Health and Wellness

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

MENTAL PERFORMANCE

Focus. Alertness. Concentration. Reaction Time. Decision-Making. Mental Endurance.

PerformanceDrink was developed to support the physiological foundations of mental performance through hydration, carbohydrate availability, and its stabilized dissolved-oxygen technology. PerformanceDrink-specific evaluations have also examined cognitive performance and measured brain activity.

THE ROLE OF OXYGEN

The brain depends on a continuous supply of oxygen to support cellular energy production and normal neurological function. Changes in oxygen availability can influence attention, executive function, memory, reaction time, and other aspects of cognitive performance.

Independent scientific research demonstrates this relationship from both directions. Reduced oxygen availability has been associated with impaired cognitive performance. Controlled studies examining increased inspired oxygen have reported favorable findings in several cognitive domains.

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis examined 23 studies of acute normobaric hyperoxia. The intervention was oxygen delivered by breathing, not oxygenated water or PerformanceDrink. The review reported favorable effects across several areas of cognition, including memory, attention, reaction speed, executive function, and information processing. The authors identified substantial differences among the studies, rated the overall evidence quality as low, and stated that more high-quality research was needed before recommending hyperoxic breathing for cognitive enhancement.

A 2017 systematic review and meta-regression of 22 experiments found that acute hypoxia had a moderate negative effect on cognitive performance. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of 137 eligible records and 458 effect sizes also found that acute hypoxia impaired cognition overall, with effects varying by cognitive domain and experimental condition.

CARBOHYDRATE AND MENTAL PERFORMANCE

Glucose is a major energy substrate for the brain. Under normal aerobic conditions, oxygen supports the efficient production of ATP from glucose and other metabolic fuels.

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials in athletes found that carbohydrate drinks consumed before or during exercise did not significantly prevent declines in executive function after exercise. The authors noted that intervention type, dose, administration method, and individual variability may have influenced the results.

PerformanceDrink combines hydration, controlled carbohydrate delivery, and stabilized dissolved-oxygen technology. These formulation features provide a rationale for direct product-specific study. They do not establish a cognitive benefit on their own.

A randomized, double-blind crossover study involving PerformanceDrink is summarized in the PerformanceDrink-Specific Evidence section below.

REFERENCES

Shaw DM, Bloomfield PM, Gant N. The effect of acute normobaric hyperoxia on cognition: A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Physiology & Behavior. 2023. PMID 37121344.

McMorris T, Hale BJ, Barwood M, Costello J, Corbett J. Effect of acute hypoxia on cognition: A systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2017. PMID 28111267.

Bloomfield PM, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of acute hypoxia and cognition: Domain-specific effects and the role of barometric pressure and carbon dioxide. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2026. Volume 184. Article 106603. PMID 41672258.

Post TE, Heijn LG, Jordan J, van Gerven JMA. Sensitivity of cognitive function tests to acute hypoxia in healthy subjects: a systematic literature review. Frontiers in Physiology. 2023. PMID 37885803.

Yang J, et al. Effects of carbohydrate drinks ingestion on executive function in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 2023. PMID 37637918.

Gilsenan MB, de Bruin EA, Dye L. The influence of carbohydrate on cognitive performance: a critical evaluation from the perspective of glycaemic load. British Journal of Nutrition. 2009. PMID 19278571.

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

Strength. Endurance. Movement. Energy. Hydration. Recovery.

Physical performance depends on adequate hydration, available metabolic fuel, oxygen delivery, training status, and the demands of the activity.

Research shows that fluid replacement after dehydration can improve continuous exercise performance, particularly during longer exercise and in hotter conditions. A systematic review examined 64 trials from 42 publications. Its meta-analysis of 22 continuous-exercise trials found a significant benefit from fluid intake after dehydration. Evidence for intermittent, resistance, sport-specific, balance, and cognitive performance was less clear.

Carbohydrates provide an important fuel source during prolonged physical activity. A systematic review of 61 performance studies found that 50 studies, or 82%, reported statistically significant performance benefits from carbohydrate supplementation compared with water. Benefits were more evident as exercise duration increased.

A separate meta-analysis of 136 studies found that carbohydrate intake during endurance exercise significantly improved performance compared with placebo or control conditions. The effect was greater during longer-duration exercise and in time-to-exhaustion tests.

THE ROLE OF OXYGEN

As physical demand increases, working muscles require oxygen to support aerobic energy production. Oxygen delivery, circulation, hydration, and metabolic fuel are interconnected components of sustained physical performance.

PerformanceDrink combines hydration, controlled carbohydrate delivery, and stabilized dissolved-oxygen technology. Independent hydration, carbohydrate, and oxygen research provides scientific context for these components. Only research that directly tested PerformanceDrink can be treated as evidence about the product.

REFERENCES

McCartney D, Desbrow B, Irwin C. The Effect of Fluid Intake Following Dehydration on Subsequent Athletic and Cognitive Performance: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine Open. 2017. PMID 28316054.

