You've seen the labels. "Clean hydration." "Natural electrolytes." "Pure ingredients." Walk down any supplement aisle or scroll through fitness Instagram, and every brand claims to be the cleanest option on the shelf. The problem? "Clean" isn't a regulated term. Anyone can slap it on a label, and most do.
For athletes who actually care about what goes into their body—whether you're fighting in the cage, logging miles, or just training hard five days a week—this noise makes it harder to find products that back up the marketing with real transparency. Both doingwell and Ultima position themselves as clean hydration options, and they're both legitimate choices. But they're built for different purposes, with different formulations, and different levels of verification.
This isn't about declaring a winner. It's about giving you the facts—sodium levels, sweetener choices, testing protocols, pricing, format—so you can match your choice to your actual training demands, not clever packaging. Let's break it down.
What 'Clean Hydration' Actually Means (And Why It Matters for Athletes)
Before we compare products, we need to define what "clean" actually means in the context of sports hydration. Since there's no legal standard, we're looking at a few practical criteria that matter for anyone who trains seriously.
No Artificial Sweeteners: This means avoiding sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium. These synthetic sweeteners show up in most mainstream sports drinks. Some athletes report gut issues during training, and if you're someone who's sensitive, artificial sweeteners can turn a long run or hard sparring session into a digestive problem.
No Synthetic Dyes: Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5—these petroleum-derived colorings serve no performance purpose. They're purely cosmetic, and some research suggests potential health concerns with long-term consumption. Clean formulas skip them entirely.
Transparent Labeling: Every ingredient listed with specific amounts. No "proprietary blends" that hide actual dosages. If a brand won't tell you exactly how much of each electrolyte you're getting, that's a red flag. Understanding how to choose hydration supplements with clean formulas starts with reading labels critically.
Third-Party Testing: This is where it gets critical for competitive athletes. If you're subject to drug testing—whether you're fighting professionally, competing in sanctioned events, or just want to avoid banned substances—you need verification that goes beyond the brand's word.
Why does this matter more for athletes than casual users? Two reasons. First, you're consuming these products regularly, often daily, sometimes multiple servings on heavy training days. What you put in your body compounds over time. Second, if you compete, a tainted supplement can end your season or career. It's happened to professional athletes across every sport, including UFC fighters—which is exactly why doingwell exists in the first place.
The key differentiators that separate clean hydration products aren't just about what they leave out. It's about what they include, how much, and whether those amounts match your actual sweat loss and training intensity. That's where sodium content, sweetener type, and certification status become the real decision points.
doingwell vs Ultima: The Ingredient Breakdown
Let's put the formulas side by side and explain what these differences mean when you're actually training.
Sodium Content: doingwell delivers approximately 1000mg of sodium per serving. Ultima provides around 55mg. That's not a typo—doingwell has roughly 18 times more sodium per serving. This isn't about one being "better" in absolute terms. It's about matching sodium replacement to sweat loss.
If you're doing high-intensity training, endurance work, or training in heat, you're losing significant sodium through sweat. Individual sweat rates vary, but athletes doing serious work often need 500-1000mg of sodium per hour to maintain performance and avoid cramping. Understanding why high sodium electrolytes matter helps explain this formulation difference. Ultima's formula is built for lighter activity and daily hydration—sipping throughout the day, yoga sessions, casual gym work. doingwell is formulated for real sweat replacement during demanding training.
Sweetener Choice: doingwell uses organic monk fruit extract. Ultima uses organic stevia. Both are natural, zero-calorie sweeteners, so what's the difference? Taste and gut tolerance.
Stevia has a distinct aftertaste that some people describe as slightly bitter or licorice-like. It's subtle, but noticeable, especially in unflavored or lightly flavored drinks. Monk fruit has a cleaner sweetness profile without the lingering aftertaste. This matters when you're drinking multiple servings during a long training session or throughout the day.
Gut tolerance is the other factor. Some athletes report that stevia causes mild digestive discomfort during intense training. It's not universal, but it's common enough that doingwell specifically chose monk fruit to avoid this issue. When you're mid-workout, the last thing you need is your hydration causing stomach problems.
Sugar Content: Both brands are zero-sugar. No glucose, no fructose, no added carbs. This is standard for clean electrolyte formulas—the goal is hydration and mineral replacement, not fuel. If you need carbs for endurance work, you'd add them separately.
