The MX3 Hydration Testing System

Whether you’re working on a mine, or out on a construction site, hydration is essential in reducing illnesses and accidents. This year the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting two major climate events, the El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole prompting further warnings that extreme heat will hit this spring and summer.

Combat dehydration before its too late

How do you know if you’re hydrated enough?

By using the MX3 hydration testing system, of course. This simple to use, portable, lab accurate system can track an employee’s or a site’s hydration levels over the course of days or weeks. The MX3 is a great way to monitor the health of people allowing you to tailor hydration strategies to optimise fluid intake. Dehydration can result in cognitive and physical impairments, causing slow performance levels and a higher risk of illnesses and accidents.

Who is MX3?

MX3 was founded to make it easier for people to measure and manage their personal health and the health of teams and organisations. The MX3 team includes engineers, medical professionals, researchers, and professional athletes.

The MX3 hydration testing system can bring testing to many environments like on the field, in the office, or out on a work site. MX3 has shown high-performance employees in high-risk jobs how easy it is to take and understand their hydration levels, and how to utilise this information to improve safety and performance.

Our parent company, Alpha Vital, has been working with MX3 since 2019. Blake Faulkner, National Sales Manager for Alpha Sport and Alpha First Aid said that after discussions with MX3, who had captured the sporting world's hydration needs, “we realised the need for hydration testing in the mining and construction sectors.

 “Workplace safety is imperative to keeping work sites safe from accidents and illnesses. This includes keeping people hydrated to reduce the risk of impairments while working in extreme heat conditions.”

How does the MX3 hydration testing system work?

You can use the MX3 system independently or through Bluetooth technology to talk directly to a dashboard on an MX3 app. “Simply take a quick sample of saliva or sweat on a disposable test strip,” Blake said. “This can be done hygienically via a dispensing cassette, so no handling of the strip is required as, once finished, the machine spits out the used strip via a button.

“The MX3 system will calculate your hydration level and this can be tracked over time to ensure hydration levels are maintained at a healthy level. The system can also cater for multiple groups, which is great if you have multiple sites to test,” he said.

Hydration levels can also be tested via a blood test, a urine test, a pinch skin test, or a sweat test for athletes. “The good thing about the MX3 system is that the test results are immediate and convenient, unlike a blood, urine and a sweat test, and they are a lot more accurate than a pinch skin test,” Blake said.

Accessories

The MX3 system comes with test strips, which can be purchased separately depending on your needs, a test strip dispenser, a USBC charging cable, and a carry case to keep your system safe while using it on the go.

How to stay hydrated

The obvious answer is to drink plenty of water. But sometimes, depending on the physical activity you’re doing, water is not enough and more is needed in the way of carbohydrates and electrolytes to restore energy sources. 

We sell a range of Sqwincher and Hydralyte products to get those electrolytes back in your system faster. A 100% natural product that provides electrolytes and helps minimise muscle cramping by attacking the neurological message sent from your brain to your muscles.

Other testing products

To keep employees safe other testing may be needed, such as alcohol and drug testing. We provide testing kits for both these purposes.

Alcohol testing through saliva tests and breathalysers are modern methods to quickly determine a person’s level of alcohol consumption. Saliva tests involve collecting a sample to analyse the presence of alcohol metabolites, indicating recent alcohol intake. Breathalysers measure the alcohol content in a person’s breath, providing an estimate of their blood alcohol concentration.  

Drug testing in the workplace is a practice where employees are screened for the presence of certain drugs or substances to ensure a safe and productive work environment. This practice can also be important for sporting activities to ensure safety and performance is protected.

We offer tests using both urine and saliva that test for THC (marijuana), Methamphetamines (ice, ecstasy), Amphetamines (speed), Opiates (heroin, morphine, codeine), Cocaine, and Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium).