalled of the process from 2013. “Osmo was our sponsor in Cannondale. I didn’t have any more problem with my stomach, and I didn’t have any more problems with cramps.”
A younger Sagan works with Capron to measure post-exercise hydration (Courtesy Osmo)
After the team sponsorship ended, Sagan kept requesting Osmo.
“For pro cyclists, it is not about the money, it is about what is the best for you,” Sagan said.
For amateur cyclists who are paying money, Osmo product costs $20 (£16) for Active Hydration 14oz tubs of powder, $35 (£28) for a tub of Acute Recovery and $25 (£20) for the PreLoad, which is only for use before events in hot weather, not for while you’re riding.
Peter Sagan at his gran fondo in California (Christopher Keiser)