Maltodextrin and Fillers: doingwell is maltodextrin-free with organic natural flavors. Many electrolyte products use maltodextrin as a bulking agent or carrier for flavoring. It's not inherently harmful, but it adds unnecessary carbs and can spike blood sugar slightly. doingwell skips it entirely.
Certification and Testing: This is where the formulas diverge significantly. doingwell is Informed Sport Certified, meaning every batch is tested for substances banned in sport. Ultima follows good manufacturing practices and uses quality ingredients, but doesn't carry the same batch-level third-party testing certification for banned substances.
For most recreational athletes, this difference may not matter. For anyone competing in drug-tested sports, it's critical. We'll dive deeper into testing protocols in the next section, but the short version is this: if you're subject to USADA, WADA, or any sport-specific drug testing, Informed Sport Certification gives you documented protection.
Full Transparency: doingwell discloses every milligram on the label—no proprietary blends, no hidden amounts. You know exactly what you're getting: approximately 1000mg sodium, 220mg potassium, 150mg magnesium per serving. Ultima also provides clear labeling with disclosed amounts, though at much lower concentrations across the board.
Third-Party Testing: What Each Brand Actually Verifies
Let's talk about what third-party testing actually means and why it matters beyond marketing claims.
Informed Sport Certification (doingwell): This isn't a one-time approval. It's ongoing, batch-level testing. Every production run of doingwell electrolytes is tested for substances banned in sport before it reaches customers. The testing covers hundreds of prohibited substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) list—stimulants, anabolic agents, hormone modulators, diuretics, and more.
Why does batch-level matter? Because contamination can happen during manufacturing. A facility that produces multiple products might have cross-contamination from other supplement lines. A raw ingredient supplier might have quality control issues. Batch testing catches these problems before the product ships. Learning how sports nutrition brands source ingredients responsibly reveals why this verification process matters.
If you're a competitive athlete—MMA fighter, triathlete, CrossFit competitor, collegiate athlete—this certification means you can use doingwell without risking a positive drug test. The documentation is there. The testing is independent. It's not the brand testing its own product and declaring it safe.
Ultima's Testing Approach: Ultima produces quality products with good manufacturing practices, but they don't carry Informed Sport or similar batch-level certification for banned substances. This doesn't mean their products are unsafe or contaminated—it means the verification process is different.
For daily hydration, casual training, or athletes not subject to drug testing, this difference may be irrelevant. But for fighters, professional athletes, or anyone competing under anti-doping rules, the lack of third-party certification creates risk. It's not about doubting the brand's integrity—it's about having independent verification that protects your career.
Heavy Metal Testing: doingwell tests every batch for heavy metals—lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury. These contaminants can show up in raw ingredients, especially minerals sourced from certain regions. Long-term exposure to heavy metals, even in small amounts, poses health risks.
Most supplement brands test periodically or rely on supplier certifications. Batch-level testing is more rigorous and catches issues that periodic testing might miss. When you're consuming electrolytes daily, sometimes multiple servings, this level of verification matters for long-term health.
What This Means Practically: If you're training hard but not competing in drug-tested sports, either brand can work depending on your sodium needs. If you compete professionally or in sanctioned amateur events with drug testing, doingwell's Informed Sport Certification is the safer choice. If you're a fighter, the decision is even clearer—doingwell was literally co-founded by UFC Champion Sean O'Malley after his own experience with tainted supplements. He learned the hard way that verification matters.
Matching Your Hydration Choice to Your Training Style
The right electrolyte formula depends on how you train, how much you sweat, and what your performance demands actually are. Let's break this down by training style.
High-Intensity and Endurance Athletes: If you're doing long runs, hard sparring, intense cycling, CrossFit metcons, or any training that produces heavy sweat for extended periods, you need higher sodium replacement. Your body can lose 500-1500mg of sodium per hour depending on sweat rate, temperature, and individual physiology.
doingwell's ~1000mg sodium per serving matches this demand. You're not just sipping for taste—you're replacing what you're actually losing. Understanding dehydration during intense workouts helps explain why proper electrolyte replacement is non-negotiable. Ultima's 55mg per serving won't cut it for this level of output. You'd need to drink 18 servings of Ultima to match one serving of doingwell's sodium content, which isn't practical during training.
