How to run a sweat test
Your sweat rate determines how much fluid you lose per hour of training. Everyone is different — temperature, humidity, intensity, and genetics all play a role. Running a sweat test gives Cadence Fuel a personal hydration target rather than a population average.
What you need
Scales accurate to at least 100g (ideally 50g)
A measured water bottle so you know exactly how much you drank
A session of at least 45 minutes at moderate intensity or above
How to run a sweat test
Weigh yourself immediately before your session — no clothes if possible, or the same minimal kit each time for consistency
Note the conditions — temperature and humidity. You can find these in a weather app
Record your fluid intake during the session — measure it before you start and note how much is left afterwards
Weigh yourself again immediately after — same conditions as before the session
Log the test in Cadence Fuel — enter your pre and post weights, fluid consumed, session duration, and conditions. Your sweat rate is calculated automatically
Your hydration target updates as soon as the test is saved.
Getting accurate results
Do not eat or drink anything immediately before weighing. Any food or fluid in your stomach will affect the reading.
Weigh yourself before and after without using the toilet. If you need to go mid-session, that weight is not sweat — it skews the result.
Use the same scales both times. Different scales have different calibrations.
Do not towel down before weighing post-session. Surface sweat still counts.
Building a complete picture
Sweat rate changes significantly with conditions. A result from a mild 15°C day will not reflect your needs during a hot summer race. Run tests in different conditions — hot, cold, humid, dry — and Cadence Fuel builds a profile that adjusts your hydration targets based on the weather on any given day.
A minimum of three tests across different conditions gives you a reliable baseline.
How hydration targets are calculated
Cadence Fuel uses your sweat rate, session duration, and current conditions to calculate a per-hour fluid target. This appears on your dashboard on training days alongside your nutrition targets.
If you have not run a sweat test yet, Cadence Fuel uses a population average based on your sport and body weight as a starting estimate.
Troubleshooting
My sweat rate seems too high or too low — check that your pre and post weights were taken under the same conditions (same clothing, same scales, no food or toilet between weighings). A single outlier test will skew the average — run a second test and Cadence Fuel will recalibrate.
My hydration target hasn't updated — sweat tests take effect immediately. Pull to refresh on your dashboard if the target has not updated after saving a test.