Family-owned drink-mix specialists out of San Luis Obispo, twenty years in. Fluid's core lineup is Informed Sport certified. Every flavor of every batch is tested for banned substances, and they publish the batch certificates right on the product page. Hydration, endurance fuel, recovery, and a true high-sodium ORS trusted by athletes, military, and first responders.
Fluid began in 2006 as a senior project between two Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students—one in nutritional biochemistry, one in exercise science—who were trying to build a better sports drink.
They bought ingredients in 50-pound sacks, mixed batches in a kitchen, and developed a recovery drink before "recovery drinks" were a category. They took it on the road, working over 100 marathons, bike races, and triathlons in 2008 alone and built the company event by event.
The product system grew in two deliberate steps. In 2013, they added the Tactical line, which includes high-sodium electrolyte mixes and a true oral rehydration solution originally designed for California firefighters and others working under heat stress. In 2022, they added Informed Sport certification to serve a growing roster of clients in professional sports. Every flavor of every batch of the certified lineup is third-party tested for banned substances, and the compliance certificates are published directly on Fluid's own product pages.
Today Fluid is still headquartered in San Luis Obispo, still family owned and operated, and boasts a lineup of products spanning hydration, endurance fueling, recovery, and foundational products, like whey isolate, collagen peptides, and creatine monohydrate. Fluid's prodcuts are used by collegiate and professional athletes, the military, and first responders.
Fluid tests every flavor of every batch of its certified lineup through Informed Sport and links the actual compliance certificate, by flavor and batch number, on the product page. Fluid doesn't just make claims. It brings receipts, and for a Sports RD, that makes all the difference.
Fluid's own words: "the importance of this partnership cannot be understated, as it means that every flavor of every batch ever produced is thoroughly tested for banned substances." Make no mistake about it. Testing every batch is expensive, but Fluid is committed to doing things the right way. If an athlete, Sports RD, or compliance officer wants the certificate for the exact batch in their hand, it's just a click away.
Fluid's certified lineup — Tactical ORS, Tactical Electrolyte Tablets, 100% Whey Protein Isolate, 100% Creatine Monohydrate, and 100% Collagen Peptides — is Informed Sport certified with per-batch COAs published on the product pages. That paper trail, plus twenty years of doing one thing well, is why Fluid is in the Locker.
Informed Sport certification covers Fluid's core certified lineup listed above. Fluid Performance, Fluid Recovery, Fluid Vegan Protein, and the Tactical Electrolyte Drink Mixes are not in the Locker because they are not Informed Sport certified. For tested-league athletes, point them to the certified SKUs; the uncertified mixes remain strong options for staff, general-population clients, and athletes outside testing protocols.
The Fluid Informed Sport lineup: ORS, tablets, whey, creatine, and collagen.
A genuine ORS, not a lifestyle electrolyte mix — over 3x the electrolytes of typical sports drinks, mixed into 16oz of water. Built for dehydration from extreme heat, two-a-days, illness, and travel. Every flavor of every batch is Informed Sport certified with the compliance certificate linked on Fluid's product page.
The most portable format in the Tactical line — electrolyte tablets for athletes and staff who want supplementation without mixing a drink. Informed Sport certified.
Fluid's straight whey isolate — the daily protein anchor in the certified lineup, with a 5.0-star average across 70+ customer reviews on their site. Informed Sport certified, every batch.
Plain creatine monohydrate done the Fluid way — single-ingredient, with stick-pack singles that make travel dosing and compliance tracking simple. Informed Sport certified.
Unflavored-style collagen peptides for tissue and joint support protocols — one of the few collagens on the market carrying Informed Sport certification, which matters for tested-league athletes using collagen pre-rehab.
"We use these for our college athletes before competition and then also as a half time recovery. The athletes love the flavors. We as coaches love the nutritional content. Will use again!"
"This product has been a great addition to our athlete's hydration protocol. The product works! Its tastes great, dissolves well in H2O and is easy to grab and go. Get Some!"
"I was searching an electrolyte drink for an upcoming Ironman and this perfectly fits the bill. The citrus taste is great and not too sweet. I've been pairing this with gels and so far the training rides and a recent half Ironman distance have been successful with sustained energy and no GI issues."
"The perfect 1-2 punch for our high school distance runner. Can't beat the carb:protein combination and the amazing chocolate flavor is elite."
Quotes above are verbatim customer reviews from livefluid.com — Fluid doesn't currently publish named pro-team or RD endorsements. Pro gravel cyclist Alison Tetrick joined the Fluid athlete roster in 2024. Recommended v2 asks: a named tested-league Sports RD on the published-COA workflow, and a collegiate performance dietitian on Tactical ORS in heat-stress blocks.