SumGood Foods Inc. · Scientific reviewer: Dr. Bohdan L. Luhovyy, PhD, Mount Saint Vincent University · · 8 min read
Most freezie brands run focus groups. We ran a clinical study. Specifically: 60 healthy adults, 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling, then two SumGood fruit-based freezies, with subjective ratings of thirst, nausea, fatigue, and energy taken at every step. The results were measurable, statistically analyzed, and worth walking through honestly, including what they don't mean.
This article is the deeper companion to our pillar on the science of post-exercise hydration. Here, we walk through how the Mount Saint Vincent University team designed the study, what they found, and where the limits of the data sit.
Why did we run a clinical study on freezies?
Most freezie and electrolyte brands rely on marketing claims. SumGood partnered with Mount Saint Vincent University's Department of Applied Human Nutrition to test what the freezies actually do under controlled conditions, because consumers and practitioners deserve measurable answers, not slogans.
The lab partnership was led by Dr. Bohdan L. Luhovyy, an Associate Professor specializing in nutrition science, with the day-to-day study work led by Brianna Smith, RD, as part of her MSc thesis project. Ethics approval came through the MSVU Research Ethics Board on April 21, 2023, and the study ran from May 2023 to May 2024.
How was the study designed?
The study (REB-approved April 21, 2023; conducted May 2023 - May 2024) recruited 60 healthy adults (30 female, 30 male; ages 19-35) for a single-session protocol at the MSVU Appetite Lab. Participants arrived fasted, completed 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cycling, then received two SumGood freezies in sequence with VAS ratings between each.
Why fasted? To eliminate confounding from variable breakfasts, coffee intake, or differing pre-session hydration. Water was permitted up to one hour before the lab visit so participants weren't arriving in active dehydration. After the cycling protocol, ratings were collected on 100 mm visual analogue scales (VAS): the standard methodology for subjective measures like thirst, nausea, fatigue, and energy.
Statistical analysis used mixed-effects modeling with Tukey-Kramer post-hoc tests (GraphPad Prism v9.5.1). The key comparison point throughout this article is the rating taken immediately post-exercise, the moment when thirst, fatigue, and nausea peak under this protocol, against the rating after consuming two freezies.
What did the freezies do to thirst and fatigue?
Two SumGood freezies reduced thirst by 43% (P<0.0001) and fatigue by 38% (P<0.0001) compared to immediately post-exercise. Thirst dropped from a mean of 78.0 mm (post-exercise) to 44.4 mm (after second freezie) on the 100 mm VAS. Fatigue dropped from 41.9 mm to 25.9 mm over the same interval.
The dose-response pattern matters. The first freezie alone reduced thirst by 29%; adding the second roughly doubled the effect to 43%. Same shape for fatigue: 23% reduction after the first freezie, 38% after the second. This isn't a placebo response. You'd expect placebo effects to plateau after the first dose, not climb with the second.
Energy followed a different but equally clear pattern. Baseline energy after an overnight fast was 47.5 mm on the 100 mm VAS. Post-exercise, energy rose to 62.6 mm, a known acute exercise effect. After the first freezie, energy continued climbing to 70.1 mm and stayed there through the second freezie and lunch. Net: a sustained 32% gain over baseline (P<0.0001).
What happened with nausea?
Nausea dropped by 49% (P=0.04) after the second freezie, the most surprising finding in the dataset, given the well-documented gap in post-exercise GI distress research. For context: 30-90% of endurance athletes report exercise-induced GI symptoms, and nausea/vomiting was cited as the single biggest reason for not finishing 161-km ultramarathons in one widely-cited review (Costa et al., 2017; MDPI Physiologia, 2022).
Honest disclosure on the nausea data: the reduction after the first freezie was directionally consistent (lower nausea) but did not reach statistical significance in this sample (P=0.1). The researchers indicated the effect could become significant with a larger sample. The 49% reduction reported above is the effect after both freezies, which did meet the P<0.05 threshold.
What we're not claiming: that SumGood treats, prevents, cures, or mitigates nausea. The MSVU study measured subjective perceptions in healthy adults under specific exercise conditions. It does not establish therapeutic effect under Health Canada's Natural Health Products Regulations. For a deeper look at the broader nausea-and-hydration literature, see what to drink when you feel nauseous.
How did the freezies taste?
Participants rated the freezies 7.0 / 9 on a hedonic pleasantness scale: statistically equivalent to pizza (7.32 / 9), one of Canada's most-liked foods. The hedonic scale anchors "Like moderately" at 7 and "Like very much" at 8, so 7.0 means participants genuinely enjoyed them, not just tolerated them.
Why does this matter? Because palatability drives adherence. The most clinically optimal beverage in the world doesn't help anyone who won't finish it. Taste perception was consistent across the first and second freezie (P=0.9 for taste, P=0.2 for pleasantness), meaning people didn't get tired of the flavour over a single session.
What this study can, and can't, tell us
The MSVU study was designed to measure subjective perceptions in healthy young adults under specific exercise conditions. It is not a claim that SumGood treats, prevents, or cures dehydration, nausea, fatigue, or any medical condition. It does not establish efficacy in pregnant women, children, older adults, or anyone with a clinical condition.
Specifically: the protocol used a single-session design with a fasted population aged 19-35, all under controlled lab conditions on stationary cycling. Real-world post-exercise contexts (variable hydration status, longer or shorter sessions, different sports, different climates, repeated daily use) weren't tested. The outcomes were subjective perceptions on VAS scales, not objective hydration biomarkers like urine specific gravity or plasma osmolality.
What the study does provide is the kind of measurable, peer-reviewable data that's almost impossible to find in this product category. You can read the full Final Report and the earlier Progress Report on our Our Research page, including the complete methodology, statistical analysis, and all six sensory dimensions tested.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I read the full MSVU study?
The Final Report (June 24, 2024) and Progress Report (October 9, 2023) are available on our Our Research page. The study was conducted at Mount Saint Vincent University's Department of Applied Human Nutrition under MSVU REB approval (April 21, 2023).
How big was the sample size?
60 healthy adults (30 female, 30 male) aged 19-35 years (mean 24.4 ± 4.6). Statistical analysis used mixed-effects modeling with Tukey-Kramer post-hoc tests (GraphPad Prism v9.5.1).
Does this prove SumGood works for everyone?
No. The study measured one population (healthy young adults) under one set of conditions (post-exercise). Effects may not generalize to other populations or contexts. Consult your healthcare provider for personal hydration guidance, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a medical condition.
Are these results clinically significant or just statistically significant?
Reductions of 38-49% in subjective symptom ratings are practically meaningful, not just statistical artifacts. P-values below 0.05 (and most under 0.0001) indicate the effects are very unlikely to be due to chance.
The bottom line
The MSVU clinical study gave us measurable answers where most freezie brands have only marketing claims. Here's the recap:
- Two freezies post-exercise: thirst −43%, fatigue −38%, nausea −49%, energy +32%
- P-values from <0.0001 to 0.04, statistically robust
- Pleasantness rated equal to pizza on a 9-point hedonic scale
- Limits: healthy young adults under lab conditions; not a treatment claim for any condition
Want the full report? download the Mount Saint Vincent University Final Report PDF. Ready to try the format that was tested? Shop SumGood freezies →