Baja 1000 Drivers to Test Optimal Performance with FluidLogic and DRUID

Study to Measure Extreme Demands on Physical Stamina and Mental Acuity

Although it may look like the car is doing most of the work, competitive race driving is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports in the world.

Professional drivers may experience up to five times the force of gravity during cornering, braking, and accelerating; heart rates can be similar to running a marathon; and cockpit temperatures can exceed 120°F (50°C), leading to dehydration and heat exhaustion. In just a few hours, drivers can lose 5-10 pounds of body weight through sweat alone. Mentally, the challenge is just as intense. Drivers, while experiencing these physical demands, must maintain absolute focus, processing huge amounts of information from the vehicle’s performance and competitors’ positions. Mental lapses of even a fraction of a second can lead to spinouts or collisions.

Nowhere is this experience more at play than in the extreme demands of the Baja 1000, one of the world’s most famous desert races. As such, this epic event provides an ideal laboratory for measuring human performance with new technology.

During this November’s Baja 100, drivers will be utilizing an intelligent state-of-the art hydration system from FluidLogic, a company, founded in 2016, that develops hydration systems and technology for use in high-performance demanding environments. In addition, promptly after the race, the drivers utilizing FluidLogic’s hydration system will be tested with DRUID, an app developed by Impairment Science, Inc. to measure an individual’s cognitive status.

“Our sensors are going to measure the strain on athletes throughout the grueling 1000-mile race,” explained Jon Osborne, VP of Performance Science + Data Strategy at FluidLogic. “In addition to checking their heart rate, fluid loss, and heat impact, we are making use of DRUID to study and measure the drivers’ cognitive state.”

About the FluidLogic Study

FluidLogic's Intelligent Hydration System is a cutting-edge, patented technology designed to deliver precise, automated hydration for high-performance athletes and anyone tackling demanding physical or mental challenges. Their flagship GPR50 Wearable Hydration Pack is the world's first intelligent hydration backpack, ensuring users stay optimally hydrated without ever feeling thirsty. The pack delivers exact sip amounts at optimal intervals to maintain peak performance and boost safety.

FluidLogic’s Baja 1000 study will measure the degree to which the utilization of the intelligent hydration system can reduce the overall strain on drivers’ bodies while helping them retain higher mental acuity throughout the race. Osborne noted: “We will use the DRUID test to see where they are, cognitively, after severe mental and physical strain. This assessment will be made by having drivers establish a DRUID baseline score before they start the race and then re-take the test immediately after finishing. Plus, as a control, we will have a group of drivers who are not utilizing FluidLogic’s system follow the same DRUID before-and-after testing protocol.”

“We are thrilled to support FluidLogic in their mission to optimize human performance through intelligent hydration,” stated Rob Schiller, CEO at Impairment Science, Inc., DRUID’s developer. “In addition to race driving, we see great opportunities to support FluidLogic as they bring their technology beyond sports and racing to the industrial safety market.”

“There are many areas where proper hydration matters, and we look forward to working with DRUID to gather important data,” added Osborne.