Several individual teams and many prominent athletes actively use or officially partner with ionized alkaline water brands and equipment.
The relationship between sports teams and ionized water falls into three main categories:
Brooklyn Nets (NBA): Essentia Water (a commercially produced ionized alkaline water) serves as the Official Alkaline Water of the Brooklyn Nets. Essentia is provided directly to players in the locker room, at the HSS Training Center, and on the bench, and is also sold throughout Barclays Center.
NFL Alumni Association: The organization officially designated Keen Water (a high-pH alkaline water infused with ionic minerals) as its official water partner for major alumni events and health campaigns across the country.
When teams use ionized water via in-house ionizers rather than commercial bottle sponsorships, it is rarely publicized as a team brand deal. Instead, these systems are typically brought in by head strength and conditioning coaches or sports nutritionists:
Major League Baseball (MLB): Nutritionists associated with teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Arizona Diamondbacks have reportedly introduced countertop or facility-scale ionizers into locker rooms for pre- and post-game recovery.
National Basketball Association (NBA): Prominent team sports nutrition consultants (such as Shan Stratton, who has worked with multiple NBA and MLB franchises like the Houston Rockets and LA Lakers) have historically integrated ionized alkaline water into team hydration protocols to help players manage muscle fatigue and lactic acid buildup.
Much of the adoption in professional sports is driven by individual athletes who insist on ionized or high-pH alkaline water as part of their personal training regimens, often bringing their own supplies into locker rooms:
NFL Legends: High-profile players (most notably Tom Brady through his TB12 wellness protocols, as well as Hall of Famer Kurt Warner) have advocated for alkaline and ionized hydration to combat post-workout acidity and inflammation.
Combat Sports & Boxing: Champions like Manny Pacquiao and Andy Ruiz Jr. have famously incorporated hydrogen-rich ionized water into their fight camps to manage muscle inflammation during heavy training.