For endurance work—marathons, long bike rides, tournament weekends, fight camp—higher sodium prevents performance decline, reduces cramping risk, and supports recovery between sessions. This is where formulation matters more than branding.
Casual Fitness and Daily Hydration: If you're hitting the gym three times a week for moderate workouts, doing yoga, or just want something cleaner than water throughout the day, Ultima's lower electrolyte content might be sufficient. You're not depleting minerals at the rate that demands high-sodium replacement.
That said, many people underestimate their actual sodium needs, especially if they eat a relatively low-sodium diet or train in heat. Even moderate training can benefit from higher electrolyte intake. But if your primary goal is daily hydration with a light mineral boost, Ultima's formula can work.
Combat Sports and Weight-Cut Scenarios: Fighters face unique hydration challenges. During fight camp, you're training multiple sessions daily, often in heated gyms, losing significant sweat volume. Then you cut weight, which further depletes electrolytes, especially sodium.
doingwell was built with this scenario in mind—Sean O'Malley's involvement isn't just marketing. He's lived the weight cut, the rehydration scramble, the need to restore electrolyte balance quickly and safely. The high-sodium formula supports aggressive rehydration after weigh-ins without requiring massive fluid volume. The Informed Sport Certification means you're not risking a positive test from contaminated supplements.
For fighters, this isn't a casual choice. Your career depends on making weight safely and performing at peak capacity hours after rehydration. The formula you choose matters.
Hot Weather and Outdoor Training: Training in heat amplifies sweat loss and sodium depletion. If you're running, cycling, or doing outdoor workouts in summer or hot climates, you need more sodium than temperature-controlled gym training. doingwell's formula is built for this—real sweat replacement for real conditions.
Travel and Convenience Needs: If you travel frequently for training, competition, or work, stick packs offer portion control and convenience. doingwell's single-serving format means you're not measuring scoops or carrying bulky canisters. Throw a few stick packs in your gym bag or carry-on, mix with water, and you're set. Ultima's canister format works well at home but is less travel-friendly.
Price, Format, and Practical Considerations
Let's talk about cost, packaging, and the daily realities of using these products.
Pricing Breakdown: doingwell costs $55 per month on subscription or $60 one-time for 30 stick packs. That's roughly $1.83-$2 per serving. Ultima's pricing varies by retailer and format, but generally runs lower per serving, especially in canister form. Exact pricing depends on where you buy and whether you're getting bulk discounts.
Is doingwell more expensive? Yes. Is it worth the difference? That depends on what you value. You're paying for higher sodium content (18x more per serving), Informed Sport Certification, batch-level heavy metal testing, monk fruit instead of stevia, and stick pack convenience. If those factors matter for your training and peace of mind, the price difference is justified. If you're doing light activity and don't need third-party testing, Ultima's lower cost makes sense.
Format Differences: doingwell uses stick packs—pre-measured, single-serving packets. Ultima primarily comes in canisters, though they offer stick packs for some flavors. Stick packs offer precise dosing, travel convenience, and no measuring. Canisters offer lower per-serving cost and less packaging waste if you're using the product at home consistently.
For athletes who train at different locations, travel for competition, or want grab-and-go convenience, stick packs win. For home use where you're mixing the same drink daily, canisters are more economical and eco-friendly. doingwell chose stick packs specifically for athletes who need portability and precise sodium dosing without guesswork.
Flavor Options and Taste: doingwell offers three flavors—Coconut Lime, Raspberry, and Mango 500mg. All use organic monk fruit, so the sweetness is clean without aftertaste. Ultima has a wider flavor range with more variety. Taste is subjective, but the monk fruit vs stevia difference is noticeable. If you've tried stevia-based electrolytes and dislike the aftertaste, monk fruit is worth experiencing. Many athletes find that organic flavored supplements offer better taste profiles than artificial alternatives.
Subscription vs One-Time Purchase: doingwell offers both subscription ($55/month) and one-time purchase ($60 + shipping). Subscription saves $5 per box and includes free shipping. Ultima is widely available at retailers, online, and through their direct site with various purchasing options. If you use electrolytes daily, subscription makes sense for convenience and cost savings. If you use them occasionally, one-time purchase works better.
