"A lab in the palm of your hand”: Movistar to use hydration test that tells you how much you need to drink in seconds via a saliva sample

You might think you’re a past master when it comes to drinking – after all, we're guessing that you’ve been doing it for a long time – but the Movistar Team has just hooked up with MX3 to tell its professional riders exactly how much fluid they should take on board and which type of drink would best replenish the electrolytes they’ve lost during exercise.

2025 MX3 studio (credit: MX3)

Pro cycling teams often use sweat tests to measure sweat rates and electrolyte levels, experts then personalising a hydration plan for each rider. Movistar Team says that its performance staff will now have access to “the most advanced and fastest tool for monitoring riders’ hydration levels”.

The MX3 Hydration Testing System has been around for a few years now while its Lab Pro Version uses a single device to perform two different real-time tests. It uses a “portable and non-invasive laboratory” and a mobile app to provide you with data that’s designed to prevent dehydration and injuries, and enhance performance. The app is free and available for iOS and Android.

Movistar says, “MX3’s groundbreaking technology features a handheld portable lab, test strips, and a smart application to seamlessly measure, track, and assess hydration status. This technology allows for a deeper understanding of a cyclist’s physiological needs, ensuring precise monitoring and tracking of hydration levels.”

Of course, you’ll know the importance of hydration to your physical performance, particularly if you’ve ever reached for a mid-ride drink and found your bottles empty. And, let’s be honest, you have done that. With long periods of hard riding in – if we’re lucky – warm conditions, the hydration demands of cyclists can be… challenging

> Why hydration is more important than you think for cycling performance 

The idea of MX3 Lab Pro is that you can take a quick saliva sample at any time and your hydration level will be recorded in seconds and uploaded to the app. Using the app’s dashboard, you can track your hydration levels over time, spot any trends in your risk of dehydration, and adjust your drinking accordingly.

The sweat test measures sodium levels “so you can replace lost electrolytes and customise your hydration strategy with the right fluids”.

Movistar says, “The MX3 Lab Pro will enable [our] men’s and women’s teams to track and monitor hydration status through the revolutionary saliva-based hydration testing in addition to providing lab-accurate assessment of sweat sodium profiling to enable coaches to develop personalised electrolyte replacement for the athletes.”

Beyond that, MX3 says, “As part of our innovation strategy, [we] will be soon releasing the first ever non-invasive saliva-based lactate test strip for assessment of aerobic capacity with accuracy equivalent to blood-based lactate meters as well as a saliva-based ketone test strip, for use in both dieting as well as endurance sports. These strips will be compatible with the MX3 Lab Pro, helping us to realise the vision of a ‘Lab in the Palm of your Hand’.”

There are various other ways to get your sweat tested, including going to a Precision Fuel & Hydration test centre. You can find your closest one here.

www.mx3hydrationeurope.com