Stellingwerff T, Cox GR. Systematic review: Carbohydrate supplementation on exercise performance or capacity of varying durations. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism. 2014. Volume 39, issue 9, pages 998-1011. PMID 24951297.

Ramos-Campo DJ, et al. The ergogenic effects of acute carbohydrate feeding on endurance performance: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2024. PMID 37449467.

OXYGEN: ESSENTIAL TO HUMAN PERFORMANCE

Every stage of life depends on oxygen.

The brain, muscles, heart, and other tissues require a continuous supply of oxygen to support normal cellular energy production and function. Unlike carbohydrate and fat, which the body can store in meaningful quantities, the body's oxygen reserves are limited. Oxygen must remain continuously available to meet cellular demand.

At the cellular level, oxygen and metabolic fuels work together. Glucose and other fuels provide metabolic substrate. Oxygen is essential to oxidative phosphorylation, one of the body's principal pathways for producing ATP, the usable energy required by cells.

This relationship becomes increasingly important as demand increases. During exercise, physical work, and other periods of increased metabolic activity, oxygen requirements increase along with the need to process available energy substrates.

WHY PERFORMANCEDRINK FOCUSES ON OXYGEN

PerformanceDrink was developed around a fundamental physiological principle:

Normal human function depends on adequate oxygen delivery and utilization.

PerformanceDrink Oxygen Water is formulated with stabilized dissolved oxygen in a drinkable form. PerformanceDrink Athletic combines its dissolved-oxygen technology with controlled carbohydrate delivery. These formulation statements do not by themselves establish a health or performance benefit.

EMOTIONAL PERFORMANCE AND STRESS RESILIENCE

Emotional experience and the physiological stress response involve the brain, nervous system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, sleep, hydration, nutrition, and many other factors.

Oxygen, water, and nutrients support normal brain and body function. This established physiology does not show that PerformanceDrink improves emotional regulation or stress resilience.

AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

• Stress resilience
• Mental fatigue
• Emotional regulation
• Mental endurance
• Alertness during demanding situations
• Recovery following physical and mental stress
• Brain and nervous-system function
• Physical and mental readiness

These are research questions. They are not established PerformanceDrink benefits.

RECOVERY, CELLULAR FUNCTION AND HEALTHY AGING

Recovery is a continuous biological process. Throughout life, cells require oxygen, water, and nutrients to produce energy, maintain normal function, and support natural maintenance and repair processes.

THE ROLE OF OXYGEN

Oxygen is fundamental to aerobic cellular metabolism. Inside the mitochondria, oxygen participates in the process that allows cells to produce ATP efficiently.

The brain, heart, muscles, and other tissues continuously depend on oxygen delivery and utilization. As people age, cardiovascular function, circulation, physical activity, hydration, nutrition, and oxygen delivery remain important to normal physical and cognitive function.

This established physiology does not show that oxygenated water slows aging, improves independence, or accelerates recovery.

PERFORMANCEDRINK'S APPROACH

PerformanceDrink places dissolved oxygen at the foundation of its Health and Wellness approach. PerformanceDrink Oxygen Water is intended to make its dissolved-oxygen technology part of everyday hydration rather than limiting the PerformanceDrink concept to competitive athletics.

AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

• Cellular energy metabolism
• Physical recovery
• Mental recovery
• Brain function
• Muscle function
• Circulation and oxygen delivery
• Maintenance of physical capacity
• Maintenance of cognitive performance
• Healthy aging and independence

These are research areas. They are not established PerformanceDrink benefits.

INDEPENDENT OXYGEN RESEARCH

Oxygen is fundamental to human life, cellular energy production, brain function, muscular function, and tissue maintenance. Scientific research across many fields demonstrates that changes in oxygen availability can influence human physiology and performance.

The following studies provide scientific context. They did not test PerformanceDrink.

OXYGENATED WATER AND PORTAL-VEIN MEASUREMENTS

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study used MRI to examine oxygenated water in 30 healthy men aged 20 to 35. Researchers observed changes in hepatic portal-vein measurements after ingestion. The effects were enhanced by oxygenated water, but the study could not determine the amount of oxygen enrichment because water absorption also produced a dilution effect.

Three authors were affiliated with Oxy Solutions AS. The Research Council of Norway funded the project.

OXYGENATED WATER DURING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

A randomized, placebo-controlled, single-blinded study involving 22 healthy adults examined oxygenated water during walking exercise under reduced-oxygen conditions. Blood oxygen saturation decreased and pulse rate increased in both groups. The oxygenated-water group experienced a smaller decrease in SpO2 and a larger increase in pulse rate. The study found no significant difference in walking distance.

WellsO2 Inc. funded the study. None of the authors were company employees or received honoraria, according to the published conflict statement.

These two studies used oxygenated-water products other than PerformanceDrink. Differences in formulation, oxygen concentration, dose, participants, and testing conditions prevent their findings from being assumed to apply directly to PerformanceDrink.