Packaging and Sustainability: Stick packs use more packaging per serving than canisters. If environmental impact is a priority, canisters generate less waste. That said, doingwell's packaging is designed for portability and precise dosing, which reduces waste from over-mixing or incorrect measurements. It's a trade-off between convenience and packaging volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ultima or doingwell better for endurance athletes? doingwell is better suited for endurance training due to significantly higher sodium content (~1000mg vs ~55mg per serving). Endurance athletes lose substantial sodium through prolonged sweat, and replacing it adequately supports performance, reduces cramping, and aids recovery. Ultima's lower sodium content works for lighter activity but won't match the replacement needs of long runs, rides, or multi-hour training sessions.
Can I use both brands for different situations? Absolutely. Some athletes use doingwell for intense training sessions and competition, then use Ultima or other lower-sodium options for daily hydration or lighter activity days. Match the formula to the demand. There's no rule that says you must use one brand exclusively. Use what fits the training context.
Which brand is safer for drug-tested athletes? doingwell is the safer choice for athletes subject to drug testing. It's Informed Sport Certified, meaning every batch is tested for substances banned in sport. This third-party verification provides documented protection if you're competing under USADA, WADA, or sport-specific anti-doping rules. Ultima doesn't carry this certification, which doesn't mean it's unsafe, but it lacks the independent verification that protects competitive athletes.
Why does doingwell have so much more sodium than Ultima? doingwell is formulated specifically for athletes with high sweat rates and intense training demands. The ~1000mg sodium per serving matches actual sweat loss during hard training, which can range from 500-1500mg per hour depending on individual physiology and conditions. Ultima is positioned for daily hydration and lighter activity, where lower electrolyte concentrations are sufficient. Different formulas serve different purposes.
Does the sweetener type really matter? For some athletes, yes. Stevia and monk fruit are both natural, zero-calorie sweeteners, but they have different taste profiles and some users report better gut tolerance with monk fruit. If you have a sensitive stomach, understanding how hydration supplements work for sensitive stomachs can help you make the right choice. Stevia can have a slight aftertaste that's noticeable in lightly flavored drinks. If you've experienced digestive discomfort with stevia-based products during training, monk fruit is worth trying. If stevia works fine for you, it's not a concern.
Can I use these products if I'm not an athlete? Yes. Both products work for general hydration, though they're formulated with athletic performance in mind. If you work outdoors, sweat heavily in daily life, or just want cleaner hydration options, either can work. Just match the sodium level to your actual needs—doingwell for higher sweat loss, Ultima for moderate daily hydration.
Making the Choice That Matches Your Training
Both doingwell and Ultima offer cleaner alternatives to mainstream sports drinks loaded with artificial ingredients. They're both legitimate options in the clean hydration space. But they're not interchangeable—they serve different purposes, different training intensities, and different athlete needs.
doingwell is built for serious training demands. High sodium for real sweat replacement. Informed Sport Certified for competitive athletes who can't risk tainted supplements. Organic monk fruit for clean sweetness without gut issues or aftertaste. Stick packs for travel, competition, and precise dosing. It's formulated by a UFC champion who learned firsthand that what's inside matters when your performance and career are on the line.
Ultima works for lighter activity, daily hydration, and situations where moderate electrolyte support is sufficient. Lower sodium content, stevia-based sweetness, canister format for home use. It's a solid choice if your training doesn't demand aggressive sodium replacement and you're not subject to drug testing protocols.
The decision comes down to honest assessment of your training intensity, sweat loss, competition status, and ingredient preferences. If you're training hard—long sessions, heavy sweat, competitive demands—match your hydration to that reality. If you're doing moderate activity and want something cleaner than tap water, lower concentrations work fine.
Don't choose based on marketing promises or which brand has better Instagram presence. Choose based on sodium content that matches your sweat rate, third-party testing that protects your competitive status if relevant, and ingredients that align with how you want to fuel your body.
doingwell performance electrolytes are Informed Sport Certified, zero-sugar, and sweetened with organic monk fruit—with every milligram disclosed on the label. Built by a UFC champion who learned the hard way that what's inside matters. Try it and see what clean hydration actually tastes like.
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