Ross MacKay, Founder of Daring Foods, and George Heaton, Co-Founder of Represent, launch a new luxury performance brand with a science-backed water-plus-salt hydration beverage.
Ross MacKay (Founder of $325MN plant-based food startup, Daring) and George Heaton (Creative Director and Co-Founder of $100MN luxury brand, Represent) introduce Cadence™, a new luxury performance brand inspired by the rhythm of daily discipline. Cadence™ launches its first product, a meticulously crafted blend of three research-supported active ingredients in one science-backed, first-of-its-kind mineral salt electrolyte performance drink beverage.
This is driven by the understanding that Salt plays a vital role in hydration, far beyond simply drinking water. Salt not only keeps the body hydrated, but also contributes to normal bodily functions including maintaining fluid balance, muscle contractions, and nerve signalling. Ross and George created Cadence™ to hydrate optimally and maximise potential output.
Why Cadence™:
As both entrepreneurs and fitness enthusiasts aligned in the pursuit of pushing the body’s limits and refining the mind’s venture for unwavering focus, Cadence™ was born. Ross MacKay and George Heaton recognised that typical sports drinks were high in sugar, low in salt and not suitable to the needs of the modern athlete and wellness consumer. Traditional hydration solutions addressed only half the equation, offering inferior electrolyte ratios, buffered with sugars, artificial sweeteners and caffeine, which trick the mind into a false sense of mental clarity and physical energy. Cadence™ provides this meaningful dose of mineral salts in the most effective form possible for those looking to elevate their cognitive and physical performance. without resorting to artificial caffeine and stimulation.
Why Salt?
For years, it has been recommended that we reduce our salt intake, with little attention paid to the fact that it remains a major component of physical performance. Recent research in the Lancet has called into question the currently accepted salt recommendations and called into focus the negative effects of low dietary salt intake.
Salt helps to maintain and replenish essential electrolyte concentrations, reducing physical fatigue and boosting energy. Cadence™ uses highly specific mineral salt formulations to deliver optimal results:
The salt content in Cadence™ is more than double that of off-the-shelf, premixed energy drinks, which often contain 230mg approx of sodium. Most people need between 500mg – 2,000mg of sodium in high-intensity training sessions and modern research suggests upper limits of up to 5,000mg per day of salt intake***. A can of Cadence™ responds to this by providing 512mg of high-quality sodium per 250ml can. Cadence™ has superior sodium content aids in regulating water and fluid balance, nutrient absorption, cognitive function, the stimulation of muscle and nerve cells and acid–base balance*.
Ross MacKay, Co-Founder of Cadence™, comments: “I built a business based on a mission, disrupt the global food system and, now I am reframing the narrative around salt. Salt is a vital mineral that every human being needs to function. It is impossible for people who exercise regularly to recover and stay healthy without a suitable amount of salt in their system. Training at a higher intensity made me show up better in every aspect of life, but we can’t train efficiently without suitable nutrients, especially salt. Bringing a first-of-its-kind hydration product to the market that is totally clean is a rewarding pursuit.”
George Heaton, Co-Founder of Cadence™, comments: “As someone who leads a highly active lifestyle with a dedicated training routine, I wanted a product that provided the salt I needed to support all of the exercise I do, without the unnecessary ingredients such as sugar and caffeine. Tracking my salt intake increases my ability to perform in and out of the gym without experiencing side effects like excessive sweating, headaches and fatigue. Having suitable salts in my diet is non-negotiable. But, when I discovered there wasn’t anything out there that satisfied my requirements without the addition of unwanted substances like caffeine and sugar, I decided to make it my mission to produce my own.”
Prices start at £49.99 for a pallet of 24 cans containing 512mg of sodium per can at www.usecadence.com
Cadence™ is suitable for vegans and free from gluten and GMO, it is also suitable for those on a Keto diet.
NOTES TO EDITORS
Full Ingredients List
Per 250ml Can:
Cadence™ – Key Benefits
Physical Performance: Hydration with electrolytes, particularly sodium and potassium has been found to aid performance during prolonged exercise. Studies suggest that staying hydrated is key for performance in strength, power, and high-intensity endurance-based exercise.
