Partner programme
Become a FLOWBIO Sweat Test Centre
A single test measures one moment. Your athletes compete in all of them.
Single use testing gives one sodium figure from one session, then asks the athlete to fuel a season from it. Sweat rate and sodium concentration both move with intensity, temperature and heat acclimatisation.
FLOWBIO Sweat Test Centres measure fluid and sodium loss in every session with the FLOWBIO Sensor, a reusable wearable validated against laboratory reference methods. The programme is for performance labs, coaches, physiologists, nutritionists and specialist endurance retail.
- For
- Performance labs, coaches, physiologists, nutritionists and specialist endurance retail
- Kit
- 2 x FLOWBIO Sensor, £490 ex VAT
- Per session
- £0 in consumables
- Onboarding
- 30 minute call with Inés, Head of Nutrition
Clients and partners
Trusted by performance centres and organisations
FLOWBIO works with a number of world leading performance centres and organisations to deliver AHi® (Advanced Hydration Intelligence) to their athletes.
Why FLOWBIO
Sweat changes from session to session. Your testing should too.
The research on sweat is consistent. Sweat rate and sodium concentration vary widely between athletes, and they also vary within the same athlete as intensity, temperature and acclimatisation change. A test that returns one figure describes one set of conditions.
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0.5 to 2.0 L/hr, 10 to 90 mmol/L
Sweat rate and sodium vary this widely between athletes, and cannot be inferred.
Baker (2016) -
Secretion outpaces reabsorption
At higher sweat rates less sodium is reabsorbed, so concentration climbs with effort.
Buono et al. (2008) -
31 to 49 mmol/L
Mean sweat sodium rose within one session as intensity increased.
Baker et al. (2022) -
17% to 23%
Day to day variation on the same athletes under matched conditions.
Baker et al. (2022)
The honest version
A single test is not wrong.
It is one measurement of a value that moves, sold as a value that does not. Measuring session by session is the difference between a figure and a plan.
| Measure | Single use sweat test | FLOWBIO Sweat Test Centre |
|---|---|---|
| What it returns | One figure, one session. | Sweat rate and sodium for every session. |
| Conditions covered | The day of the test only. | Any intensity, temperature or heat state. |
| Cost of retesting | A further appointment. | The centre repeats it at will. |
| What you sell | A one off appointment. | A service, demo hire and sensor sales. |
| Athlete output | A number to read alone. | Total fluid and sodium loss, non sweat losses and other outputs. |
| Evidence trail | A single data point. | A session history to review over time. |
A centre earns from three lines
- The test itselfYou run the session, interpret the data and set your own price.
- Five day demo hireOptional. With additional sensors beyond your testing kit, athletes can take one home for five days and build their Sweat Profile across a normal training week.
- Sensor salesAthletes who want to keep measuring buy their own sensor through you, earning £40 plus commission per unit.
How a FLOWBIO sweat test runs
Four phases, completed in sequence, every session.
Every session follows the Sweat Test Centre SOP: 45 to 60 minutes of exercise on a turbo trainer or treadmill at moderate to high intensity, at a recorded room temperature, with a 35 minute minimum. The athlete leaves with a Sweat Profile and a debrief on what it means.
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01
Welcome to the lab
Onboarding, lab account setup, fitness tracker integration, health questionnaire and consent.
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02
Setting up and session
One FLOWBIO Sensor on each upper arm, recording mode, 45 to 60 minute turbo or treadmill session, room temperature and all fluid and sodium intake logged.
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03
Session hydration data
Session saved to Garmin, Wahoo, COROS or Zwift, sensors synced to the FLOWBIO App, intake entered and the Sweat Profile generated.
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04
Education
Debrief, Sweat Profile interpretation and setting expectations around variability.
What the athlete leaves with
A Sweat Profile, not a single number.
Every session ends with a full report in the athlete's FLOWBIO App, built from their own sweat data and the intake you logged. It stays in their history, so the next session adds to the picture.
- Total sweat loss and sweat rate
- Non sweat losses
- Total sodium loss
- Sodium concentration
- A Recovery Plan for after the session
What it costs to run
£490 once, against £9,000 and £17 a session.
A laboratory sweat collection system costs £9,000 to buy and £17 in consumables every time it runs. The FLOWBIO Sensor costs £245 once and nothing per session, and it earns a commission when an athlete buys their own.
| Cost | Lab sweat collection system | FLOWBIO Sensor |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment | £9,000 machine purchase | £245 per sensor, one off |
| Consumables | £17 per session | £0 per session |
| Commission | £0 per unit | £40 plus commission available per sensor sold |
All prices ex VAT.
Run your own numbers
First 12 months, ex VAT
Equipment and consumables only. Excludes staff time, your own equipment and the five day demo hire income. Commission on top of the £40 per unit is not included.
Validated, peer reviewed and published
The FLOWBIO Sensor was validated against the laboratory reference methods sports science uses to measure sweat loss, and the study is published with its method, sample and institutions stated so that anyone can check it. Laboratory and field results are reported separately.
- Published
- Frontiers in Physiology, peer reviewed
- Validated at
- University of Rome Foro Italico and CREPS Montpellier
- Participants
- 23
- Fluid reference
- Nude body mass change
- Sodium reference
- Flame photometry
Your accreditation kit
Start with two sensors.
A FLOWBIO sweat test requires two sensors, so every centre starts with two. They are your testing kit and stay in the lab. If you want to offer athletes the five day demo hire, you buy additional sensors on top.
What is included
- 2 x FLOWBIO Sensor
- Onboarding and protocol training
- Full Sweat Test Centre SOP
- Health questionnaire and consent
- Lab FLOWBIO App account
- Ongoing FLOWBIO support
- Invitation to the webinar series
Equipment you provideTurbo trainer or treadmill, dedicated lab phone, dedicated lab Garmin or Wahoo, room thermometer, fan and scales.
Two sensor kit
£490
ex VAT · 2 x £245
Approved partners can order the two sensor kit here. If you have not spoken to Inés yet, book your onboarding call first.
How to apply
From application to your first session.
Applications go to Inés, Head of Nutrition, who runs partner onboarding. Tell us who you are, who you test and what sweat testing you offer today.
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Step 01
Apply
Send your application with your organisation, location and the athletes you work with.
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Step 02
Onboarding call
A 30 minute call with Inés covering the SOP, lab account setup and how the protocol fits your existing service.
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Step 03
Sign the partner agreement
The Sweat Test Partner Agreement sets out delivery standards, brand use and approved claims.
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Step 04
Kit and first sessions
Your two sensor kit, protocol training and lab account arrive, and you run your first sessions.
Book your onboarding call
A 30 minute call with Inés, Head of Nutrition, covering the SOP, lab account setup and how the protocol fits an existing service.
Or write to ines@flowbio.com
FAQ
Questions partners ask
Anything not covered here, Inés will answer on your onboarding call.
Running sessions
Where do sessions take place?
Indoors, on a turbo trainer or treadmill, as the Sweat Test Centre SOP sets out. Record the room temperature at the start and end of every session. Sauna and heat chamber use is not supported.
How long is a session?
45 to 60 minutes of exercise at moderate to high intensity, around 130 bpm, so the athlete sweats. 35 minutes is the minimum. Shorter sessions do not produce enough sweat data.
Does the athlete need a subscription?
No. The FLOWBIO App has no subscription and no paywall. The athlete downloads it at the start of the session and connects their own fitness tracker account.
Which devices work with the test?
Garmin, COROS, Wahoo and Zwift. If an athlete does not have a compatible device, they use your dedicated lab device for the session.
Can one sensor be used by more than one athlete?
During a test you are required to use two sensors, one on each upper arm. Outside the test environment, one sensor can be used by more than one athlete, but not at the same time. Complete the cleaning protocol between athletes.
Commercial
Do I set my own prices?
Yes. You contract with your clients in your own name, at your own prices and on your own terms. FLOWBIO does not set or endorse what you charge.
We already own a lab sweat collection system. Why add FLOWBIO?
Each session on a collection system costs around £17 in consumables. Those consumables alone pass the cost of the two sensor FLOWBIO kit by session 29, and FLOWBIO sessions cost nothing after that. FLOWBIO also measures fluid loss and sodium in the same session, and the demo hire lets athletes keep measuring after they leave.
How does the five day demo hire work?
The demo hire is not something we enforce. It is a revenue opportunity for your centre to drive sensor sales, if you choose to offer it. Your two testing sensors stay in the lab, so offering demo hire means buying additional sensors. To discuss purchasing additional sensors, speak to David at david@flowbio.com.
How do sensor sales work?
Sensor sales run through our ambassador programme, which we operate exclusively through the Avelon network. If you would like to become an ambassador, confirm your interest with Inés at ines@flowbio.com and she will share an invite.
Data, claims and safety
Can athletes use the live figures on their head unit?
Live sodium figures on Wahoo head units are early access BETA. They must not be used to plan intake. Base every recommendation on the post session Sweat Profile in the FLOWBIO App.
What can I say about accuracy?
Only the claims on FLOWBIO's Approved Claims List, quoted in full with their conditions. Laboratory figures are described as laboratory figures and field figures as field figures. No medical claims and no performance guarantees.
Can I use the FLOWBIO brand?
Once the partner agreement is in force you can describe yourself as a FLOWBIO Sweat Test Partner and use the Partner Brand Pack. Send anything carrying FLOWBIO branding to us for approval before it is published.
What am I responsible for on the day?
A safe testing environment, drinking fluids and electrolytes, first aid cover, supervision throughout, your own risk assessment and insurance, and a signed health questionnaire and consent form before the sensors go on.
Can I test athletes under 18?
Only with written consent from a parent or guardian, an appropriate safeguarding policy, and FLOWBIO's written agreement in advance.