During the third round of the Australian Open in 2015, it was seen for the first time what the tennis player was doing to avoid injuries and muscle cramps. Totum Sport is a natural food supplement obtained from the Bay of Biscay, processed and marketed by Quinton Laboratories.

Taking this product regularly helps improve physical recovery and increase physical performance, according to Quinton Laboratory. Rafael Nadal achieved success and is the undisputed number 1 in the world of tennis. In the last US Open he established and continues to maintain his position in the ATP ranking. But, they say, he has a secret that helps maintain his physical state and avoid muscle injuries and cramps. Can it be effective? What is the seawater that Nadal consumes?

During the 3rd round of the Australian Open, in 2015, we saw for the first time what it was that the player took when competing against Tim Smyczek. Toni Nadal, coach and uncle of the tennis player, sent via a ball boy an ampule/ sachet in the middle of the game. Totum Sport is a natural food supplement obtained from the Bay of Biscay, which extends from Cape Ortegal in Galicia (Spain) to the tip of Pern on the island of Ouessant in Brittany (France).This supplement is processed and marketed by Quinton Laboratories, a company based in Alicante (Spain). They are of French origin and, in 1996, were bought by the Coll family. At present they are present in 30 countries and turn over  4.5 million euros. Taking this product regularly can improve physical recovery, increase physical performance, increase load and working time, improve concentration and intracellular rehydration according to their explanations from the laboratory.

Francisco Coll, general manager of the laboratory, explained: „In dehydration, cramps and muscle injuries, mineralization plays a key role. This supplement, which provides all the necessary electrolytes, helps the body to stay properly hydrated, as well as avoid these injuries and reduce the recovery period. Ours is the only sport supplement that manages to offer all the necessary natural elements of the periodic table of Mendeleïev, a total of 78, with an immediate absorption.” 

„All are basic for the proper functioning of the human body.” In addition, it accumulates these elements „in very similar proportions to our organic liquids,” explained Gerardo Gómez, commercial director Quinton Laboratories.

As indicated by the laboratory, the sea water is extracted 30 meters deep from the vortex of the Bay of Biscay and, without breaking the cold chain, is moved in less than 48 hours to the laboratories to perform a double microfiltration process, in cold and in a sterile environment, to preserve nutritional properties.

The most typical and inexpensive way to treat sea water is to heat it,” Gómez said, but „the problem is that you burn the good and the bad.” In this way, the final quality of the minerals is impaired.

In contrast, Quinton Laboratories uses a method that „maintains the properties of sea water”. Thus, oxidation and dehydration of the cells, which produces heat sterilization at over 40 ° C, is prevented, which „apart from altering the composition and destroying the beneficial organic matter, releases free radicals”.

„The vortex of the Bay of Biscay is one of the few known places in the world, where water has these properties. They are the areas where life is born, where there is phytoplankton and where the sea food chain begins, ” said Coll.

However, seawater treatments are also highly criticized because those who argue against them say that their effects are not proven. Coll said that this product „is not only intended for high performance athletes, but for any practice that approaches or exceeds 60 minutes of physical effort.”

Investigations carried out by specialists from the University of Alicante and the Departments of Prevention and Treatment of injuries of Sportsplayers of the Catholic University of Murcia (Spain), showed that cold micro filtered sea water is beneficial to combat hypotonic hyponatremia of athletes.

*This article has been translated from Spanish Newspaper Urgente 24. Original article here.