OXYGEN AND TISSUE REPAIR

Oxygen plays important roles in cellular metabolism and normal tissue-repair processes. Scientific reviews identify oxygen as important for cell proliferation, defense against bacteria, angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and other components of wound healing.

A systematic review examined 65 studies of clinical oxygen therapies. Results varied according to oxygen-delivery method and study design.

These wound-healing studies examined physiological oxygen requirements and clinical oxygen therapies, including topical, inspired, and hyperbaric oxygen. They did not evaluate PerformanceDrink or oxygen consumed in water.

OXYGEN UTILIZATION AND OLDER ADULTS

A systematic review of randomized controlled trials involving older adults found that exercise training can improve muscle oxygen extraction, microvascular blood flow, matching of oxygen delivery with oxygen utilization, and muscle oxidative capacity.

This review examined adaptations produced by exercise training. It did not evaluate PerformanceDrink or oxygenated water.

PUBMED REFERENCES

Vatnehol SAS, et al. Effect of Drinking Oxygenated Water Assessed by in vivo MRI Relaxometry. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2020. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial. PMID 32100358.

Izawa H, et al. Effects of Drinking Oxygenated Water on Blood Oxygen Saturation During Exercise Under Normobaric Hypoxic Conditions: A Randomized Placebo-controlled Single-blinded Trial. Juntendo Medical Journal. 2022. PMID 39021722.

Schreml S, et al. Oxygen in acute and chronic wound healing. British Journal of Dermatology. 2010. PMID 20394633.

de Smet GHJ, et al. Oxygen therapies and their effects on wound healing. Wound Repair and Regeneration. 2017. PMID 28783878.

Fiogbe E, de Vassimon-Barroso V, Takahashi ACM. Exercise training in older adults, what effects on muscle oxygenation? A systematic review. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 2017. PMID 28410504.

 

PERFORMANCEDRINK-SPECIFIC EVIDENCE

PerformanceDrink has been evaluated through controlled research, product testing, physiological measurements, cognitive testing, and field observations. These methods do not carry equal evidentiary weight. Controlled peer-reviewed studies carry more evidentiary weight than observational field evaluations, testimonials, or device readings.

PEER-REVIEWED COMPARATIVE STUDY

A randomized, double-blind, three-treatment crossover study involved 12 trained cyclists, including 9 men and 3 women aged 18 to 45. Participants consumed 500 mL of PerformanceDrink, Gatorade, or a flavored-water placebo before cycling for 120 minutes at approximately 70% of VO2 peak.

The paper described PerformanceDrink as a 2% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution containing 80 calories. Gatorade was described as a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution containing 160 calories. The paper did not report a dissolved-oxygen concentration for the tested PerformanceDrink formula.

Researchers measured blood glucose, lactate, heart rate, core body temperature, respiratory variables, perceived exertion, total work output, and pre-exercise and post-exercise cognitive performance using the ANAM test battery.

PerformanceDrink throughput scores improved from pre-exercise to post-exercise in six of seven cognitive test batteries. Gatorade scores improved in four of seven batteries. Placebo scores improved in one of seven batteries. Not all individual changes were statistically significant.

Statistically significant within-treatment PerformanceDrink findings included a 16.4% improvement in delayed code-substitution throughput, a 7.6% improvement in spatial-processing median reaction time, and a 17.0% improvement in matching-to-sample throughput.

PerformanceDrink produced the highest mean total work output. It was 9.5% higher than Gatorade and 36.1% higher than placebo, but these differences were not statistically significant.

STUDY LIMITATIONS AND DISCLOSURES

The study involved only 12 trained cyclists at one research center and assessed responses during one acute exercise protocol. The authors identified low statistical power caused by the small sample. The findings should not be generalized to everyday health, emotional regulation, recovery from illness, healthy aging, or PerformanceDrink Oxygen Water.

The available paper did not include a funding statement or conflict-of-interest statement.

FULL CITATION

Williams BT, Horvath PJ, Burton HW, Leddy J, Wilding GE, Rosney DM, Shan G. The Effect of Pre Exercise Carbohydrate Consumption on Cognitive Function. Journal of Athletic Enhancement. 2015. Volume 4, issue 1. DOI 10.4172/2324-9080.1000192. Read the complete study.

ADDITIONAL PRODUCT-SPECIFIC TESTING AND OBSERVATIONS

PerformanceDrink-specific testing and observations have included:

• Independent university research
• Double-blind comparative testing
• Physical performance measurements, including time, distance, and workload
• Cognitive performance testing
• EEG brain-activity measurements
• Blood glucose measurements
• Blood oxygen saturation observations
• Exercise and recovery measurements
• Professional athlete evaluations
• High-demand operational field evaluations

These additional evaluations represent different forms of evidence. Their value depends on study design, participant selection, comparator, measurement method, statistical analysis, and study limitations. Field observations and testimonials are separate from controlled research.

PerformanceDrink uses these different methods as a research framework for examining human performance across multiple systems. This is PerformanceDrink's interpretation of its research program, not a conclusion established by the independent studies cited above.