PREPD’s history is rooted in over 20 years of collaborative medical research between Flinders and Yale Universities.

Our research team’s original goal was to create a better oral rehydration solution (ORS) to treat severe dehydration in developing countries where lives were lost through severe dehydration from diseases like cholera and rotavirus.

Their efforts focused on enhancing total water absorption in the body by tapping into the largely unused potential in the large intestine to absorb up to 5L of fluid per day.

Using a unique sustained fibre (SF), our research team developed a patented SF-ORS, which was able to enhance hydration and improve health outcomes by 39% compared with the World Health Organisations’ recommended ORS.

Through a joint venture focused on innovation between Flinders University and the Adelaide Football Club, the technology’s application to enhance elite athlete hydration and performance was identified.

After a clinical trial with the Adelaide Crows in 2014 it was demonstrated that the newly adapted two-step PREPD hydration system was providing outstanding results to the elite players:

1. Improved starting hydration
2. Enhanced fluid absorption during exertion
3. Enhanced rehydration by 29% in recovery when compared with drinking leading sports drinks only.
4. During the trial period, athletes drinking PREPD lost a remarkable 85% less body weight overall.

Results from the trial have now been published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Following the original medical research and the Adelaide Crows Football trial, we decided to test PREPD with more athletes from various sports backgrounds.

PREPD has now been successfully trialled with over 300 athletes across a diverse range of sports including triathlon, basketball, cycling, running, AFL, soccer, netball, motorsport, netball, rowing and surfing.

This is not a normal sports drink.

PREPD is at its best when taken alongside your normal hydration methods (i.e. sports drinks or water) enhancing the absorption of these fluids. Prime is consumed before and Recover is consumed after your workout/training/competition (not during). Our unique two-step formulation has been found to:

• Reduce cramping & fatigue
• Reduce headaches after exercise
• Decrease thirst during exercise
• Decrease reduction in weight from fluid loss (sweat)
• Increase energy production
• Increase ability to maintain consistent performance
• Aid in faster recovery post-exercise

Experience a new level of hydration performance, with PREPD.

While carb-loading has been a popular approach for athletes to meet energy requirements in endurance sports, until now there has been no equivalent for hydration. After all, the human body can’t store water in reserve. However, using the unique sustained fibre in PREPD, we can prime or "hydro-load" the body to be able to boost hydration and increase fluid absorption.

The PREPD two-step system has been specifically developed to boost the body’s hydration effectiveness before, during and after intense exertion.

01 > PRIME: PREPD Prime is a pre-workout hydration enhancer consumed 10-18 hours before training and competition. PRIME is designed to deliver an optimal dose of our unique sustained fibre to prepare the gut to be able to use its full hydration potential. This helps you start better hydrated and absorb fluid more effectively when you need to perform.

02 > RECOVER: PREPD Recover is a post-workout rehydration enhancer consumed immediately after training and competition. RECOVER is hypotonic (low in sugar) and has an optimal blend of electrolytes to rapidly replenish fluids and salts. In addition, added sustained fibre provides a rehydration boost in the 24 hours following exertion

There are many different types of sustained fibre (or scientifically known as resistant starch), which are found naturally in small quantities in everyday foods like potatoes and green bananas. Resistant starch (RS) is resistant to digestion in the small intestine and eventually reaches the large intestine where it acts as a prebiotic to feed the good bacteria in the gut. During this process, the RS is broken down into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and certain combinations of SCFAs have been proven to activate fluid absorption in the gut. Through this process, athletes can absorb additional fluid to replace what they are losing through sweat.

While there are many different types of RS, our research team have extensively tested a diverse range of resistant starches to identify the best one to drive fluid absorption. In doing so, PREPD is able to boost the body’s hydration effectiveness by accessing the largely untapped potential in the gut to absorb up to 5L fluid per day.

It is also worth noting that numerous research studies have linked resistant starch to positive effects on gut health including maintaining healthy gut function, increasing good bacteria and vitamin production, better immune health and breakdown of toxins (Birt et al 2013).

Image below: Resistant starch molecules under a microscope create the unique ‘extinction cross’ pattern you’ll see in our branding.

PREPD is backed by over 20 years of collaborative medical research between Flinders and Yale Universities. The original clinical research devised a better oral rehydration solution (ORS) to treat severe dehydration arising from diseases like cholera and rotavirus for people living in developing countries.

Traditional World Health Organisation (WHO) ORSs only trigger fluid absorption in the small intestine, and fail to trigger the absorption capacity of the large intestine (up to 5L per day). Our research team identified a unique sustained fibre, which was able to promote absorption of fluid in the large intestine whilst maintaining optimal absorption in the small intestine. This new formulation was able to improve hydration by 39% when compared with the WHO recommended ORS (Ramakrishna et al 2000). Using the same unique patented resistant starch (sustained fibre), PREPD was adapted from this ground-breaking medical research (Binder et al 2014) to boost hydration and meet the fluid loss needs of athletes. While our founders still pursue the goal to reduce severe dehydration in developing countries, they also share our vision to pioneer a new frontier in sports hydration and performance.

Image below: Prof Graeme Young: Flinders Professor of Gastrointestinal Health, SA Scientist of the Year (2013), Order of Australia AM (2014), PREPD co-inventor.