Cognitive Function: Adequate hydration with magnesium has been linked to maintenance of normal brain function. Studies have shown that increased levels of brain magnesium may affect brain activity by influencing neurotransmitter release, which can affect cognitive functions such as memory and attention.
Reduced Cramping During Exercise: Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium are essential for muscle function and can help prevent cramping during and after exercise. Muscle cramps are often associated with electrolyte imbalances, particularly in hot conditions. Studies show that consuming beverages with electrolytes can delay the onset of muscle cramps compared to plain water.
Muscular Recovery: Electrolytes, especially magnesium, may play a significant role in post-exercise recovery. Studies have shown that magnesium supplementation may significantly reduce muscle soreness, session rating of perceived exertion, acute rating of perceived exertion, and improve perceived recovery.
Cadence™ is a luxury brand founded by Ross MacKay and George Heaton, embodying the pursuit of greatness through translating performance into products and experiences. Performance goes beyond the physical – it’s a harmony between pushing the body’s limits and refining the mind for unwavering focus. Through its debut product a scientifically formulated saltwater canned drink, Cadence™ emerges as a tool for mind and body optimisation via hydration. Cadence™ mission is to find the perfect balance of electrolytes to support physical performance and mental clarity. Cadence™ is a ritual; dedicated to the art and science of hydration, inspired by the rhythm of daily discipline.
About Ross MacKay
Ross MacKay stands out as a pioneering entrepreneur, having established and grown Daring into one of the fastest-expanding companies in the U.S. With over $125 million raised from leading investors and celebrities such as D1 Capital, Peter Thiel, and Drake, he has successfully expanded his brand to more than 17,000 locations nationwide, securing partnerships with giants like Walmart and Starbucks. Ross excels in evolving brands from their initial stages to widespread scalability. His efforts have garnered recognition from prestigious outlets like Fast Company and Forbes Magazine, earning him spots on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Fast Company’s World Changing Companies lists. Unlike many entrepreneurs who focus on a single aspect, Ross navigates both the training and business realms with a commitment to continual growth. When he’s not in meetings or training sessions, Ross enjoys spending time with his wife and newborn baby in Los Angeles.
About George Heaton
George Heaton is the Co-Owner, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Represent. George and his brother Michael started the brand 12 years ago as a university project in their bedrooms at Manchester’s Salford University. With strategic use of social media and word of mouth through friends of friends, they organically built the Represent brand from £150 to a revenue of £50 million. In lockdown, when George cemented his passion for fitness which offered him the perfect outlet alongside running a successful business, he created the 247 activewear arm of the brand. With no surprise, 247 also grew to be incredibly successful, hosting brand community activations such as run clubs throughout the UK seeing up to 800 attendees. With George’s first-hand experience in exercise performance at a high level with his dedicated training routine, he sought to create a hydration drink that satisfied everything he wanted in a product to fuel and optimise his fitness with high-quality ingredients, leading him to create Cadence™ with Ross MacKay.
*Effects of Sodium Intake on Health and Performance in Endurance and Ultra-Endurance Sports, Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar; 19(6): 3651
**Von Duvillard, S. P., Braun, W. A., Markofski, M., Beneke, R., & Leithäuser, R. (2004). Fluids and Hydration in Prolonged Endurance Performance. Nutrition, 20(7-8), 651-6.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3951800/#bib1
***Urinary sodium excretion, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and mortality: a community-level prospective epidemiological cohort study https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31376-X/abstract
****Zhang Y, Xun P, Wang R, Mao L, He K. Can Magnesium Enhance Exercise Performance? Nutrients. 2017 Aug 28;9(9):946. doi: 10.3390/nu9090946. PMID: 28846654; PMCID: PMC5622706. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5622706/
***** Lindinger MI, Cairns SP. Regulation of muscle potassium: exercise performance, fatigue and health implications. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2021 Mar;121(3):721-748. doi: 10.1007/s00421-020-04546-8. Epub 2021 Jan 4. PMID: 33392745. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33392745/
******Cogswell M.E., Zhang Z., Carriquiry A.L., Gunn J.P., Kuklina E.V., Saydah S.H., Yang Q., Moshfegh A.J. Sodium and potassium intakes among us adults: Nhanes 2003–2008. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2012;96:647–657. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.034413. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3417219/
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