The question everyone asks
Yes, it says "added sugars" on the label. That number is there because dextrose is what makes this formula actually work — not as an energy source, not for flavor, and not for calories. It is the key that unlocks the most efficient sodium absorption pathway in your gut. Without it, a significant portion of the sodium passes through unabsorbed.
Your small intestine has a protein called SGLT1, the sodium-glucose co-transporter. It moves sodium and glucose together across the intestinal wall. Without luminal glucose, this pathway operates at a fraction of its capacity. Sodium can still be absorbed through other mechanisms, but the efficiency drops substantially. This is the same mechanism oral rehydration solutions have used for decades to treat clinical dehydration.
The dextrose here is dosed at a 1:1 molar ratio with sodium, the evidence-based ORS target. It is also capped at the SGLT1 saturation point in solution, which is what sets the minimum water volume for each tier. Beyond that threshold, more glucose does not improve absorption. There is no excess. Every gram is activating the pathway.
The formula delivers 12.5 calories per serving. That is not a meaningful energy contribution. It is the cost of optimal hydration.
Does this break a fast, or affect ketosis? →